Adam Foote is out as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks after one season.
Assistant coaches Kevin Dean, Scott Young and Brett McLean were also dismissed.
The move comes days after a major shakeup in the team’s front office with the promotion of Ryan Johnson to general manager and Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin to co-presidents. Previous general manager Patrik Allvin was let go after four seasons at the end of last month, while former president Jim Rutherford stepped down at the beginning of May.
“We would like to thank Adam, Scott, Kevin, and Brett for all the work they did for us this season,” said Johnson. “It was a challenging year on several fronts and truthfully, Adam and his staff were dealt a very difficult hand.
“That said, as we head into a rebuild, our group feels new coaching voices are needed to chart the path forward. Establishing the proper environment and culture is a vital first step in creating a solid and authentic connection throughout the entire organization. At the start of next season, our coaches will need to do a lot of work with our players, to instill in them the traits and habits they will rely on moving forward. The process to bring in a new staff begins immediately.”
The Vancouver Canucks continue to make changes. Sources say Adam Foote has been let go as Head Coach. Other changes to the coaching staff also being made.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 19, 2026
A 58-year-old native of Toronto, Foote initially joined the organization as an assistant coach in January of 2023 upon the mid-season hiring of Rick Tocchet and succeeded him upon his exit. He had previously worked behind the bench with the Colorado Avalanche from 2011 to 2017. Foote then ventured into the junior game, serving as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets from 2018 to 2020.
In his one season behind the bench, the Canucks finished with the league’s worst record at 25-49-8. The team also saw the mid-season trade of captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. The Canucks will draft with the third-overall selection in next month’s NHL Draft.
Prior to coaching, Foote had a lengthy playing career. A defenceman, Foote suited up in 1,157 games across 19 seasons for the Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques and Columbus Blue Jackets after being originally selected with the 22nd overall pick of the 1989 draft out of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Finishing his career with 66 goals and 242 assists, Foote won a pair of Stanley Cups with the Avs in 1996 and 2001.
Internationally, Foote represented Canada on a number of occasions and was a member of gold medal-winning efforts at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Foote’s successor will become the 23rd head coach in franchise history. With Foote’s dismissal, there are now three vacancies in the NHL, with the Canucks joining the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers with openings behind their respective benches.
