Vancouver Canucks name Mike Yeo, Trent Cull assistant coaches; Jeremy Colliton named Abbotsford Canucks head coach

In a press release on Friday morning, the Vancouver Canucks announced a number of changes to the coaching staff across the entire organization.

The Canucks named Mike Yeo and Trent Cull assistant coaches with the big club in Vancouver, while Jeremy Colliton was appointed to be the head coach in Abbotsford. It was also announced that assistant coach Brad Shaw will be leaving the organization.

Mike Yeo brings lots of NHL coaching experience to the staff. He has previously held two full-time positions, one for the Minnesota Wild and one for the St. Louis Blues. His teams have made the playoffs on four different occasions, advancing to the second round three of those four times.

“When I started the conversations with Mike Yeo, it became clear to me that he would be an excellent addition. Working with Patrik to create a well-rounded staff was very important for us as we look to continue to build upon the momentum we experienced last season,” Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau said Thursday.

Canucks fans will be familiar with Trent Cull as he has already completed five seasons with the organization. Last season was his first as the head coach for the newly relocated Abbotsford team and he led them to the playoffs, posting a 39-23-5-1 regular-season record.

Cull will now get an opportunity to work with the NHL club.

“Trent Cull did an excellent job for us at the AHL level, and I am so happy to see him get this much deserved promotion,” Abbotsford Canucks GM Ryan Johnson said Thursday.

Jeremy Colliton last held the head coaching position for the Chicago Blackhawks, starting in 2018-19 and being dismissed at the start of last season after a 1-9-2 start. He managed to lead the Blackhawks to one playoff appearance during his  tenure, falling in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019–20.

Colliton also has experience coaching on the international stage as he was an assistant for Team Canada during the 2022 Bejing Olympics. He did assume the head coach role for a single game after Claude Julien suffered an injury, guiding the team to victory.

Brad Shaw departs the Canucks organization after a single season behind the bench. He will become an associate coach for the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference.