One of the key members of the Vancouver Canucks‘ minor-league system is sticking around for a little while longer.

On Tuesday, Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that the team has picked up Manny Malhotra’s option to remain as the head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, for the 2026-27 season.

Malhotra, who initially had just one year remaining on his contract, is coming off an incredible first season as the bench boss in Abbotsford. In his first head coaching role at the professional level, the former NHL centre led the Canucks to their best record in the franchise’s young history, going 44-24-2-2 during the regular season, finishing second in the Pacific Division.

Abbotsford then went on a magical run in the playoffs, defeating the Florida Panthers’ top farm team, the Charlotte Checkers, to capture the team’s first Calder Cup.

Allvin acknowledges the impact Malhotra has had in his return to the organization.

“Since joining our organization, Manny has done a great job teaching, communicating with, and developing our players in the American Hockey League,” Allvin said in a release. “His work ethic, passion, and partnership with our NHL staff was a big reason why our group in Abbotsford won a Calder Cup, and why the players we called up to Vancouver during the season fit into our system so well. We are extremely happy to have Manny extend his time with the hockey club.”

Malhotra’s efforts with the Abby Canucks didn’t go unnoticed by the big club. After the team announced it was moving on from Rick Tocchet as head coach, the Mississauga, Ont. native was reportedly on the team’s short list of candidates for the job in Vancouver. Ultimately, the team decided to go with Adam Foote, who had been an assistant with the Canucks under Tocchet for the past few seasons.

This isn’t Malhotra’s first rodeo with the Canucks. Not only did he play three seasons in Vancouver, playing an integral role on a team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, but he was also an assistant coach under Travis Green from 2017 to 2020. He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff the following season, working as an assistant coach alongside Sheldon Keefe for four years.