The Vancouver Canucks may not keep their head coaching job open for much longer, with NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believing the team is close to a decision on Manny Malhotra.
Speaking on Donnie & Dhali, Friedman said, Vancouver appears to be working through talks with Malhotra and hinted that something could be finalized soon. Rick Dhaliwal later shared the comments on X.
“Elliotte Friedman on Manny Malhotra as new coach of the #Canucks: I have no doubt they are negotiating with him, they are working through it. We could find out in the next few days.”
Malhotra is currently the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks, but he also brings NHL coaching experience from Vancouver and Toronto. After leaving the Maple Leafs in 2024, he took over Abbotsford and led the club to a Calder Cup in his first season.
Before coaching Abbotsford, Malhotra had already worked in several roles with Vancouver. The former Canuck joined the organization in a player development role after retiring and later spent three seasons as an assistant coach from 2017 to 2020. If hired, he would become the 23rd head coach in franchise history and the fifth since 2021.
The Canucks themselves had already mentioned Malhotra after Adam Foote’s exit. After Foote’s firing, general manager Ryan Johnson said the Vancouver planned to have a “serious conversation” with Malhotra about the vacancy.
“It’s hard to be ignorant of an internal candidate that we already have,” Johnson said. “I’m not gonna deflect that. Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, to build a connection, and obviously win a championship with a very young group. So I won’t be ignorant to the fact that I am going to speak with him, sit down with him, and talk about the future.”
Malhotra is signed with Abbotsford through the 2026-27 season, but Friedman’s latest update suggests Vancouver may not be far from making its call.
What led the Vancouver Canucks to make a coaching change
Manny Malhotra’s name surfaced after Vancouver made a coaching change following a difficult season under Adam Foote.
Foote lasted one season behind the Canucks bench, going 25-49-8 after taking over from Rick Tocchet in May 2025. The team also parted ways with assistants Scott Young, Kevin Dean and Brett McLean.
New general manager Ryan Johnson said the decision was more about where the organization wants to go next.
“This wasn’t an easy day,” Johnson said. “Less about change and the past and more about implementing something for the future.”
Johnson said Vancouver felt it was time for “a new voice and a new group” as the franchise moves into its next phase.
The move came after a sharp drop for Vancouver. Two seasons after winning the Pacific Division and reaching the second round of the playoffs, Vancouver finished last in the NHL and became the first team eliminated from postseason contention.
The season changed further after Quinn Hughes was traded to Minnesota in December. Vancouver went 14-32-5 without its former captain and finished with 2.56 goals per game along with the league’s worst goal differential.
Johnson also made clear the coaching change was not about criticizing Foote or his staff.
“It was less about what they did or didn’t do,” he said. “I appreciate them as coaches and people, but this again, is about moving forward in the future.”
With Johnson now running hockey operations alongside Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Vancouver’s next coaching hire could be part of a bigger reset around a younger group.
Edited by Sonali Verma