Abbotsford Canucks' Head Coach Manny Malhotra joins Canucks Insider host Chris Faber to talk about his first year as head coach in Abbotsford, winning the Calder Cup, and his expectations for the upcoming season.
Malhotra had the chance to reflect on what they were able to accomplish last season in Abbotsford. He thought about the stories along the way and took stock of what it took for them to win the Calder Cup.
“I think giving the credit to the guys for maintaining their commitment to what we were doing for so long, they were just so bought in. It was such a special thing to watch and be a part of,” Malhotra said.
He was impressed with the team’s buy-in and ability to stick to the day-to-day mantra all year and through the playoffs. The group remained even-keeled and adapted to each opponent through every round of the playoffs.
“There were never any highs and lows in our group. In the playoffs, it's very easy to get very high after a win and very low after a loss, with so much riding on the line every night, but we maintained a very consistent balance,” he said.
“We not only adapted with each round, but we also adopted some of those traits of the teams that we played, all the while maintaining what we felt valuable to our team and what made us a good team.”
Malhotra learned a lot in his first year in Abbotsford and says that having good leadership and coaching staff in Abbotsford made all the difference. He and his staff are aligned in their philosophies, and Malhotra credits his staff for staying ahead of the game in their day-to-day work.
Coming back this season, there’s comfortability in what’s coming and the flow of the season, but Malhotra is putting pressure on himself to help recreate what they did last year for this incoming group.
“Obviously, I’m very happy about what we did last year and what we were able to accomplish. But my focus for my second year as a head coach is to have a good day one of camp. That's where it lies for me, and then from there we can move on to the next step,” Malhotra said.
He shares his thoughts on Linus Karlsson’s success through the playoffs and Chase Wouters’ leadership. Looking at Karlsson’s stats throughout the playoffs is an accomplishment in itself, but Malhotra respects that the 25-year-old played the right way every night.
"He competed on the puck harder than pretty much anybody out there, and for being a slight guy, his ability to win puck battles and hang on to pucks and create turnovers was incredible. Then that willingness to get to the hard place, yes, it's great that he was able to finish, but getting your nose in there, especially around playoff time, when they're not quite calling the cross checks in front as heavy, and there's all those extra shots that are going on. His willingness to want to be in those positions obviously paid dividends for him, and he was a huge part of our success, not only the points, but leading by example and doing it the right way,” Malhotra said.
Having Wouters’ leadership was important in their success in winning the Calder Cup, leading the Canucks by example and doing it at an elite level.
“He knows that he has to be able to tell guys what needs to be done on the ice, but more importantly, he does what needs to be done before anybody else. He's the first guy to step up for a teammate, he's the first guy finishing checks. The way he carries himself around the room, in practice, the way he goes about his business – he's just a consummate professional. So, for me as a rookie head coach, to have a captain like that made our job so much easier. He’s exceptional at what he does,” Malhotra said.
Malhotra talks about his excitement for the players to participate in the Prospects Showcase against the Seattle Kraken prospects in Washington. The progression of going from summer hockey to arriving at camp and putting on an NHL jersey, sparking their excitement to compete during the upcoming season, which is what Malhotra looks forward to as well.
“I'm looking forward to the opportunity to compete. With them being young guys, some of them their first foray into pro hockey, just being able to help them along the way and answer the questions that they have for us as coaches,” Malhotra said.
“We get excited about the opportunity to teach, show video, and explain certain things and just try to help them grasp the concepts that we have for them. But most importantly, this weekend's about competing for them and just getting after it.”
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