What we learned from Canucks head coach Adam Foote's introductory news conference

New York Times

15-05-2025

VANCOUVER — At 11 a.m. sharp, Vancouver Canucks PR staffers escorted Jim Rutherford, Patrik Allvin and Adam Foote into the Rogers Arena news conference room. Allvin and Foote, wearing matching white dress shirts and dark navy blazers, stepped up to the elevated platform and sat with microphones and bright lights in front of them. Rutherford quietly lurked in the back of the room, where the media pool sat.
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This scene, as the Canucks introduced Foote as their fourth head coach in four years, is one the organization wants to avoid repeating for a while. This franchise needs stability, and Foote is being entrusted as the coach to deliver it. Foote didn't provide many specifics in his introductory news conference, but we did learn a few things about what to expect as his head coaching tenure begins.
1. Foote's news conference had a different tone than Rick Tocchet's and Bruce Boudreau's introductions. In their own ways, Tocchet and Boudreau are two of the most affable, straight-shooting coaches you'll see when interacting with the media. It doesn't take long to get very narrow, clear insights and ideas on their respective coaching and leadership philosophies. They're gold for reporters and fans searching for interesting sound bites.
Foote had a friendly, soft-spoken demeanour and looked comfortable fielding questions — he cracked intermittent jokes throughout his 25-minute appearance — but he wasn't quite as forthcoming and specific as his predecessors. It's not that he was guarded or defensive by any means, but he often spoke in general, broad terms and didn't always go into details.
For example, Foote was asked about his time as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL, and while he spoke passionately about how much he grew from that experience, he didn't go very deep in explaining some of the exact lessons he took away.
Throughout the briefing, platitudes like 'wants to win' and building a team that's 'hard to play against' were used multiple times. The Athletic asked Foote how similar or differently he expects the Canucks' play style and system to look compared to this past season. He acknowledged some of the positives Tocchet had implemented regarding defensive structure, but when it came to potential tweaks, he said those conversations would occur once the entire coaching staff is built.
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Foote was later asked about unlocking more scoring from this group. He explained the evolution of his playing career, where he wanted more of an offensive role but learned that his best shot at success in the league was to become a go-to defensive option. He detailed how his shutdown role defending against elite offensive players gives him a unique perspective on how top players create offence, what limits them and what makes defending teams uncomfortable. Foote added that he's 'got lots of ideas' on improving the club's offensive attack, but again, there weren't any hints on those ideas or plans.
Every coach takes a different approach to public speaking. Foote's more reserved, low-key style suggests that we'll learn way more about his ideas and philosophies through his actions than his words. That makes next fall's training camp and preseason even more must-watch than usual.
2. In today's NHL, players are more empowered than ever. They don't blindly take orders from coaches the way players would have perhaps 15 years ago; they will openly ask 'why' questions and aren't shy about disagreeing and pushing back at times. It's more critical than ever for a coach to build trust and genuine two-way partnerships to extract the 100 percent buy-in from players required for sustained team success. Your approach to extracting the most out of one player isn't always the same as your strategy for coaching another because players have unique personalities and respond differently.
With that in mind, Foote noted how much of an edge it is to already have pre-existing relationships with the players. There doesn't need to be much of a feeling-out process; he already feels confident that he can push the right buttons with this team's different players and personalities.
'I had two and a half years to develop good relationships with the players and staff,' said Foote. 'I'm very familiar with how people like to be treated, how they tick, what makes them go, what doesn't (make them). I think that's a huge advantage for sure is the relationships I've developed in that time.'
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Later in the news conference, Foote was asked about getting the most out of Elias Pettersson. Foote stressed the importance of making Pettersson feel like he's fully supported by everyone around him. That was an emotionally intelligent response by a coach who appears to understand that Pettersson responds best to a gentler approach that builds him up rather than harsh criticism that tears him down. And again, that goes back to Foote's earlier answer about having a pre-existing understanding of what makes different players tick.
'Petey and I had some pretty good discussions this year,' said Foote. 'I really think he wants it. I really think he knows what he has to do and he's gonna dial in …
'I'm gonna make sure that I have that conversation with him and we continue that relationship and I support him. I think with Petey, for him moving forward, just that support for him will get him in a really good place and we're gonna make sure he understands that we're there for him. We'll do whatever it takes and have a great relationship.'
3. As media and fans, we sometimes underestimate the impact assistants have on a coaching staff's overall success. Assistant coaches are much less public-facing than head coaches, but in the aftermath of Foote's hiring, many of the people I spoke to around the league stressed how critical it will be for Vancouver to nail those hires, considering his lack of experience and defensive-minded expertise.
Foote stated they're looking to hire two assistants, one to run the blue line that he previously managed and one with more of an offensive focus. He was asked whether the club would prioritize hiring experienced veterans to fill out the rest of his staff. Foote resisted the idea that their new voices need to be highly seasoned veterans.
'I would like experience, but I want the best,' said Foote. 'If me and my staff think the guy that we want is the best for our situation and works with me well, that's who we're going to go with, (regardless of) whether he's got five years, three years, or 15 years (of experience).'
Allvin was asked later in the news conference to clarify Yogi Švejkovský's and Sergei Gonchar's futures. Švejkovský was promoted from being a skills coach to an assistant responsible for running the power play this past season, while Gonchar has been a part-time development coach.
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Vancouver's GM wasn't ready to make sweeping declarations, but it sounds like they're more likely to return than not.
'I would imagine we're going to talk to them and hopefully have them back here,' said Allvin.
4. We know that Quinn Hughes is a big fan of Foote, but the Canucks pushed back a little bit on the narrative that he had any influence or involvement in this hiring. Foote said he didn't speak to Hughes at all between the moment Tocchet decided to leave and when Foote's hiring was official.
'I haven't even spoken to Quinn in this process, either,' added Allvin. 'I know Jim (Rutherford) informed him when Rick was leaving but again, it's not about one player, it's about the team … Quinn was not involved in this process.'
5. It was fascinating to hear Foote reflect on how his coaching ambitions evolved during his time with the club and Tocchet's role in grooming him. When he was first hired as an assistant, Foote wasn't sure if he ever wanted to become an NHL head coach in the future. It eventually became a goal Foote wished to pursue, and he credited Tocchet enormously for preparing him for an opportunity like this.
'Patrik probably asked me a year, year and a half ago and Rick said 'If you really want to be a head coach, I'll help you,'' said Foote. 'That's what I love about Rick, when I told him a year I want to do this, he really wanted it for me …
'I'm so happy and so lucky that I was under him. He taught so much, and I owe him. He's a close friend of mine. I think he gave me speed, he (accelerated) me.'
(Photo of Patrik Allvin and Adam Foote: Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press via AP)