The city of Vancouver will greet two new professional hockey head coaches to start the 2025–26 regular season. In mid-May, the Vancouver Canucks promoted former assistant coach Adam Foote to the position of head coach. On Monday, PWHL Vancouver named former St. Cloud State Huskies head coach Brian Idalski their bench boss for their inaugural season. Both coaches will bring new perspectives to Vancouver’s hockey market as new head coaches.
Starting with Foote, the former Canucks assistant coach for a little longer than two years will be taking part in his first season as an NHL head coach. He has already picked out his coaching staff, which includes new names like Kevin Dean, Brett McLean, and Scott Young. Vancouver fans are already familiar with Foote, as he was primarily in charge of the Canucks’ defence when on former head coach Rick Tocchet’s staff.
“I love the guy. I’m so happy for him,” former head coach Tocchet said regarding Foote’s new position. “I wish he was coming with me. But listen, great choice, great guy. He’s so involved as a coach. I knew this day would come where he would be a head coach — smart guy, great relationship guy, knows that organization inside and out. All positives from my end, and we still talk today. He’s going to help me, I’m going to help him, even though we’re on different teams. I really want to see him be successful, because that city deserves a winner.”
“I’m really excited about it,” Canucks forward Conor Garland said of Foote’s promotion. “I loved having him as an assistant. It’s obviously going to be a little different now. I’m assuming as the head, we won’t be able to talk and hang out as much at the rink. But he was a lot of fun, and he’s a very smart guy.”
A few neighbourhoods east of the Canucks’ home is Pacific Coliseum, where PWHL Vancouver’s first head coach in franchise history, Brian Idalski, will help lead the team during their inaugural season. Idalski was previously the head coach of St. Cloud State University’s women’s hockey team, having coached there since the 2022–23 season. He had also spent one season with St. Cloud State as an assistant coach back in 2007–08.
“Brian changed a lot here, like the culture and how we play, so that’s a big credit to him. He’s also why I stayed here for my 5th year,” Klára Hymlárová of the Minnesota Frost said of Idalski’s impact on the team.
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“What stands out in Brian’s experience is his ability to build and transform the programs he is a part of, from his work in professional leagues, at the Olympics, and turning collegiate teams into nationally ranked contenders,” PWHL Vancouver General Manager Cara Gardner Morey said in a statement of Idalski’s hire. “I’m excited that he will lead our incredible group in Vancouver and can’t wait to see his vision and influence shape our foundation.”
“I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to join an organization and city like Vancouver and want to thank Cara and the league for their trust and belief in me,” Idaski added. “The PWHL has had a huge impact on the global game, and to be a part of that — with expansion helping push it even further forward — is an unbelievable feeling. I’ve been associated with a lot of players across the PWHL, either coaching them personally or against them over the years, so this role brings me full circle with an eagerness to work with the league’s world-class talent. The team that Cara has assembled is fantastic and I embrace the challenge that comes with our high expectations.”
Interestingly enough, Vancouver is not the only city to be getting a PWHL expansion team and welcoming two new head coaches to their city. In May, the Seattle Kraken hired former New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert to lead their bench in 2025–26. Last week, PWHL Seattle named Steve O’Rourke their first head coach in franchise history. With these two teams being the closest in-league competition to one-another, it’ll be interesting to see how each franchise’s new head coach performs in their first season with their respective teams.
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