The Vancouver Canucks cleaned house on Tuesday by firing head coach Adam Foote after one season on the job and also relieving three assistant coaches of their duties.
In addition to Foote, new general manager Ryan Johnson announced the dismissal of assistants Scott Young, Kevin Dean and Brett McLean.
The Canucks were the worst team in the NHL this past season at 25-49-8 (58 points), while also posting a minus-100 goal differential. The next-closest team in the overall league standings was the Chicago Blackhawks (29-39-14, 72 points).
Foote’s firing is the latest move in a turbulent offseason for Vancouver, which fired general manager Patrik Allvin on April 17 and saw former team president Jim Rutherford moved into an advisory role. Last week, the Canucks hired Johnson as the new GM and appointed twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin as co-presidents.
“As we head into a rebuild, our group feels new coaching voices are needed to chart the path forward,” Johnson said in a statement Tuesday. “Establishing the proper environment and culture is a vital first step in creating a solid and authentic connection throughout the entire organization.”
Foote was hired on May 14, 2025 to replace Rick Tocchet, who became the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.
An assistant coach with the Canucks since 2023, Foote was on a three-year contract as head coach.
Foote, 54, is a two-time Stanley Cup champion who played 19 seasons in the NHL, 17 of them with the Quebec Nordiques/Avalanche franchise (1991-2004; 2008-11). He also played three seasons for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The defenseman finished with a plus-99 rating for his career, recording 308 points (66 goals, 242 assists) and 1,534 penalty minutes in 1,154 games.
Foote was in his first NHL head coaching job. He coached the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League from October of 2018 until he was fired in February of 2020 with 14 games remaining in the season.
–Field Level Media
