Vancouver Canucks Officially Announce the Team's New Head Coach

Prior to Foote being announced as the team's head coach today, Manny Malhotra was the other candidate who was still in the running for the head coaching position.

Malhotra was an NHL assistant coach for both the Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the past. This season, he was the man in charge behind the bench of the Canucks AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.

The Canucks organization is already facing criticism just minutes after announcing Foote's hiring, as a lack of experience is raising alarm bells.

Foote was recently on Tocchet's coaching staff

On the other hand, Foote is a former Avalanche defender who was on the coaching staff with Tocchet. Before that, he coached in the WHL as the head coach for the Kelowna Rockets, too, so perhaps he does have just the right experience.

Reports are also coming out that Quinn Hughes is a big fan of Foote, so perhaps this hiring is what it takes to ensure the Canucks captain stays with the team for the long haul.

The time it took for this announcement is not surprising. Much thought needs to be given to the individual tasked with running a team, and management must take extreme care in choosing the right individual, which is why they didn't want to rush into it.

Foote is familiar with the players' strengths and weaknesses as he was an assistant for the Canucks, and fans hope his hiring was the right move to get the team back on track and into the playoffs next season.