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The Vancouver Canucks open the NHL season after a last-place finish with a new head coach, new leadership and a focus on standards over wins.
The Vancouver Canucks open the NHL season with a rebuilt front office, a new head coach and lowered expectations after finishing last in the league standings.
Vancouver posted a 25-49-8 record last season. The poor finish prompted an overhaul of the front office and the coaching staff. General manager Patrik Allvin was fired a day after the Canucks ended the season with a 6-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford stepped down weeks later.
Roberto Luongo Named Co President Of Hockey Operations
Roberto Luongo and Henrik Sedin were named co-presidents of hockey operations. Their former teammate Ryan Johnson moved from GM of the Abbotsford Canucks to GM of the NHL club. The new leadership fired Adam Foote after one season as head coach. They replaced him with Manny Malhotra, another former Canuck who guided Abbotsford to a championship title in 2025.
Malhotra said the team must limit mistakes and focus on details. He said progress will be measured by how the team plays, not just by the scoreboard.
"It goes without saying mistakes are going to be made on the ice, but it's the frequency of those mistakes and how often you see those mistakes," Malhotra said at training camp in Penticton, B.C. "And then it comes down to the intangibles - the intensity at which you play your system, the tenacity on pucks, the ability to win puck battles, win races.
When all those things come together and you become a team that's hard to play against, for me, that's winning.
New Head Coach Manny Malhotra Sets Team Standards
" The Canucks begin the season against the Oilers. Malhotra said the team will work hard regardless of outside expectations.
"Doesn't matter what your expectations are going into a year," he said. "Everyone's competitive here. Everybody wants to win every game.
" "And I definitely do agree that there is a way to lose. If you're losing because you weren't working hard and you were just kind of taking the night off, it's not acceptable. But some nights you just get beat.
Zeev Buium Signs Massive Eight Year Contract Extension
" Defenceman Zeev Buium said the group has a fresh mindset. The 20-year-old from San Diego, Calif. , signed an eight-year, US$75-million extension with Vancouver this summer. Buium had six goals and 26 points between the Canucks and the Minnesota Wild last season.
He said he wants to prove he is worth the contract through his everyday play.
"It's obviously going to be a process - there's going to be highs, there's going to be lows, and just try to stay as consistent as possible," Buium said. "For me personally, I just want to do the best I can, and help bring this place to where we want to go. " Forward Marco Rossi said the team is hungry for a new start and has good energy in the room.
"I think we're a really hungry group this year," Rossi said. "Last year was last year. Now it's over. It's a new year.
We are all really excited, we have a good energy in our group. Everyone's positive, so we're all excited.
" "A lot of positive vibes, positive energy around the group, around the whole organization," he said. "I feel like the standard is pretty high. Manny is super intense, but at the same time, he's really fair.
Elias Pettersson And Brock Boeser Look To Rebound
" Vancouver needs its young players to earn NHL roster spots and its established stars to rebound. Elias Pettersson had 15 goals and 51 points last season. Brock Boeser had 22 goals and 48 points, and Jake DeBrusk added 23 goals and 42 points. Goaltender Thatcher Demko was limited to 20 appearances last season and had season-ending hip surgery in late January.
He went 8-10-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. The 30-year-old American was at training camp but did not participate with the main groups. Johnson said the team does not have a timeline for his return. Pettersson said the team can surprise people if it builds on the new coaching staff's standards.
"I think with the good coaching we have now and the standards we're trying to build, I think we just build on that, and we'll see what happens," he said. Malhotra said the Canucks will not settle for a season measured only by wins and losses. He wants the foundation to be built on effort, competitiveness and consistency. The Canucks are not expected to make big gains in the standings.
But with a new coach, a new front office and a reshaped roster, the team says it is focused on setting a new foundation.
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CTVToronto:Rebuilding Vancouver Canucks look to set new foundation as NHL season beginsThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Manny Malhotra NHL The Canadian Press Training Camp Ryan Johnson Elias Pettersson Penticton Abbotsford Canucks NHL Rebuild Zeev Buium
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