By: Jonah Lazar, Staff Writer
After finishing rock bottom in the NHL Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks are set to reshape their managerial team. The 2025/26 campaign saw the Canucks pick up 25 wins across 82 games, finishing 19 points behind the next worst-performing team in the NHL. This is following their 2024/25 season, when the team picked up 38 wins, and finished fifth place in the Pacific Division — out of eight teams. Their 2025/26 season is regarded by many as the worst season in Canucks history: star player and captain, Quinn Hughes, was traded away, and the team then picked up their lowest points tally in a full season since 1998/99.
In the aftermath of these many setbacks, the Canucks team owner Francesco Aquilini has changed the personnel running the side. General manager Patrik Allvin was fired from the helm of the franchise after four years in charge, and long-time president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford, stepped down from his position.
The dissolved hierarchy will leave room for new leadership to take charge, with some familiar faces returning to Rogers Arena, where the team plays. Franchise legends Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who played together for the Canucks from 2000 to 2018, will take over as co-presidents of Canucks hockey operations, in place of the departing Rutherford. Ryan Johnson will take over as general manager. Johnson has been working for the Canucks since the 2013/14 season, primarily in player development with the Vancouver Canucks. He was also general manager of the Abbotsford Canucks, a franchise operated by the Vancouver Canucks who compete in the American Hockey League.
Soon after taking charge, Johnson dismissed head coach Adam Foote and assistant coaches Scott Young, Kevin Dean, and Brett McLean. Foote was fired after just one season coaching the team. Speaking to the press, Johnson thanked the coaching staff for their commitment during “a very tough and tumultuous year of so many variables.” He shared that their dismissal was “less about change in the past and more about implementing something for the future.”
Filling Foote’s shoes as head coach will be Manny Malhotra, who worked with Johnson at the Abbotsford Canucks, and was a player in the Canucks’ run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2011. In a statement sent out to Canucks season ticketholders, the Canucks stated,
“What stands out most about Manny isn’t simply his experience; it’s his ability to bring people together, establish accountability, and create an environment where players can thrive.” — The Canucks
Today marks an important milestone in our journey forward.”
The Peak reached out to the Abbotsford and Vancouver Canucks for a statement, but did not receive a response by the publication deadline.
