Talking about the finish, the youth, the coach and how agents see the Canucks.<\/p>\n
Published Apr 13, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 46\u00a0minutes ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 6 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n Welcome to Canucks Live. Here, we\u2019ll highlight some of the news that drops daily about the Canucks. Come back throughout the day as we update with all the news you need to know. If you haven\u2019t done so already, sign up for our Canucks Report<\/a> to get our stories delivered to your inbox every day.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. 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Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events.Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account.The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Canucks won back-to-back games for the first time since that weird post-Quinn Hughes<\/a> trade spike in December. They showed fight, resilience and some of the prospects actually played well. Is this a sign of hope? Or just a random thing that happens when you play 82 games and your opponents look at you like it\u2019s a guaranteed win night? Ben Kuzma took a look at the Canucks effort<\/a> in Anaheim.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Coach Adam Foote channelled his best Francesco Aquilini impression post-game, offering up everything but a \u2018Man, so tight, almost like a playoff game\u2019 quote that came from the owner on social media and lives on in Canucks lore.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a good effort,\u201d said Canucks head coach Adam Foote. \u201cIt was a playoff atmosphere and we showed up early, especially on a back-to-back and it\u2019s been a great road trip. Good resilience and we regained our emotions and played a good game. You saw us fight for each other tonight. You could feel the energy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n As for the players, here\u2019s how some of the prospects played according to Ben.<\/p>\n Liam Ohgren (C+)<\/p>\n Speed caught Ducks\u2019 attention, fed Blueger tip chance off rush.<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Marco Rossi (C+)<\/p>\n Little line chemistry but pulled trigger in OT to salvage his day.<\/p>\n Zeev Buium (C+)<\/p>\n Had that quickness to transition pucks, three shots, two blocks.<\/p>\n Tom Willander (C)<\/p>\n Great wheels but needs better awareness with trio of giveaways.<\/p>\n Late bounce or not, if the Canucks are going to keep Foote they\u2019re going to have a tremendously tough sell with the fans. The hockey and the results have cast a serious pall over Vancouver\u2019s first-year coach. Change may be needed and the rumours are rife with the Canucks having one of the NHL\u2019s most oft-named outside candidates in Manny Malhotra, head coach of the AHL team in Abbotsford. Ben also wrote a piece this morning<\/a> about Malhotra and the benefits of giving him a shot.<\/p>\n As for Vancouver, the noise is getting louder because of where the Canucks are positioned and need to go. Especially after finishing last overall and setting several franchise records for futility \u2014 including the worst home record to create fan apathy \u2014 and speculation on what becomes of the management team and coaching staff. A plethora of injuries and nine players sidelined at one point didn\u2019t help anyone on or off the ice.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And if this is a true commitment to a roster rebuild, the teaching, patience and purpose of Malhotra\u2019s mantra could play a major role in how ownership approaches next season. Malhotra\u2019s coaching door is always open and so are his eyes and ears. He formed a partnership with players in Abbotsford, not a dictatorship.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the kind of stuff that matters.<\/p>\n Malhotra guided seven players last season who will be on the parent club\u2019s roster next fall and they endured growing pains and gains to advance their careers. Abbotsford had a mediocre 14-15-1-1 in January of 2025 before a club record 13-game win streak and finishing the regular season on a 16-1-1 run and winning it all.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s an interesting contrast to look at former Canucks coach Rick Tocchet<\/a>. Two years ago he was leading his Pacific Division champs into the playoffs and was about to win the Jack Adams as the NHL\u2019s Coach of the Year. Much like Quinn Hughes<\/a>, he bailed on Vancouver, wary of what he saw ahead for the franchise and has found moderate success in Philadelphia<\/a>. The focus in Philly is on how Tocchet is developing their young players, something that you could say is the biggest question mark hanging over Foote.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Rick Tocchet<\/a> isn\u2019t just the coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. He is a Philadelphia Flyer.