If the Vancouver Canucks reach the conclusion that Manny Malhotra is the right man for the job as the team’s next head coach, then his perceived lack of experience behind the bench at the National Hockey League level should not be an issue.
While it’s true that Malhotra has never run his own bench in the NHL, he has seven years of on-the-job training as an assistant in Vancouver and Toronto – two of the league’s most intense hockey markets. Beyond that, Malhotra was a top 10 draft pick, carved out a 16-year playing career that saw him suit up for seven different organizations, he dealt with a life and career-altering injury and has been an overwhelming success in his first season as a head coach for the first time in Abbotsford.
At this stage, it seems impossible to believe that the game could throw anything at the soon-to-be 45-year-old that he hasn’t encountered in his many years in professional hockey.
Everyone has to start somewhere and if Malhotra lands the Canucks top job, there is no reason to think that inexperience will hamper him in any way.
The four longest-tenured coaches in the league currently were all first-time head coaches when they were hired for their positions. Tampa Bay made out pretty well when the Lightning handed the reins to Jon Cooper. Colorado took a chance on Jerad Bednar (and Game 7 on Saturday in Dallas notwithstanding) that has paid off. All Rod Brind’Amour does is win in Carolina, and he took that job with no previous NHL head coaching experience. And Marty St. Louis was coaching his kids’ youth team when the Montreal Canadiens took a wild leap of faith and handed the undrafted Hall of Famer the keys to the coaching office at the Bell Centre.
And the presumptive coach of the year this season, Spencer Carbery, has played a huge role in the return to prominence of the Washington Capitals. It’s not always about recycling guys who have had NHL opportunities. It’s about identifying the best fit for the job, even if that candidate hasn’t yet had the chance to prove their worth.
If there are concerns about Malhotra’s readiness for this type of opportunity, then there are ways to ensure he’s inspired on the job. The Canucks could easily hire a veteran associate coach to help him with the day to day duties of running an NHL bench. Rick Bowness played that role perfectly under Alain Vigneault during the best era in Canucks franchise history. That’s not to suggest Bowness is the answer now, but more the idea of the kind of help the Canucks should be looking at to aid Malhotra if he lands the head coaching job. Claude Julien is employed in that type of role with the St. Louis Blues. Kirk Muller is another example in Washington. There are all sorts of quality veteran coaches out there who could help Malhotra in the event he needs guidance.
The Canucks are in the early stages of whittling down their long list to identify the candidates they want to zero in on. Jim Rutherford has already stated that Manny Malhotra will be on the organization’s short list. As he should be.
Ultimately, the team may decide to go in a different direction.
But it seems like a matter of when, not if, Malhotra will earn the chance to run his own bench at the NHL level. If it doesn’t happen for him now, the Canucks certainly run the risk of losing him to another organization that sees him as a fit at some point down the road.
Again, their process may identify a candidate they feel is better suited to the job in Vancouver. That’s their call. But in no world should Malhotra’s lack of head coaching experience at the NHL level be held against him. There are simply too many examples these days of guys who were ready for prime time when they were offered their first jobs.
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