VANCOUVER — When Ryan Johnson needed to hire a minor-league coach for the Vancouver Canucks two years ago, he described his search process this way: “There was a bunch of names on one list and then there was one name on my main list, and that was Manny.”
So far, Manny Malhotra is also the only name on Johnson’s new list to coach the National Hockey League team.
Six days since his promotion to general manager, Johnson on Tuesday fired head coach Adam Foote and assistants Brett McLean, Kevin Dean and Scott Young — all of them one-and-done as coaches in Vancouver and victims of one of the worst seasons in franchise history.
The Canucks have a new GM, new co-presidents in Daniel and Henrik Sedin, and will also have an entirely new NHL coaching staff beyond the likely retention of goaltending coach Marco Torenius and skills coach Jason Krog.
Johnson told reporters that he plans to be the first manager this spring to interview Malhotra for an NHL job, and the betting money says he will probably be the last one.
As the American Hockey League GM of the Canucks’ farm team in Abbotsford, Johnson specifically recruited Malhotra, bringing him back to Vancouver after a stint as Sheldon Keefe’s assistant coach in Toronto.
Not only did Johnson and Malhotra have similar traits as Canuck players — smart and professional, articulate, dependable and brimming with character — but they shared a strong vision about how prospects should be developed, with their values as teammates every bit as important as skill development.
That shared vision brought the Canuck organization its first Calder Cup championship 11 months ago, and the partnership seems perfectly suited now for an NHL team coming off a 58-point season and undertaking its first rebuild this century.
“It's hard to be ignorant of an internal candidate that we obviously have, so I'm not going to deflect that,” Johnson said Tuesday. “Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, to build a connection and, obviously, win a championship with a very young group. I am going to speak with him, sit down with him, and talk about the future.
“I don't think I've got an expectation of how big that net (to find a new head coach) needs to be cast. Like I said, I don't want to be ignorant to you guys or anybody and say I'm not going to have a serious conversation with Manny. That's just the truth of it. I think those discussions may determine how big that net is cast. But I'm not ruling out anything. I've just got to go through the initial steps here.”
Interestingly, Johnson said he is not conflicted about considering Malhotra for coach when the Canucks might also select his son, centre Caleb Malhotra, with the third pick of next month’s entry draft.
“I'm in no position to change or make decisions based off one or the other,” Johnson said of the Malhotras. “There will be no sacrifice (of priorities) because of a father-son relationship, I would say.”
So both Malhotras could be with the NHL Canucks next season. Or neither.
The Maple Leafs or San Jose Sharks, who pick ahead of the Canucks, could deprive Vancouver of Caleb, although that seems highly unlikely given those teams’ needs and other elite prospects available at the top of the draft.
But Manny Malhotra to the Canucks’ bench now feels even more likely than did Johnson to the general manager’s office, although the latter was always the soft favourite to be promoted to the job before former teammates Henrik and Daniel Sedin chose Johnson last week over Boston Bruins AGM Evan Gold.
Johnson packed other news into his 17-minute press conference, confirming that incumbent assistant GMs Cammi Granato and Emilie Castonguay will remain with the Canucks, and speaking unequivocally in support of amateur scouting director Todd Harvey.
“As with Cammi and Emilie, nothing has changed,” Johnson said. “They are a big part of this group. They've been a big part, I think, of my maturation as a person and a professional, so nothing has changed in that regard.”
Of Harvey, who was promoted by previous GM Jim Benning to replace Judd Brackett in 2020, Johnson said: “I have the utmost respect for Todd Harvey, how he's led his group. He has really evolved as a leader over the years and been challenged to, but he's been able to build this group and make some changes where he felt needed. Nobody works harder than Todd. He commands the room, he has empowered his staff, and if you really strike it down to some of the picks ... these guys have done a fantastic job of finding players (in) middle to late rounds. We haven't had an opportunity to pick up (near the top of) the draft. But we will this year, and so that's exciting for those guys.”
With much of the Canucks’ staff scattered for the summer, Johnson said he informed Foote and his assistants by phone that the team would not be bringing them back. Former GM Patrik Allvin and outgoing president Jim Rutherford gambled on making Foote, who had limited coaching experience, a first-time NHL head coach when Rick Tocchet bolted from Vancouver 13 months ago.
But at least Johnson and the Sedins moved quickly to provide clarity about which way the Canucks are going.
“A very tough and tumultuous year (with) so many variables,” Johnson said. “So this wasn't an easy day. They're great coaches, but great people, and I want to thank them personally. Speaking with them this morning, I just felt from the organization — the alignment and what we were looking for — I just wanted a new voice and a new group to come in and start this next era of the franchise.
“I felt out of respect for the staff, too, the longer you drag something like this out, you also hold them from maybe their next opportunities. And I want to be respectful of their time and the ability to move on.
“The environment is my utmost priority in moving forward with a young group, and I've said that before. Between the coach, your manager, president, again we come back to being aligned, and we have to make sure that we all have the same vision — that we're going to stick to the teaching.”
There aren’t many better-suited to that mandate than Manny Malhotra, and nobody else has his relationship with the GM here.
“I've never brought coaches here to be in the American League for 10 years,” Johnson said a year ago for a Sportsnet feature about him and Malhotra. “That would be a failure on my behalf.”
“I needed to take the next step and take that leap of faith,” Malhotra told us then about returning to the Canuck organization. “But in this business, it's not just about getting the opportunity, it's getting the opportunity with people that you want to work with and places you want to be. I was very fortunate to come back to an organization where I have history, I know the people internally and wanted to work with them again. It worked out perfect.”
Feels like it’s going to.
