Dad, coach separate roles for new Vancouver Canucks bench boss Manny Malhotra

New Vancouver Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra smiles during a news conference, in Vancouver, on Thursday, June 4, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Manny Malhotra knows there’s a chance he could be coaching his son, Caleb, in the NHL this fall.

The elder Malhotra was named the new head coach of the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. The team also holds the third overall pick in this year’s draft, where Caleb Malhotra, an 18-year-old centre with the Brantford Bulldogs, is a highly touted prospect.

There’s long been a rule in the Malhotra household for these kinds of situations, the newly minted coach said Thursday.

“We’ve had a very clear understanding in my household that, first and foremost, I am Dad, who also happens to be a professional hockey coach,” he said. ”When we are talking about hockey, there’s a decision by my kids whether they want to talk to Dad or coach.

“We will continue to have that rule in my house. And it’s served us well.”

Malhotra talked to Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson about the potentially thorny situation ahead of taking his new position and said he understands there would be challenges.

If Caleb happens to get picked by Vancouver, he’ll be treated “just as any other player,” Malhotra said.

“When Caleb brings up hockey to me, he always wants to talk to coach,” he said, citing his family’s rule. “I’ve seen his growth over the last couple of years and what they’ve done in Brantford and the evolution in his game. I think he would have the wherewithal and the ability to separate the two as well.”

Malhotra knows better than most what it means to be in the limelight in Vancouver.

The 46-year-old centre from Mississauga, Ont., spent three of his 16 NHL seasons playing for the Canucks.

“Vancouver and this organization have a very special place in my heart,” he said.

“As a player, being part of some very special years here, playing alongside some incredibly special players, Hall of Fame players, there’s that element to it. There’s the element of knowing how passionate the fans are here about their Canucks and knowing that it matters here. Hockey matters to these people.”

After his playing days, Malhotra transitioned to coaching and served as a development coach and an assistant coach for the Canucks.

He then moved to Toronto and spent four seasons as an assistant with the Maple Leafs before taking on head coaching duties with Vancouver’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

There, he guided the team to a Calder Cup championship in the 2024-25 campaign. The group went on to miss the playoffs last season as several players dealt with long-term injuries.

In Vancouver, he’ll be reunited with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, whom he played with in Vancouver. The Hall of Fame twins were named the Canucks’ co-presidents of hockey operations last month.

The new head coach will also rejoin Johnson, another former Canucks player who served as general manager in Abbotsford before he was elevated to the same role with the Vancouver team in May.

The hiring also marks the first time an NHL team will have a head coach of South Asian descent.

“When I think about it, I understand the implications and how special it is,” Malhotra said.

He said he approaches the milestone the same way he did as a player of South Asian descent.

“My first thought, my foremost thought, is that I just want to be the best coach I can be,” he said. “At the time it was I wanted to be the best player I could be. It’s not that I want to be the best coach of South Asian descent. That continues to be my mindset.”

Malhotra takes over for Adam Foote, who was fired after a single season that saw Vancouver finish last in the league standings with a 25-49-8 record.

There will be more losses for the rebuilding team moving forward, the new bench boss acknowledged Thursday.

The team’s development will come from how players handle the sting of disappointment.

“We’re not evaluating guys on wins and losses,” he said. “There will be some good times, there will be some bad times. But the privilege of being an NHL hockey player is all the motivation and all the joy you need to come to the rink every day.”

Expectations will be the same for every player, Malhotra added, whether they’re a rookie or a star veteran.

“I think our group will be based around guys that are wanting to be here, want to be part of the solution and are willing to get uncomfortable with their habits,” he said. ”There needs to be an evolution of the group as a whole.”

This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press, was first published June 4, 2026.