The Vancouver Canucks have opted for an internal promotion for their new head coach position.
Assistant coach Adam Foote has officially been named the next head coach for the Canucks, the team confirmed on Wednesday.
According to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News, Foote and the Canucks have agreed on a three-year contract.
General Manager Patrik Allvin expressed confidence in the decision through a team statement, saying,
Adam is a strong leader, good teacher and person who knows what it takes to build a great culture and winning attitude. He knows this group better than anyone else we interviewed and has inside knowledge and understanding of what it will take to get us back to where we want to be. Adam brings structure, accountability, and a detailed oriented approach to his coaching, a process that will send a clear message to our group about the way we want to compete, practice, and play hockey.
The 53-year-old Foote spent the previous two seasons serving as an assistant coach for the Canucks under Rick Tocchet. Tocchet departed the team in April and is widely expected to take on the head coaching role for the Philadelphia Flyers.
The task now falls to Foote to guide the Canucks following a challenging season marked by internal issues that ultimately resulted in the team missing the playoffs.
This marks Adam Foote`s first opportunity as a head coach at the professional level.
During Wednesday`s episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet`s Elliotte Friedman commented on the hiring, stating,
I think they’re pretty comfortable with that. They want somebody who’s going to want this job, want this opportunity.
Foote had a distinguished playing career in the NHL as a defenseman, spanning 19 seasons from 1991 to 2011. He secured two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and 2001. The Toronto native also played for the Quebec Nordiques and Columbus Blue Jackets over his 1,154 career games, recording 66 goals and 242 assists while establishing himself as a reliable defensive blue liner.
