Canucks fire Adam Foote, staff after dealt ‘difficult hand’Greg WyshynskiMay 19, 2026, 02:16 PM ETClose
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote and his staff were fired Tuesday, as new general manager Ryan Johnson cleaned house five days after taking the job.
Assistant coaches Scott Young, Kevin Dean and Brett McLean were also relieved of their duties, the team declared.
“It was a challenging year on several fronts and truthfully, Adam and his staff were dealt a very difficult hand,” Johnson mentioned in a statement. “That mentioned, as we head into a rebuild, our group feels new coaching voices are needed to chart the path forward. Establishing the proper environment and culture is a vital first step in creating a solid and authentic connection throughout the entire organization.
“At the start of next season, our coaches will need to do a lot of work with our players, to instill in them the traits and habits they will rely on moving forward. The process to bring in a new staff begins immediately.”
Foote, 54, completed his first season as an NHL head coach with a 25-49-8 record, as Vancouver finished with the league’s worst record. He was hired by former GM Patrik Allvin after three seasons as an assistant coach under Rick Tocchet, who left to coach the Philadelphia Flyers.
Foote was an NHL defenseman for 19 seasons, winning two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche. He primarily worked with Vancouver’s blue line as an assistant coach. At the time of his hiring, there was heavy speculation that Foote was elevated to the job to help placate star defenseman Quinn Hughes, whose future with the Canucks was in question as a 2027 free agent. However, Hughes was traded to the Minnesota Wild in December after it became clear he wouldn’t sign an extension with Vancouver.
With Foote dismissed, there’s already heavy speculation that the Canucks will look internally for his replacement with Manny Malhotra, 46, the head coach of their top minor league team.
Malhotra, who played three seasons in Vancouver, was an assistant coach with the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs for seven seasons before taking over the AHL Abbotsford Canucks in 2024. He led them to the Calder Cup that season. Johnson was the general manager of the Abbotsford Canucks before taking over in Vancouver.
Johnson was declared as the new GM last week, working under Hockey Hall of Famers and Vancouver legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were named co-presidents of hockey operations. Former team president Jim Rutherford transitioned to a senior adviser role while Allvin was fired.
