VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Adam Foote is out as coach of the Vancouver Canucks, fired Tuesday as part of the organization’s latest purge of staff following a last-place finish in the NHL this season.
Foote lasted just one year in the role after being promoted from an assistant to succeed Rick Tocchet, who decided to leave when his contract was up. The Canucks lost 57 of 82 games to end up 14 points lower than the next-closest team in the league standings.
Assistant coaches Kevin Dean, Scott Young and Brett McLean also were dismissed.
Moving on from Foote comes after a total front-office overhaul. Last week, Hall of Fame player twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin were named co-presidents, and Ryan Johnson was elevated to general manager.
Then-president of hockey ops Jim Rutherford fired GM Patrik Allvin last month, then the 77-year-old announced on May 5 he was stepping down from the job he had held since 2021. Despite having the highest odds to get the first pick, the Canucks lost again in the draft lottery, falling to No. 3 behind Toronto and San Jose.
Vancouver has made just two playoff appearances over the past decade and soon will have a fifth coach in six seasons. Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year for his part in the Canucks qualifying in 2023-24, and he got Philadelphia in and to the second round this spring.
Foote, who was a defenseman during his playing career, was a favorite of former captain Quinn Hughes, who was traded to Minnesota in December. Also in consideration last year was retired forward Manny Malhotra, who coached the team’s top minor league affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, to a Calder Cup title last year as champions of the American Hockey League.
Malhotra, who turned 46 on Monday, worked at the NHL level as an assistant with Vancouver from 2017-20 and the Maple Leafs from ’20-24 before getting put in charge of Abbotsford. Johnson has been the GM of the AHL club for several years.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
