The Vancouver Canucks' new management has stressed the importance of developing the right culture as they rebuild. GM Ryan Johnson said new coach Manny Malhotra will put the proper foundation in place.
The late Monday announcement came nearly two weeks after the Canucks fired coach Adam Foote. At the time, GM Ryan Johnson told reporters he would speak with Malhotra and discuss the future.
Now, Malhotra was promoted from coaching the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks to the NHL role as Johnson strives to establish a culture for the rebuilding squad.
"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 announcement. "Connection, consistency and putting in place the proper foundation will be key for our group moving forward."
Like Johnson, who played two seasons with the Canucks from 2008 to 2010, Malhotra is a former longtime NHL center. Malhotra finished his playing career with 991 NHL games played, 116 goals, 179 assists and 295 points. His career faceoff percentage was 56.4 percent, and he averaged 13:03 of ice time.
Malhotra, 46, has built a reputation as a coach who's effective at developing young players and connecting with the group. He will try to apply those qualities to a team that finished last by 14 points and has plans to take as long as it needs to set a new foundation.
"Manny is a great coach who has the right skill set and mentality to help players develop and get better each day," Johnson said. "We both believe that pressure is a privilege, and learning to become a good pro takes patience, dedication and a 'be better than yesterday' mindset."
Malhotra started out as a development coach with the Canucks in 2016-17 after his playing career ended the season before. He then spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Canucks.
The Mississauga, Ont., native then worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach from 2020-21 to 2023-24 before rejoining the Canucks organization as the coach of AHL Abbotsford. Johnson was the GM of the affiliate at the time.
In 2024-25, his first season with the new club, Malhotra led Abbotsford to its first-ever Calder Cup. He also coached youngsters who appeared in the NHL this season, such as Aatu Raty, Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson, Victor Mancini and defenseman Elias Pettersson.
Despite winning the championship, the Canucks decided to promote Adam Foote from assistant coach to head coach for the 2025-26 season, which kept Malhotra in the AHL.
Now, Malhotra gets his shot at coaching an NHL team for the first time. He will lead a group that's dealt with its fair share of adversity over the past couple of years, including dressing room drama, injuries and a fall from the top of the Pacific Division to the league basement.
As Johnson said after Daniel and Henrik Sedin named him the Canucks' newest GM on May 14, the challenge for the players is to be the best quality of teammates they can be for each other. He suggested there will be non-negotiables about how they are as a professional and a teammate, how they approach each day and how they create a plan.
Malhotra will be the one to help ensure those non-negotiables are being met.
"He loves the game and getting to know what makes his players tick, and I am very confident Manny will help us ice a competitive and hard-working team that our fans will be proud of moving forward," Johnson said.
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