Possible Canucks Head Coach Candidates For The 2025–26 Season
Mar 18, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet on the bench against the Winnipeg Jets in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesWith coaching news coming out of the Philadelphia Flyers organization this past week, many have set their sights on how the NHL coaching landscape could look past this season. Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet is currently tied at sixth with seven other coaches for the longest-tenured bench boss in the NHL with their current team. The 2024–25 regular season is Tocchet’s last year of his current contract, though there is an option to extend this by another year from the organization’s side. Rumours have swirled about Tocchet possibly replacing former Flyers coach John Tortorella during the offseason, as the current Canucks coach spent 11 seasons with Philadelphia as a player.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
As it stands, Tocchet’s status moving forward with the team is unknown, but that doesn’t mean his departure is confirmed. In his three seasons and 190 games coached as a member of the Canucks, he has a record of 104–61–25 — good for a points-percentage of .613%. By the time the 2024–25 regular season ends, he’ll be at 200 games coached with Vancouver. In an interview with insider Pierre LeBrun of TSN, Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin spoke highly of the current Canucks head coach.
“I sure hope that he’s going to be part of this organization moving forward. That’s a conversation that I hope we’ll get to the finish line here sooner rather than later,” he said.
Tocchet is the only head coach who is on an expiring deal. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if a few other coaches found themselves jobless by the offseason.
The Nashville Predators were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention on Thursday night after narrowly losing 3–2 to the St. Louis Blues. Their season comes as a bit of a surprise to many, as the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei, and more were expected to make them a genuine contender. However, things got off the rails early, and the Predators were never able to live up to the lofty expectations set for them last summer. Andrew Brunette, Nashville’s Head Coach, has seen success in past seasons such as his 51–18–6 2021–22 season with the Florida Panthers, but his current record (27–37–8) indicates that the Predators may wish to make some changes behind the bench. With that being said, even if Nashville was to move on from Brunette, it’s not likely that he would end up in Vancouver.
A team whose trajectory has started trending downhill is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Coming off his 10th season as the Penguins’ Head Coach, Mike Sullivan and his team have not made the playoffs since 2022. While it’s clear that the Penguins organization wants to keep as many pieces of their former Stanley Cup-winning team together, something to consider is the Canucks’ role in this situation. Vancouver’s inclination to acquire players connected to Pittsburgh’s championship teams is no secret — Allvin and President of Hockey Operations, Jim Rutherford, have pointedly targeted players and coaches that they have history with. However, the 2025–26 season is the final year of Sullivan’s contract, and with Pittsburgh’s current situation, it’d make the most sense for them to stick with their Head Coach and make a decision on where their future lies.
One candidate to become the Canucks’ Head Coach in the 2025–26 season isn’t very far from home. Former player (2010–13) and assistant coach (2016–20) with the Canucks, Manny Malhotra, rejoined the organization in 2024 as the Head Coach of the Abbotsford Canucks. Previously, Malhotra spent four years with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant coach. With both NHL and AHL experience, as well as familiarity with the Canucks organization, it’d make the most sense for Vancouver’s next Head Coach to be someone who has been ingrained in the team since earlier days. Malhotra has seen the culture of the 2011 Canucks, but was also around for the debuts of Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and Quinn Hughes. The length of his contract is currently unknown.
At the end of the day, the Canucks’ Head Coach for the 2025–26 season depends on what the organization decides to do with Tocchet. While this year has been a rollercoaster, Tocchet has managed to keep the team competitive even towards the end of the season. A reset during the offseason may bring the team back to the success they shared in 2023–24. For the time being, Vancouver should opt to continue with Tocchet and move on the season after if the results aren’t there.
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, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
The Hockey News