2026 third-overall pick and new member of the Canucks organization, Caleb Malhotra, is embracing the spotlight.
Caleb Malhotra is no stranger to the spotlight. One only needs to look at the rich athleticism of his lineage to know how familiar he is with being the center of attention.
His father? Vancouver Canucks alum and head coach Manny Malhotra.
Uncle? Former NBA superstar Steve Nash.
The list — one that’s been shared on-and-on since he was drafted third-overall by Vancouver only one week ago — goes on.
That said, Malhotra is undoubtedly his own player. A hard-working, athletic two-way center that will leave Canucks fans clamouring to team stores to buy ‘Malhotra, 27’ jerseys for a lengthy period of time.
Big names and star potential are anchors in Vancouver’s hockey market. With the Canucks changing course for future growth and development, fans need something to hold out hope for as the team prepares to enter what could be a rocky rebuild. Someone who can take the attention and embrace it.
That’s where a player like Malhotra comes in.
“A big part of that is my upbringing, kind of the person I am,” the Canucks prospect told reporters during Vancouver’s development camp. “I like playing when the lights are brightest, and that’s how my dad kind of taught me growing up. The big players show up in big moments, and I’ve kind of had that bit of pressure and that expectation around me my whole life, so I’ve kind of gotten numb to it. It’s a privilege, but I don’t really feel it too much anymore.”
“I think he learned from a lot of years ago, and he’s been brought up in this environment,” Canucks development coach Mikael Samuelsson, who was part of the same 2011 Stanley Cup team that Manny was on, added. “He will see some challenges, but so does everybody. I think he will be prepared for it.”
Malhotra was one of the many young talents that graced Rogers Forum out in Abbotsford during the Canucks’ 2026 development camp. Throughout the three days that Vancouver’s prospects were on the ice, floating down river rafts, or hiking up the Abby Grind, one message was made clear — being a Canuck means being a pro.
“How professional you’ve got to carry yourself to be a Vancouver Canuck, and that was the big thing they preached. It’s okay to make mistakes and mess up drills, but the level of professionalism to carry yourself is most important. And that’s something I really take to heart.”
Photo Credit: Kaja Antic-THN Again, that mentality stems from the way Malhotra was brought up as a kid. The habits instilled in Malhotra by the “super competitive” and highly-professional athletes in his family trickled down to him.
“Everything we did — we go play tennis, go play soccer at the park — they’re all super skilled athletes, obviously. Both my uncles are unbelievable at pretty much every sport they pick up, so like kind of trying to compete with them and just learning how much work they put into their athletic ability, athleticism, and their craft. I’ve learned a lot from how hard they work and how seriously they took their craft.”
Donning the Canucks’ orca means more to Malhotra specifically, having grown up around the team and watched them come so close to hoisting their first Stanley Cup. The photo circulating around social media of a young Malhotra held by Canucks mascot Fin sums up the significance of Vancouver to the young center.
That's a lot of pressure on the shoulders of the 18-year-old. He insists he doesn't feel a thing.
Only time will tell where Malhotra and the rest of Vancouver’s young core can lead the Canucks. For now, the center will embrace the attention, develop his own game, and look forward to the future potential of playing when the lights are brightest.
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