Canucks Management Still Believes in Coaching Staff

Despite a difficult season, the Vancouver Canucks still believe in their coaching staff.

Dec 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote coaches against the New York Rangers during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This season has been a struggle for the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks entered the season with renewed expectations. The team named Adam Foote as its new head coach, but the new campaign quickly soured. Through the halfway point, Vancouver sits at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with no clear path forward.

Things took a turn for the worse when they traded captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. Now, the team is open to moving anyone for the right price, and they are a team to watch as the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline nears. Despite the terrible season, the team's general manager, Patrik Allvin, recently asserted his belief in his coaching staff.

"I do trust the coaching staff and Adam Foote," Allvin stated.

Tough Year, But Allvin Still Believes

It's been a tough year in Vancouver. They've performed well below expectations, and now the franchise's focus is shifting towards the 2026 NHL Draft and beyond. Looking for answers, the veteran executive views the season as a collective failure that extends beyond their coaching staff.

He blamed things like injuries when trying to rationalize the tough year in Vancouver. He pointed to two specific ones as particularly impactful. Young center Filip Chytil and Marco Rossi have both missed significant time, and Allvin views that as a huge factor in their losing campaign.

"With Rossi or Chytil in our lineup, I think we're 9-5, so it's hard," Allvin said. "And again, you're putting some of the younger players up in the lineup, they're playing heavier matchups, they're playing more minutes than they've ever done, and that's where you break through, you have a mistake, and then you duplicate the mistake the next shift because the pressure comes on. And I think that's not fair to the young players."

Sep 26, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote on the bench against the Seattle Kraken in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images | Bob Frid-Imagn Images

This Staff and Team Cares

Despite the difficult season, Allvin still has confidence in his group on the ice and behind the bench. His biggest reason for feeling that way is simple. This group cares.

"I know one thing," he said. "That the players in there and the coaches, they really care."

And with that passion in the organization, Allvin still believes. How long that leash extends is unclear, but their GM's comments make it clear that Foote and his staff are safe for the rest of the season.

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