'A Tale Of Two Seasons': Manny Malhotra On Tenure Thus Far As Abbotsford Canucks Head Coach

Already a Vancouver Canucks icon in his playing days, Manny Malhotra added to his local legend by being named the third head coach in Abbotsford Canucks history on May 24, 2024, and then promptly leading the team to their first Calder Cup victory in their fourth ever season. One year after the Canucks were preparing for their eventual championship win, they sit outside the playoff picture, only three points ahead of last place in the entire AHL , held by the Hartford Wolf Pack. The team’s 28-37-4-3 record is a far cry from their 44-24-2-2 performance the year prior, and missing the playoffs entirely as defending champions.

The hardships for Abbotsford mounted early and quickly. Injuries, trades, free agency, and NHL call-ups gutted the championship-winning roster. By November 12, their 14th game of the season, the team had used six different goaltenders, thanks to netminder injuries for both Canucks clubs.

Scoring was also an issue compared to their previous season, as the team scored 68 fewer goals than they did in 2024-25, while allowing 30 more goals against. “Our opening mindset was we wanted to get back to where we were, that being said, we had the understanding that we had to start a foundation of our game and work on things from the ground up,” Malhotra told The Hockey News, “And then, through a series of unfortunate events and injuries and that which is the AHL, the constant change, things obviously got a bit sidetracked and derailed what we had set out to do. ” Constant change is a normal state for AHL teams as NHL needs are met by call-ups, trades, and free agent try-outs and signings.

Still, this year was an unprecedented one for Abbotsford, as the team had 52 players suit up for at least one game, compared to 39 in Malhotra’s first year behind the bench. No players were in the lineup for all 72 games of the AHL regular season (granted, only captain Chase Wouters reached that mark last season), and there were only 15 players to appear in 36 or more games. “I think just the fact that you have to keep reteaching new guys coming in those foundational things and what we’re looking to do,” Malhotra commented on the difficulties of constant adjustments.