Adam Foote, as it turned out, had the presence and weight that Vancouver Canucks brass was looking for in the 22nd head coach in franchise history. It was a surprise hire for a lot of observers. Foote has never been a head coach at the professional level,

When Rutherford arrived in Vancouver late in 2021, he quickly broke down gender barriers by hiring Emilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato as assistant GMs. Both are still with the team, and the Canucks’ player development and scouting has improved under Granato’s watch.

Jim Rutherford said Manny Malhotra will be on the “short list” of potential Tocchet replacements yesterday. With no NHL head coaching experience and already being in the organization, he’d also likely be cheaper than many of the options on this list, potentially making him more attractive to management.