5 things to know about Vancouver Canucks new head coach Manny Malhotra

The Vancouver Canucks have officially made the move many fans were expecting.

Late on Monday, the club announced Manny Malhotra as the 23rd head coach in franchise history, giving the former Canuck his first NHL head coaching job.

The move is also one of the first major stamps on the team from new general manager Ryan Johnson, along with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were recently elevated into larger hockey operations roles.

So, now that the announcement is official, here are five things to know about the Canucks’ new bench boss.

1. He just led Abbotsford to a historic run

Malhotra joins Vancouver after spending the past two seasons as head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks.

During that time, Abbotsford went 72-61-6-5, including a franchise-best 44 wins and 92 points in 2024-25.

That season ended with Abbotsford capturing the first Calder Cup championship, making franchise history and giving Malhotra a major win on his coaching resume.

2. He already knows the Canucks’ young talent

One of the biggest reasons the hire makes sense is Malhotra’s direct connection to Vancouver’s prospect pipeline.

In Abbotsford, he helped oversee the development of several players who contributed to the NHL club this past season, including Max Sasson, Aatu Räty, Linus Karlsson, Victor Mancini and Elias Pettersson.

For a Canucks team trying to build a stronger foundation, that familiarity could be a major part of the plan.

3. He has a strong coaching background in Vancouver and Toronto

Before taking over in Abbotsford, Malhotra spent four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach.

During his time there, Toronto’s power play operated at 25.0% from 2020-21 to 2022-23, ranking second in the NHL over that stretch.

He later moved into an “eye in the sky” role and worked closely with the team’s centres on faceoffs. In 2023-24, the Maple Leafs ranked tied for third in the NHL in faceoff percentage at 53.5%.

Before Toronto, Malhotra began his coaching career with Vancouver as a development coach in 2016-17, then served as a Canucks assistant coach from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

That included Vancouver’s 2019-20 playoff run, when the Canucks defeated the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues before pushing the Vegas Golden Knights to Game 7 in the conference finals.

4. He was part of one of the most memorable Canucks teams ever

Before coaching, Malhotra played 16 NHL seasons after being selected seventh overall by the New York Rangers in the 1998 NHL Draft.

He appeared in 991 regular-season NHL games with seven teams, recording 295 points and 451 penalty minutes.

Canucks fans will remember him best from his three seasons in Vancouver, where he posted 48 points in 159 games and helped the team reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

Known for his defensive play, faceoff ability and leadership, Malhotra became one of the most respected players on that roster.

5. This feels like the first real step of the new regime

The Canucks have undergone a major leadership shift, with Johnson now serving as general manager and Daniel and Henrik Sedin taking on larger roles in hockey operations.

Hiring Malhotra feels like the first major coaching decision of that new era.

It also brings together several familiar faces from the organization’s past, including Johnson, the Sedins and Malhotra, who all have deep ties to the franchise.

“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” Johnson said in the team’s announcement.

Johnson also pointed to connection, consistency and player development as key pieces of the club’s direction moving forward.

For Canucks fans, the wait is over. The team’s new era officially has its coach.

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