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

“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. “But as the season went on, give the guys credit, they adapted to the system and made it look the way it needed to, just took us a while to get some traction and get it to the point where it was looking like our system.”

Malhotra’s tenure thus far in Abbotsford has been a tale of two seasons, one with incredibly high highs like a 13-game win streak and a Calder Cup, versus one with an 11-game losing streak and missing the playoffs entirely. Still, the coach took the disappointing result in his sophomore season as a teaching moment going forward.

“There’s a lot to be learned. We’ll analyze things a lot more as the summer goes on. But just the fact that no two seasons are alike, and you can’t take winning for granted,” Malhotra said of the lessons learned this season, “This is a very difficult league to win in and be successful in on a night-in, night-out basis.

“From a coaching standpoint, I took a lot away from how we taught things and when we needed to teach things, when we needed to get on the gas and lean into the guys, and when they needed more time to digest things or just needed a rest. Those are some of the things that come with feel and repetition and knowing your team.”

He mentioned that, while the team was not in the position they wanted to be in with the lacklustre results, there “was a lot of learning” for him and his coaching staff. Malhotra also commented that while there were many new bodies coming in throughout the season, it was important that the team was able to stick to its identity while helping incoming players adapt to the Abbotsford way of hockey, saying that “the expectation and the standard” around the team was something the Canucks stuck to, unmoving even as the roster endlessly shuffled on.

As the AHL is the NHL’s primary developmental league, a number of the roster moves had to do with filling holes in Vancouver’s lineup. The Canucks didn’t make any high-profile free agency moves in the 2025 off-season, choosing instead to promote from within. Aatu Raty, Linus Karlsson, Elias Pettersson, and Max Sasson were all key components for Abbotsford the previous season, who spent most or all of the 2025-26 season with Vancouver. Important players who had spent the previous season split between the two clubs were once again travelling back and forth along the Trans-Canada Highway, like Arshdeep Bains, Victor Mancini, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki. While these players getting NHL experience is a good marker for development, it did leave Abbotsford without their highest scorers and key defensive pieces from their victorious 2024-25 campaign.

“I think that the success that we had last year was eye-opening for a lot of those guys,” Malhotra said of the players he coached now playing big minutes in the NHL, “From realizing how hard it is to win and what is necessary on the daily to improve your game, to help improve the team on a daily basis. I’m hoping that’s kind of the mindset that they took to Vancouver.”

Specifically speaking about Karlsson, Malhotra noted how this work ethic carried on from the 26-year-old forward’s time leading the Canucks in points for the Calder Cup playoffs, to moving his way up the Vancouver lineup — and NHL rookie scoring rankings — a few months later.

“Starting out on the fourth line, just grinding for minutes, to working his way up the lineup and being a contributing factor every night, by just doing the things that he does really well. He’s heavy on pucks. He forechecks, so he didn’t alter his game. He did the things that he does really well, and that’s a credit to who he is as an athlete. I think that’s something that he learned last year, just the monotony of doing it every day is what is needed to be successful.”

Manny Malhotra of the Abbotsford Canucks (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)

Prior to becoming Abbotsford’s third head coach in franchise history, Malhotra served as an assistant coach for both the Vancouver Canucks (2017-2020) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2020-2024), working under Travis Green and Sheldon Keefe, respectively. Malhotra joined the Canucks as a development coach after his retirement from playing in 2016, and joined Green’s coaching staff the following season. Now, as a head coach, Malhotra has worked with Harry Mahesh and Jordan Smith as assistants the past two seasons, along with Justin Pogge as Abbotsford’s goalie coach.

“As an assistant, you’re delegated your tasks, your assignments and things that you need to focus in on, and you kind of stay in your lane,” Malhotra commented on the differences in roles he has held in recent years, “As the head, you’re obviously required to make sure you’re on top of the way the team is functioning on and off the ice, how practices are implemented, what we need to work on from a day-to-day standpoint, just kind of analyzing the whole system of our team.”

“There’s a lot of differences, a lot of responsibility as the head, something that I really relish. I was able to learn from some really good head coaches, not only in my playing days, but as an assistant under Travis Green and Sheldon Keefe.”

Malhotra had an option for the 2026-27 season, which was picked up shortly before the 2025-26 season began. His name, however, has been generating interest in NHL head-coaching rumours heading into the off-season. Due to the nature of the extended off-season, it may take some time for clarity on Abbotsford’s coaching situation for next season. With questions surrounding many senior Vancouver organizational positions, it adds another layer to the uncertainty, as the NHL promotional call for Malhotra may be coming from inside the house. Still, at the moment, Malhotra is under contract for next season at the Rogers Forum, returning to the bench he has manned for two seasons.

“It’s a tale of two seasons, very polar opposite endings,” Malhotra commented on the differences between year one and year two as Abbotsford bench boss. “Both incredibly unique learning experiences for myself.”

“I learned a great deal over the course of the last two years, and I think that’s a really big part of being a coach is continuing to have a growth mindset and an open mind to change and adaptation and learning and seeing what works and what doesn’t work. It’s been a very, very good couple years from that standpoint in terms of just being open minded and understanding and learning daily.”

The off-season isn’t only up in the air in terms of Malhotra’s coaching future. Whether he remains in Abbotsford or moves into an NHL role, it is also unpredictable for his son, Caleb. The younger Malhotra is one of the top prospects in the upcoming 2026 NHL Entry Draft, predicted to go in the first round, just as Manny had in 1998, being drafted 7th overall by the New York Rangers. The 2008-born centre had a breakout year for the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs, with 84 points (29 goals, 55 assists) in 67 games.

When asked about advice for Caleb heading into the draft, coach Malhotra said, “My biggest advice to him this whole year was just play your game and enjoy playing hockey. Don’t worry about all the exterior noise.”

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Räty Scores First Point, Finland And Sweden Collect Wins: Canucks At The 2026 Fortuna Hockey Games

10 Names Mentioned Throughout The Canucks’ Search For A New GM And Management Staff

Former Canucks In The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: John Tortorella, Ben Hutton & The Vegas Golden Knights Advance To The Second Round

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Hockey News