<\/p>\n \u201cI bleed orange and black,\u201d said Tocchet, who was hired as Flyers coach last summer after playing 621 games with Philly during his 21-season career as a rugged NHL winger. \u201cI love this city. I know what the city\u2019s about, having played here. Obviously, you\u2019ve got to have thick skin.\u201d<\/p>\n His focus was on Philadelphia\u2019s long-term planning and a young foundation rather than a return to the post-season in Year 1.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think playoffs. I honestly was trying to \u2026 I know it\u2019s the most overused word in hockey, but the \u2018culture\u2019 part. What it is to be a Flyer,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was my biggest thing. I lived here, I played here. I knew what it was to be a Flyer, and I wanted to see if I could be part of the solution for identifying what being a Flyer is, if that makes any sense.\u201d<\/p>\n The franchise\u2019s path to getting back to the \u201cFlyer Way\u201d has been to populate the hockey operations department with as many ex-Flyers as possible.<\/p>\n Since the Olympic break, the Flyers have been a different team, owning the league\u2019s seventh-best points percentage (. 674) in its past 23 games.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Tocchet made some changes to the Flyers\u2019 defensive system to reduce the decision-making for his young team.<\/p>\n The Flyers started the season with the fourth-youngest roster in the NHL. Tocchet said those slow starts were a byproduct of that.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a young guy. You\u2019ve never played in Edmonton in their building. You\u2019ve never gone into Madison Square Garden. So, you\u2019re wide-eyed and bushy-tailed and you\u2019re like, \u2018What\u2019s going on here?’\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a bit of a problem. But on the flip side, we were one of the better teams in comeback wins.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no denying the young Flyers have shown a tantalizing glimpse of the future. Forwards Tippett and Noah Cates, who has had an outstanding defensive season, are 26. Tyson Foerster (24), Trevor Zegras (24), Drysdale (23), Alex Bump (22), Michkov (21), Denver Barkey (20) and Martone (19) are all contributing now.<\/p>\n Tocchet loves what some of them give him off the ice, too.<\/p>\n Foerster has been a key for the Flyers. The fourth-year winger has dealt with injury concerns this season, but the Flyers are 15-9-2 when he has played. Tocchet said he\u2019s a key player for the team\u2019s chemistry.<\/p>\n Advertisement 7<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very close-knit team. One of the closest I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d Tocchet said. \u201cIt reminds me back in the day when I played, and Tyson\u2019s one of those guys that leads the charge. He\u2019s just a really humble kid.\u201d<\/p>\n The Athletic has polled player agents on the state of the NHL and there\u2019s some really damning news in there for owner Aquilini and President Jim Rutherford. According to the agents the Canucks are the worst-run team in the NHL<\/a>.<\/p>\n The last-place Vancouver Canucks<\/a> were a frequent target here after an absolutely awful season, with agents criticizing the franchise\u2019s lack of direction in particular.<\/p>\n The New York Rangers, who have also crashed into their conference\u2019s basement this season, received similar complaints.<\/p>\n On the Canucks: \u201cThey\u2019re a mess,\u201d one agent said, simply. \u201cI don\u2019t know what their plan is,\u201d groused another.<\/p>\n \u201cThey really don\u2019t have the infrastructure that the players need to remove excuses,\u201d added a third agent. \u201cIt just seems there\u2019s a lot of soap opera stuff going on around there. I just think management needs to do a better job of keeping things in-house.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 8<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n And the agents deem the Canucks the second-worst front office to deal with, with Anaheim being noted as the worst.<\/p>\n On the Canucks: \u201cNo alignment with what\u2019s happening in the organization. It just can\u2019t get going anywhere. Just a discombobulation. Good people, nice guys, but it\u2019s just not working. So it makes it difficult for you to manage to bring a free agent there, hypothetically.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVancouver\u2019s hard because they have no plan. How do you sell players on an organization where you can\u2019t get a grasp of what they\u2019re actually trying to do?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Check back for more Canucks news throughout the day.<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Canucks Player Grades: Marco Rossi delivers in 4-3 OT win to spoil Ducks playoff party<\/p>\n![\"Curtis](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2271057108_302558873.jpg\")
Curtis Douglas fights Jeffrey Viel #28 of the Anaheim Ducks Photo by Sean M. Haffey \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.9.1\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
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