The 2026 Memorial Cup-winning head coach could be an interesting candidate for the Abbotsford Canucks' open head coaching position.
A potential candidate has emerged in the Abbotsford Canucks’ search for a new head coach.
When Manny Malhotra was promoted to the Vancouver Canucks at the beginning of June, he left an open space in Abbotsford for a new head coach to come in. While there have been discussions about some potential candidates that could take Malhotra’s place, it appears a new name has been added to this dialgoue.
“Wouldn’t surprise me if the Canucks have interest in Kitchener Rangers Memorial Cup-winning head coach Jussi Ahokas,” CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal said during Monday’s segment of Donnie & Dhali. “Ahokas could be on the radar for the head coaching job in Abbotsford.”
While he mentioned that there could be a potential for interest, Dhaliwal also added that he does not know the Kitchener head coach and is “guessing” when it comes to this matter.
Regardless of whether there is actual interest between Ahokas and the Canucks, adding the 2026 Memorial Cup champion head coach would be a big move for the organization. Since joining Kitchener as head coach in 2023–24, the Rangers have made the OHL playoffs every season and won a minimum of 41 games during their regular seasons.
Photo Credit: Steve Dunsmoor-CHLPrior to his time in the OHL, Ahokas spent his head coaching career in Finland, working with Liiga teams KooKoo (2019 to 2021) and TPS (2021 to 2023) as well as their U-20 (2016 to 2019) and U-18 (2014 to 2015) National teams, among others.
The ex-goaltender also has ties to BC via his playing career, as he played for the Victoria Salsa of the BCHL in 1998–99.
This season, Ahokas coached Kitchener to their third Memorial Cup in franchise history, with the Rangers going undefeated during the tournament and losing only two games during the OHL playoffs.
Ahokas does have a current tie to the Canucks organization, as he coached Vancouver prospect Gabriel Chiarot this season with the Rangers. He has also worked consistently with former Canucks draft pick Olli Juolevi in international play.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News