Canucks add Andrew Shaw to Manny Malhotra’s Abbotsford coaching staff as video coach
3 days ago
No, not that Andrew Shaw.
The Abbotsford Canucks have hired former Chilliwack Chiefs associate coach Andrew Shaw to their AHL coaching staff as a video coach, according to the BCHL team’s official Twitter account.
“While taking the next step in my coaching journey is exciting, it is difficult to move on from a first-class organization,” Shaw said in a press release from the Chiefs. “I am grateful for the experiences and relationships built over the last five years. The Chiefs’ strength lies in its people. I’m indebted to the players and staff, especially Brian Maloney, who provided me with countless opportunities and an endless amount of mentorship over the years.”
Shaw, 34 joins the Canucks’ AHL franchise after spending the past five seasons in the BCHL. Shaw’s first three years were spent in Chilliwack before briefly joining the Prince George Spruce Kings as an associate coach for the 2022-23 season before returning to the Chiefs for the 2023-24 campaign.
“Andrew came to us as a young local kid carrying tons of knowledge. He was good at listening and wanted to learn,” said Chiefs general manager Brian Maloney. “So many coaches are stubborn and stuck in their ways, but Shaw was willing to adapt and improve.”
Earlier this week, Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra shared that the club had added Jordan Smith from a similar role with AHL Springfield to handle the defence corps in the Fraser Valley. Malhotra also shared that he was on the hunt for another assistant coach.
“He has a great track record in the hockey community in terms of the quality of person he is and the work he puts forth, so I was fortunate to come across him,” Malhotra told reporters after on-ice sessions at the University of British Columbia earlier this week. “We’ll now be on the hunt for another assistant and that process will begin ASAP.”
Malhotra added that he’s been given the autonomy to name his own staff members.
“Both Patrik and RJ have been incredible in terms of giving me the autonomy to hire the people that I want to hire and the people that I want to work with,” Malhotra explained. “Ultimately it comes down to putting together a staff that is cohesive, works well together and that you want to be around. RJ has done a great job in terms of compiling some names and resumes for me to go through. I’ve been doing some legwork myself, making some calls and finding out who is available. That’s been top of mind for me the last couple of works. So that will continue and we’ll work to find the right guy.”
While Shaw doesn’t quite fill the vacancy Malhotra is talking about, he’s another piece of the puzzle toward rounding out the AHL coaching staff after the Canucks and AHL head coach Jeremy Colliton parted ways earlier this offseason.
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