The Vancouver Canucks announced Friday morning that Ryan Mougenel, Jordan Smith and Jason Krog will serve as Manny Malhotra's main assistant coaches for the upcoming season. This marks the first NHL head coaching role for Malhotra, 46, who previously spent seven seasons as an NHL assistant with the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Coaching Staff Experience
Mougenel, 50, joins from the AHL's Providence Bruins, where he spent the past eight seasons, including five as head coach. He was named the AHL's top coach this past season after leading Providence to a 54-16-2-0 record, the fourth-highest win percentage in league history. Over five seasons as head coach, he compiled a 217-103-26-14 record, the best in the AHL during that span.
Smith, 40, has served as Malhotra's assistant with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks for the past two years. Before that, he was an assistant with Springfield for two seasons. Krog, 50, has been a skills coach with Vancouver for the past two campaigns and played four NHL games with the Canucks in 2008-09. He wrapped up an 18-year pro playing career in 2015-16.
Malhotra's Background
Malhotra was hired as Canucks head coach on June 2 after leading Abbotsford for two seasons. He replaced Adam Foote, who was fired after one season. Malhotra previously served as an NHL assistant under Travis Green in Vancouver (2017-20) and Sheldon Keefe in Toronto (2020-24).
“When we started this process with Manny, we wanted to find quality people first and foremost, who are good teachers and have intelligent hockey minds,” Vancouver general manager Ryan Johnson said in a news release. “We have assembled a group that can help us build a solid foundation, connect with both our veterans and younger players, and put in place the system and style of play that Manny wants to see on the ice.”
Additional Staff
The team also named Andrew Shaw, 36, as assistant to the video coach. Shaw had been the video coach in Abbotsford for the past two seasons.
