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1100-Game NHL Veteran Reportedly Top Candidate to Become NHL Head Coach

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated May 2, 2025 2:15 PM ET

Former NHL veteran and captain of the Avalanche, Adam Foote, is reported to be one of the frontrunners to get a job as head coach with an NHL franchise next season.

When a team underperforms, the GM's immediate reaction is to fire the coach, and the offseason is the ideal time for a change behind the bench.

The Colorado Avalanche don't have that issue. Stanley Cup-winning coach Jared Bednar is firmly in place. But another name with Avalanche ties is making headlines: Adam Foote.

Foote won two Stanley Cups as a player with the Avalanche

Foote, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and ex-Avalanche defenseman, is emerging as a dark horse candidate for several NHL head coaching openings.

Most recently, he's spent over two years as an assistant coach to Rick Tocchet with the Vancouver Canucks. With Tocchet's dismissal, Foote is a coaching free agent.

Foote is generating interest, according to 'Daily Faceoff', and will interview for a number of head coaching vacancies this summer.

Before becoming part of Vancouver's staff, Foote was head coach of the WHL Kelowna Rockets in 2019-20, posting a 29-28-6 record. It may have been brief, but it added head coaching experience to his resume.

As a player, Foote was a rugged blue-line leader and played 1,154 NHL games over 20 seasons, with the majority of his time coming with the Avalanche and some with the Columbus Blue Jackets, accumulating 1,534 penalty minutes.

With coaching vacancies opening around the league, Avalanche fans may see a familiar face making the calls soon, just not from behind Colorado's bench.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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