The Vancouver Canucks did not have to look far to find their new chief coach.
The team announced on Wednesday that Adam Fote has been elevated by the coach assisting to the chief coach.
Replaces Rick Tocchet, who separated from the Canucks last month.
“[Foote] He has worked extremely hard in recent years, winning the respect and confidence of our player for his strong communication and his honest direct opinion, “said Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin, in a statement.
“He knows this group better than any other person we interviewed and has internal knowledge and understanding of what will be needed to return to where we want to be.”
Foote is the 22th chief coach in the history of the franchise and the fourth since December 2021.
He has been at the Canucks bank as an assistant since January 2023 when Tocchet was hired as a chief coach.
Vancouver fought for a record of 38-30-14 last season and the playoffs was lost a year after advancing to the second round of the postseason and taking the Edmonton Oilers to seven games.
The search for the team of a new bank chief began on April 29 when Tocchet would not return for the 2025-26 campaign.
“The family is a priority, and with my expired contract, it becomes the right time,” he said in a statement published by the Canucks. “While I don’t know where I go, or exactly how this will develop in the short term, I feel that this is the right time to explore other opportunities inside and around hockey.”
Tocchet starts a surprise
Jim Rutherford, president of Canucks Hockey Operations, said the decision made by surprise.
It is rumored that Tocchet is the incoming chief coach of the Flyadelfia Flyers.
It is believed that the Canucks interviewed several candidates for the Coaching Post and reduced the list to Foot and Manny Malhotra, chief coach of the American Hockey Liga subsidiary of the team, the Abbotsford Canucks.
It is believed that Foote is the preferred candidate of Canucks Quinn Hughes captain.
“Adam is a strong leader, a good teacher and a person who knows what is needed to build a great culture and winning attitude,” said Allvin. “His past experiences in the ice have resulted very well into a training style that fits the objectives and vision of our organization.”
Foot, who comes from Toronto, was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1989 Draft.
He went to play 1,154 NHL games of the regular season for the Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets, placing 66 goals and 242 assists, and helping the AVS to the victories of the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001.
His son, Cal Fote, is one of the five former members of the World Junior Hockey team in Canada currently in trial for sexual assault in London, Ontario.
Adam Fote went to training in 2011-12 as a development consultant and defensive coach, and was director of Development of Canada players in the 2017 Spengler Cup, where the country captured gold.
His only previous experience of chief coach arrived at the Western Hockey League, where he led the Kelowna Rockets for a season and a half before moving to Vancouver to work as an assistant coach.
“Adam brings structure, responsibility and a detailed approach to your training, a process that will send a clear message to our group about the way we want to compete, practice and play hockey,” said Allvin. “We are very happy to take over as the new chief coach of the Vancouver Canucks.”
Canucks are scheduled to present a foote at a press conference on Thursday.
