Bik Nizar

Manny, thanks for making some time for us.

Congratulations on getting the gig and officially being introduced today to the media.

What was it like sitting there and talking about being a Vancouver Canucks head coach?

Well, because I know the assumption for many here was, well, you have the relationship with RJ having worked with him so closely, winning a Calder Cup together, knowing the Sedins that it would just be an easy kind of fit in.

But it kind of does show the process that you guys have worked well together.

But when you get to a bigger stage and a bigger responsibility, bigger role, like there are a lot of things to discuss.

And you guys felt like you really went through, you crossed every T and dotted every I, I would say.

RJ mentioned that it wasn't the success you guys had together that when you won the Calder Cup that convinced him you would be the right guy for the job.

It was what happened last year and your consistency through all the struggles and everything that happened that you kind of maintain the same personality, the same standards, the same expectations.

How challenging is it to do that in a losing season that way and to be able to kind of maintain your composure in many ways and be able to get through it and not get inconsistent with how you

how you operate day to day?

And you mentioned, and you and RJ talked about how players coming to the ring should feel not only excited about showing up and working hard and being tested, but also being, this being fun, and you're in the National Hockey League, but how do you navigate being serious, setting standards, having high expectations, pushing each other, and at the same time, enjoying and having a level of fun that can be infectious for the entire group?

Well, and I would say that's probably like a universal thing that every single NHL player or hockey or pro hockey player would gravitate towards.

Because we talk so much about every individual is different and you reach people in different ways.

But at the same time, when you're trying to raise that entire standard for the entire group, do you find those standards that are applicable to every single player?

And would the competitiveness and things like that be something that's essentially universal in terms of success?

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, especially what we see with the younger generation.

We're kind of the same age range, Manny, but the younger people especially, you know that as well, having kids, but they're all about that communication, understanding where you stand and wanting to know where things are at.

It doesn't have to be the news you want to hear, but if you remove that ambiguity, even if a player doesn't agree, do you find it's easier to keep that player in the fold if they understand everything that's going on?

how they want to be spoke spoken to and and what is the most pertinent stuff that i need to get across in the message you mentioned how you have you can wear a couple of hats you have the coach hat you have the dad hat when when dealing with your kids just from the father's perspective watching caleb go through this process rise up the ranks be considered one of the top players in this year's draft like how much pride does that instill on you and what is it like to watch your son have the success and and climb the ranks the way he is