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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Back in on Canuck Central, broadcasting live from the Kintec studio. Keep your thoughts coming in to our Dunbar Lumber text inbox, 650-650.
And this hour of Canuck Central is brought to you by your lower mainland, Boston Pizza. The playoffs are here and BP is ready. So skip the couch, catch every hit, every goal, every save, every playoff beard. This is how you watch playoff hockey. It's Satyar Shah and Bik Nizar. We have producers Josh and Arash on top of things here today as well. And we'll keep chatting with you on the text inbox.
Get those thoughts in and we'll hit more of your thoughts and comments as the show goes on here. But without much further ado, let's go to the Able Auctions hotline and welcome in our next guest. It is Manny Malhotra, the new coach of the Vancouver Canucks. 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?
Honestly, it was a little surreal sitting in that chair and taking it all in. It's slowly starting to settle in for me. How... unbelievable an opportunity this is and just couldn't be happier to be here.
What were the pre-discussions like? You guys all know each other. As you mentioned, all your philosophies and visions are aligned. Did you guys just sit in silence and just like, all right, we'll wait this out before we announce it?
No, not at all. It took some time because we did have some very Serious and in-depth conversations, looking at every aspect of what this could look like and what does that mean on the day-to-day? How is that executed? Some hard questions were thrown my way. Some hard questions were thrown back at RJ. So it was a very long process just because we wanted to make sure it was right.
But yeah, there was a lot of discussion around it. It wasn't just an automatic plug and play, but I'm very happy with the result that we came to.
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.
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Chapter 2: How did Manny Malhotra feel about becoming the head coach of the Canucks?
So yeah, Knowing that the guys are motivated and they want to climb out of the basement, for lack of a better term. It's a great starting point for us and one that we definitely feel we can start to guide and pushing the right direction.
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?
It was, uh, it was probably, uh, some of the most important learning for, for myself and my staff. Um, we are constantly preaching about body language and energy. And for me leading by example, um, is a major way to lead a group where you're the coach, the GM, the captain of the team. Um, so for me living, what I'm talking about was really important to show the guys that,
hey, we're not enjoying losing. We're not accepting of the fact that we don't have a winning record. We are going to work daily to make sure we improve ourselves, to give ourselves an opportunity to win games. And that in itself, kind of leading by example, showing the guys that we have to find the positives in what we're doing here to make what we're doing worthwhile.
So it was a great learning experience for me. And I said it earlier today, the record didn't reflect it, but when you look at the individuals and the effort they put in every day and the growth over the course of the year, as a coach, we were able to see a significant difference in the guys.
So is that, like, between the two seasons for you as the primary head guy behind a bench, is last season, like, just as validating or more validating than the first one, having it be with a Calder Cup and you think, okay, the application of all the principles come with a trophy, but then last year you take something out of it?
Yeah, it was very humbling, and we definitely took a lot away from last year, but don't get me wrong, winning is way better than losing. We definitely enjoyed that first season, but yeah, it was definitely a lesson for us that we need to continue to evolve, we need to continue to work on our craft, and
But just the consistency that we come to the rink with every day is what the players will feed off of. So we tried to lead by example as much as we could.
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Chapter 3: What were the discussions like leading up to Manny's appointment?
Well, you have to make training fun to a certain extent. There's obviously it's necessary. You need it for the improvement. But how you go about that business and how you go about that work shapes how much fun the guys can have.
So when you make competitions of everything, when you're playing small area games, when you're breaking down, you know, different systems within the game and base it off of a small area game in practice, all of a sudden guys just want to win. They want to win that particular drill. Yeah.
That, again, becomes infectious and just becomes the way you play that when there's something on the line, I want to win, whether it's in practice, whether it's, you know, shooting hoops on the driveway, whatever it is. But then all of a sudden come game time when it really counts. It's just an automatic like there's something on the line. I want to be more successful than my opponent.
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. Yeah, there's a lot to unpack there, but yeah, it's easy to show up to games and be ready to play. The other team's wearing another sweater and it's going to get combative and we know that. It's the practices where you're coming in off a game and you're a little bit tired and you're a little bit sluggish, but having the understanding that Today's an opportunity to get better.
We're going to continue to work. We're going to continue to grind. And that for me is where the growth is for young players. It's really easy to get up for games. You're in front of 20,000 people. The environment is hostile. All of a sudden, okay, I can play. It's when there's nobody in the rink and it's time to put in the
the real work that's going to prepare you for that game, are you willing to compete and be better than your teammate to, number one, make yourself ready, but more importantly, help your teammate getting better at the same time.
