On Tuesday afternoon, Vancouver Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson spoke to the media following the dismissal of head coach Adam Foote.

As Vancouver now begins the search for a new bench boss, all eyes are on Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra, who has long been rumoured to be in line for the top position. Asked about Malhotra, Johnson was candid in saying he’s planning to speak to the Abbotsford coach as the first step of the coaching search.

“It’s hard to be ignorant of an internal candidate that we obviously have,” he said. “I’m not gonna deflect that. Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, to build a connection, and obviously win a championship with a very young group. So won’t be ignorant to the fact that I am going to speak with him, sit down with him, and talk about the future.”

Johnson wouldn’t specifically say whether other candidates will be interviewed, but reiterated a few times that he would speak with Malhotra before beginning the process.

“I don’t think I’ve got an expectation of how big that net needs to be cast,” he said. “Like I said, I don’t want to be ignorant to say I’m not going to have a serious conversation with Manny. That’s just the truth of it. I think those discussions may determine how big that net is cast, but I’m not ruling anything out. I’ve just got to go through the initial steps here.”

Given that Malhotra is under contract with the Canucks organization, he would need to receive permission to seek a coaching role with any other NHL team. At this point, Johnson shared that no organization has reached out, emphasizing his desire to first chat with him even if they did.

“I have not heard from a team at this point,” he said. “Obviously where we are standing in our situation, I would certainly love the first conversation with him and intend to have that.”

Malhotra played three seasons with the Canucks, then joined the team as a development coach following his retirement in 2016. In 2017, he was hired as an assistant coach, a position he held until joining the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching team in 2020. In 2024, Malhotra was named head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, leading them to a Calder Cup in his first season.

This year, Malhotra’s son, Caleb, is a top prospect in the NHL Draft who the Canucks may target. Some have speculated that it may affect his father’s prospect as Vancouver head coach, but Johnson shut that down.

“As far as his son and the draft, I’m in no position to change or make decisions based off one or the other,” he said. “There will be no sacrifice because of a father-son relationship, I would say. The first thing in front of me right now is to find the next head coach of this organization. That will be the priority.”

Foote was dismissed from the Canucks on Tuesday, alongside assistant coaches Kevin Dean, Scott Young, and Brett McLean. He had served as head coach for one season.