Manny Malhotra named head coach of AHL Abbotsford Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks have made a coaching change.

The club announced Friday they named Manny Malhotra the third head coach in the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks’ history, taking over from Jeremy Collition.

Malhotra, 44, played for the Canucks between 2010 and 2013, re-joining the franchise after his retirement in 2016-17 as a development coach. It took one year for him to get promoted to the bench, working as the Canucks’ assistant coach for three seasons.

But when Sheldon Keefe took over the Maple Leafs bench in 2020, they hired Malotra as an assistant on his staff. He worked there for four seasons before the club took a different direction this offseason.

“Bringing in someone who is familiar with the organization is a big win for us,” said Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin. “Manny’s experience in hockey development and coaching has prepared him really well for this head coaching opportunity. We look forward to working with him and providing our staff in Abbotsford all the support they need to continue to develop our players.”

The move also marks the departure of Collition from the organization after two years with the organization. He amassed a 79-48-13 record with the team, amassing a .611 points percentage over that time. In the 2023 playoffs, the AHL Canucks swept the Bakersfield Condors with two wins in the first round, before falling 3-1 to the Calgary Wranglers in the second round.

This year, however, the Canucks struggled in the playoffs after getting a first-round bye, being swept in three games by the Ontario Reign.

“First of all, I would like to thank Jeremy Colliton and Gary Agnew for the work they did for us in Abbotsford,” said Abbotsford GM and Canucks Assistant GM Ryan Johnson. “Having played against Manny in the NHL, I know firsthand many of the great qualities he possesses and the competitiveness in his DNA. He is a teacher first and his skillset and mindset will fit in perfectly with our vision for the team in Abbotsford.”

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.