The Vancouver Canucks have answered the question of who will replace departing head coach Rick Tocchet.
The club announced Wednesday that assistant coach Adam Foote has been tapped to take the role of top bench boss.
“Adam is a strong leader, good teacher and person who knows what it takes to build a great culture and winning attitude,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement.
“His past experiences on the ice have translated nicely into a coaching style that fits our organization’s goals and vision. He has worked extremely hard the past few years gaining our players’ respect and trust for his strong communication and honest straightforward opinion.”
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The Canucks hired Foote for the assistant role in January 2023, a position that has seen him lead the club’s defence core.
He is reportedly well-liked by team captain and star defender Quinn Hughes.
Foote played 19 seasons as a defenceman in the NHL, hosting the Stanley Cup twice with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and 2001.
He began his coaching career with that same club in 2011-2012 with a job as a development consultant and defensive coach. He led the Kelowna Rockets as head coach for two seasons before coming to the Canucks.
The Canucks announced Tocchet, the outgoing Jack Adams Award-winning head coach, would not return next year at the end of April after the two sides were unable to agree on a contract extension.
Tocchet led the team to a Pacific Division championship and Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs in the 2023-2024 season, but was unable to replicate the success this year as the team grappled with injuries and internal divisions.
Despite plenty of speculation about where he will go, Tocchet has yet to ink a deal with a new club.
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