Former Vancouver Canucks Assistant Coach Could be In The Mix to Return on Adam Foote's Staff
Photo credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
A former Vancouver Canucks Assistant Coach could be in the mix to return to the organization in a similar role on Adam Foote's staff next season.
The Vancouver Canucks are entering a new era after naming Adam Foote as their 22nd Head Coach in franchise history, replacing Rick Tocchet, who took over in Philadelphia, returning to the organization that drafted him 42 years.
With Tocchet gone and Adam Foote moving from his role as an Assistant Coach to bench boss, the Vancouver Canucks are going to need to round out their coaching staff before the start of the 2025-26 season and several candidates will begin to emerge over the coming weeks.
Former Vancouver Canucks Assistant Coach could return to team
During Thursday's press conference, Adam Foote and General Manager Patrik Allvin shared that the team intends on hiring two new coaches this summer, one to focus on offense and the other on defense.
"Patrick Allvin and Adam Foote say they expect to add two coaches to the #Canucks staff. Foote says he would like a defensive and an offensive coach." Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet said.
In a recent article on The Hockey News, Adam Kierszenblat examined the possibility of the Vancouver Canucks bringing back former Assistant Coach Brad Shaw.
Shaw, who spent the last three seasons as an Associate Coach and from late March until the end of the 2024-25 campaign, Interim Head Coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, was with the Vancouver Canucks coaching staff as an assistant during the 2021-22 season under both Travis Green and Bruce Boudreau.
Kierszenblat points to Shaw's experience with key players on the Vancouver Canucks' roster as a reason why the team should bring him back and that he could handle the defensive duties that were previously Adam Foote's responsibility before being promoted.
"While Shaw's time with the Canucks only lasted one year, he had the opportunity to work with some key players on Vancouver's current roster. Quinn Hughes and Tyler Myers both played under Shaw in 2021-22, as well as Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko, Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander. Even though he hasn't worked with these players in three years, having some level of familiarity is a positive when bringing in new coaches." Kierszenblat said.
The Vancouver Canucks certainly won't be the only team that'll be looking at Brad Shaw as a potential candidate for their coaching staff, with seven other franchises, and possibly more, trying to round out their owns staffs over the summer.
Shaw, 61, has spent 21 seasons as a coach at the National Hockey League level and that much experience is going to make him a very attractive candidate in the offseason and if the Vancouver Canucks want to bring him in, they might have to act fast.
Source: Adam Kierszenblat/The Hockey News
Why A Reunion Between Brad Shaw And The Vancouver Canucks Makes Sense
Why A Reunion Between Brad Shaw And The Vancouver Canucks Makes Sense
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