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‘Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, develop a connection, and obviously win a (AHL) championship with a very young group. I am going to speak with him, sit down, and talk about the future’ — Canucks GM Ryan Johnson on Malhotra.
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Published May 19, 2026 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 5 minute read
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Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra directed his club during Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals against the Charlotte Checkers at the Abbotsford Centre on June 19, 2025. Photo by Abbotsford Canucks/FlickrArticle content
Will management familiarity breed coaching contentment?
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That was the pressing question this week for the Vancouver Canucks’ new hockey operations department.
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It’s aligned in history, admiration, support, friendship and belief in Manny Malhotra. And a first order of business for the new regime — whether to retain Adam Foote as bench boss or make Malhotra the face of the daunting franchise rebuild — timing really is everything.
The answer came quickly.
Foote was fired Tuesday morning along with three assistant coaches, and the crowning of Malhotra seems like the next logical step to happen soon. New Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson made that quite clear at an afternoon press conference.
“It’s hard to be ignorant of an internal candidate that we obviously have, so I’m not going deflect that,” Johnson said of Malhotra. “Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, develop a connection, and obviously win a (AHL) championship with a very young group.
“I am going to speak with him, sit down, and talk about the future. We’re looking for consistency, patience, and ability to connect with a young group. The environment is my utmost priority and we have to all be aligned and stick to the vision of teaching every day.
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“When you have commitment, good things start to happen quickly.”
That said, Abbotsford had a rough season. It was also hit by injuries and Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson, Aatu Raty and blueliner Elias Pettersson establishing themselves as NHL regulars. It challenged Malhotra.
“He showed the type of person and coach is by navigating the season and we never had a full team on the ice,” reminded Johnson. “Coaching through the worst of times and continuing to propel players forward, it tells you a lot about Manny and the entire staff.”
The change in franchise direction to absorb pain to eventually gain consistent competitiveness and playoff pedigree demands all that, especially from the head coach. Player development is paramount importance and is a strength of Malhotra.
Malhotra, who turned 45 Monday, is widely viewed as a bright and accomplished coach ready to run an NHL bench. The former centre played for seven NHL teams, was a Canucks assistant coach for three seasons, and four with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He then guided Abbotsford to the 2025 Calder Cup championship.
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Henrik Sedin, the Canucks’ new co-president of hockey operations, along with brother Daniel, watched Malhotra’s command of his club while they served here in player development. They were solid on his commitment and creating the right culture.
“We played with him and know what kind of character he has,” Henrik said on the 32 Thoughts podcast earlier this week. “We’ve worked closely with him in Abbotsford. We know how he works and he’s done a tremendous job out there, not only winning the (Calder Cup) championship, but helping the young players.
“I understand there’s interest around the league — there’s no question about that — but if somebody reaches out to talk (to Malhotra) that’s something we’re going to discuss with (new Canucks GM Ryan Johnson). I don’t think anybody has reached out.”
Linus Karlsson celebrates his goal against he Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on March 28, 2025. Photo by Jason Mowry /Getty Images
Malhotra guided eight players in Abbotsford projected to be on the parent club’s opening roster next fall. He was instrumental in getting Linus Karlsson’s game and growth to another level as the Calder Cup’s leading scorer, including four-game winners in 14 playoff games to set the pace. As a rookie NHL rookie winger this season, he responded with 15 goals and 35 points.
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“Manny was pushing me to be more of a leader and that’s helping me more in my game,” Karlsson told Postmedia. “Make sure I’m on guys, set screens, be around the net and be good defensively.”
That’s setting the right culture to be accountable to himself and his teammates, and that’s what the rebuild is about.
If you think promoting Malhotra will only set himself up for failure as a rookie NHL bench boss, you’re missing the plot. It’s not the expected losses, it’s the long-term commitment to grow together to not only be good enough to compete, but to win. The Canucks’ marketing slogan — All In. All Together. — may sound corny, but it has never meant more.
That’s what the Montreal Canadiens banked on in committing to Martin St. Louis for the rebuild four years ago.
The mighty-mite dynamo of more than 1,000 NHL points, Stanley Cup championship, and two Art Ross Trophy awards, had only briefly served as special-teams consultant for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019 when John Tortorella ran the bench. That was it.
However, St. Louis was always driven as a player and had the passion and commitment to succeed. Coaching was a natural transition and the same can be said about Malhotra. In 991 career games with seven NHL teams, the Mississauga, Ont., native had a 56.5 per cent faceoff efficiency average and a career-best 62.5 per cent with San Jose in 2009-10.
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A deflected puck that struck Malhotra’s left eye on March 16, 2011 resulted in four procedures to reduce swelling and the pooling of blood. He would play again, but was released from an AHL tryout in March of 2016 after 23 games. But Malhotra would impress as a Canucks’ part-time development coach to start laying the foundation.
The Canucks finished ninth in draws (51.1 per cent) after being ranked last in 2015-16 (45.4 per cent). The turnaround wasn’t lost on the hockey operations department because Malhotra also brought an infectious upbeat attitude to what can often be the daily drudgery of practice and video sessions.
In the fall of 2017, the Canucks entered a rebuild phase with Travis Green replacing fired head coach Willie Desjardins. Malhotra became an effective assistant as the club endured growing pains, but Green believed Malhotra could run an NHL bench one day.
“I could see him being a (NHL) coach if he gets the bug, and I think he has it,” the Ottawa Senators head coach told this reporter when Malhotra was guiding Abbotsford to a signature 2024-25 season. “Always had a real love for the game and wanted to be on the ice all the time.
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“Much like playing, Manny has those attributes and the smartness. That part is how you see the game, and he always saw it in a smart way.”
OVERTIME — Johnson said assistant general managers Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato are being retained. “They are a big part of this group and their maturation. Nothing has changed in that regard.” Johnson is also working on filling his old position — GM of AHL affiliate in Abbotsford — which he called “a massive piece of this organization.”
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