Late last month, Rick Tocchet announced that he was moving on from the Vancouver Canucks. With this, the Canucks are now looking for a new head coach, and a former Carolina Hurricanes forward is reportedly one of the favorites for the job.

According to The Province's Patrick Johnson, former Hurricanes forward Manny Malhotra and current Canucks assistant coach Adam Foote are the frontrunners for Vancouver's head coaching gig. Johnson also added that Malhotra is the "slight favourite" in the race. 

Hearing that Malhotra is getting serious consideration for the Canucks' head coaching job is understandable. The 44-year-old is currently the head coach of the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks and led them to a 44-24-2-2 record this season. Abbotsford is also set to play the Colorado Eagles in the Pacific Division Final.

If the Canucks end up going with Malhotra, it will be the Mississauga, Ontario native's first NHL head coaching job. However, he has experience as an assistant coach at the NHL level, as he previously held the role with the Canucks (2017-18 to 2019-20) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2020-21 to 2023-24). 

Malhotra spent the 2013-14 season as a member of the Hurricanes, where he served as an alternate captain. In 69 games with the Metropolitan Division club, the 1998 seventh-overall pick posted seven goals, 13 points, 82 hits, and an even plus/minus rating. His time with the Canes ended when he signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2014 NHL off-season. 

Recent Hurricanes News 

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