History Shows Vancouver Canucks Rookie Head Coach Adam Foote Faces Massive Pressure in First Season

After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign that saw the club miss out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Vancouver Canucks are hoping to turn things around in a big way this coming season and will do so with a rookie Head Coach behind the bench in Adam Foote.

It certainly won't be an easy year for Adam Foote, that's for sure, as the Canucks are counting on numerous players to bounce back including Elias Pettersson, who finished last season with 45 points in 64 games, among others.

In a recent article for The Hockey News, Adam Kierszenblat took a look back at how other rookie Head Coaches in Vancouver Canucks franchise history faired in their first season behind the bench.

Of the six rookie Head Coaches the Vancouver Canucks have had in their history, Willie Desjardins had the most success in his first year, leading the club to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a second place finish in the Pacific Division with a record of 48-29-5.

Vancouver's time in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs didn't last that long however, with Desjardins' club losing in six games in the first round at the hands of their Canadian rivals, the Calgary Flames.

Desjardins would spend a total of three seasons behind the bench in Vancouver before being dismissed at the end of the 2016-17 campaign missing out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs in back-to-back years.

For Adam Foote to be the most successful rookie Head Coach in Vancouver Canucks franchise history, all he needs to do is to get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and win at least three games, which is easier said than done.

If the Vancouver Canucks are going to make it back to the big dance for the first time since 2024, they're going to need everyone on the roster to step up, from Brock Boeser to Thatcher Demko and even guys in the bottom-six like Drew O'Connor and Aatu Raty.

The Vancouver Canucks have a solid roster, there's no doubt about that, and if everything goes well, along with staying healthy for the entire year, there's no reason why they shouldn't have an 'X' next to their name in the standings in April.

Source: The Hockey News/Adam Kierszenblat
How Vancouver Canucks Head Coaches Performed During Their Rookie Season