As far as personally connecting with players, how do you go about finding different approaches for different personalities?
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Chapter 4: How does Manny plan to implement his coaching philosophy?
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?
Yeah, and that's part of my learning process, becoming a coach. And what drew me to want to be a coach was Ken Hitchcock was explaining something. And one day he said, I've been giving you the what, but I now need to give you the why. And this is why we're doing it. So today's generation, they want to know why. I'll do it, but tell me why I'm doing it.
And I feel again, that communication and letting them know why we do things allows them to play again, a little bit more free, a little bit more on instinct, knowing that they just need to create a certain situation by any means necessary.
I know you've been asked about Caleb as well during the press conference, but just that idea of like, you've got now experience of dealing with a young player, like firsthand experience and with a lot of skin in the game, obviously, but I suspect also through the AHL time as well, dealing with a lot of young players, like, do you feel uniquely equipped to deal with the modern player because of that experience?
Yeah. Well, for me, it's because I've worn a number of hats throughout the game of hockey and I feel I have a pretty good perspective. So when my playing career ended, I started to get the tail end of a different generation and understanding how their minds worked in that time. And then as an assistant coach, you get to know the guys a little bit better.
And again, there's been an evolution over the last 10, 15 years in the athletes. But yes, having kids and coaching minor hockey and gives me the perspective in a lot of sense knowing
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
Well, obviously I'm incredibly proud of all my kids. For me, the thing that got me the most was watching the work that he was putting in and the commitment to his craft and understanding what it took to elevate his game and be better and wanting to be better and then seeing those things come to fruition and seeing him climb the ranks for me.
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Chapter 5: What challenges did Manny face during the previous season?
You can believe what you want. You can have your sources and that you may be more confident in putting stuff out because you have it on better authority. I don't have it on strong enough authority to feel confident in saying the Canucks are 100% taking Caleb third overall if he's there. Like, I think there's more nuance to it here, potentially.
But I think the Canucks have done a pretty good job, even through this, to not play their hand, right? Like, even RJ, he hasn't been afraid of tackling the question. Manny has maybe somewhat reluctantly talked about it, but they haven't given an indication one way or another.
And because there hasn't been this endorsement of Caleb and this, like, hype or this excitement in which they talk about him, I can understand why some think they may not draft him. I would simply say... Don't get caught up too much about what and how they've said things.
Chapter 6: How does Manny maintain composure during tough seasons?
I think they're just trying to keep their cards as close to the chest as possible.
650. Do you guys feel like Manny's about to be Marty St. Louis 2.0? That's the idealized version, right? We talk about what's the model rebuild right now that people want to see. Part of it is Montreal. They've been consistent. They've been patient on their overall roster construction, but also with the coach. They've given him the space to go through the trials and tribulations of the rebuild.
And you've seen growth from a lot of players. Nick Suzuki, most importantly. But a lot of people have seen the way Marty has coached the Habs of what they want to see here. And if this is going to be a growing process... hopefully, you get that same runway as well for him to have the same bumps and bruises that are going to happen through a rebuild.
Yeah, you are going to go through the challenges. It's how you kind of get through it, right? And how you maintain that buy-in. And we'll talk more a bit later in the show and we'll talk to Landon as well about the system stuff a little bit about how they want to be and the predictability that he spoke about. But...
A theme that we're seeing a lot in the text inbox, and Tatiana talks about it, can't imagine any player hearing Manny talk and not wanting to give 110%. This just seems like it's going to be such a good fit for a young team. And I would say that sentiment is probably the prevailing one that's coming on our text inbox today. Easily.
Yeah, easily. It's that connection. The principles that have been... that they've been somewhat transparent about of what the overall environment is meant to look like. a lot of it is built on connecting with the players and that bit of him talking about just being communicative with the players, investing their personal lives, just understanding where they're coming from.
If that connection is meant to inspire a higher output effort wise from players, it's that reciprocated investment. Hey, we're going to invest in you and be aware of what's going on in your lives away from hockey and, But when you come here, there's an expectation that whatever's happening around your life is being taken care of and we can be a part of that.
But when you come here, that reciprocated investment needs to be how hard are you working? And if you work hard, you'll be stunned at the results that follow both personally and for the team as well.
Yeah, hit the non-negotiables, right? Especially in that sense. Before we get out, I know Rick Doyle earlier today mentioned that The Canucks might be hiring an AGM, and he mentioned the name of Darren Hermiston, who is a player agent who might be becoming the Canucks assistant general manager.
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