Canucks Finalize Coaching Staff

While Manny Malhotra took over as the head coach of the Canucks a little more than a month ago, the rest of his coaching staff remained largely uncertain, aside from Ryan Mougenel coming over from AHL Providence.  That uncertainty has concluded as the team announced that they have finalized their staff for the upcoming season.

Joining the group as assistant coaches are Mougenel, Jordan Smith, and Jason Krog.  Meanwhile, Andrew Shaw (not the former NHLer) will serve as an assistant video coach, a role he held in the minors in Vancouver’s system last season.  None of these hires have any behind-the-bench coaching experience at the NHL level, meaning that the rebuilding Canucks will also have the most inexperienced group when the puck drops in late September.

Smith is someone who Malhotra is quite familiar with as he served as an assistant with AHL Abbotsford for the last two seasons while Malhotra was head coach there.  Smith also has head coaching experience in the NOJHL and was an associate coach for five seasons in the OHL.

As for Krog, his name may be a little more familiar as he played in over 200 games in an 18-year playing career, his final four outings coming with Vancouver.  This will be his first behind-the-bench coaching opportunity in the pros but he has spent the last two seasons working as a skills coach with Vancouver and Abbotsford.

This group joins the lone holdover from last season’s staff, goaltending coach Marko Torenius.