It was a rough season for the Vancouver Canucks in 2025-26, who not only missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by a wide margin but also traded away several notable players during the campaign.
Among the players who were traded include Quinn Hughes, Tyler Myers, Conor Garland, and Kiefer Sherwood. Additionally, general manager Patrik Allvin was let go, and eventually replaced by former Canucks forward Ryan Johnson. Johnson’s first major decision was the termination of head coach Adam Foote after just a single season on the job.
In Foote’s place arrived another former Canucks forward in Manny Malhotra, who recently led the American Hockey League affiliate Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup Championship. And according to new reports, the Canucks could be interested in a historic figure in the NHL to serve as an assistant coach on Malhotra’s staff.
Are The Vancouver Canucks Interested In Former Seattle Kraken Asisstant Coach Jessica Campbell?
According to a report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the Canucks could show interest in Jessica Campbell, the first female assistant coach in NHL history who most recently was behind the bench with the Seattle Kraken.
“The Abbotsford job is going to open up,” Friedman said on his recent ’32 Thoughts’ podcast. “I have heard some early rumours that the Canucks may have some interest in Jessica Campbell. There could be like a trade here, Patrik Allvin going to Seattle and Jessica Campbell going to Vancouver. … I’ve heard the Kraken have interest in Allvin, he obviously knows [Kraken GM] Jason Botterill. And I have heard the Canucks have interest in Campbell. Who knows where it goes, but I’ve heard that’s one of the names on their radar.”
Not only is Campbell a former national team player, but she has considerable coaching experience with the Numberg Ice Tigeres, as well as serving as an assistant for Germany at the men’s world hockey championship.
Campbell was later hired an AHL assistant with Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Kraken, and helped them reach consecutive appearances in the Calder Cup Finals.
According to Johnson, he and Malhotra will be going through viable candidates to determine the best fit for the club’s immediate future.
“Finishing the staff is something Manny (Malhotra) and I will discuss to see if there’s an experience component that may help,” said Johnson. “It is an absolute? No. We’ve got to go through candidates for the best people and do they fit in with the alignment and be on board with the rest of us, that are very committed with how patient we have to be.”
The Canucks Fired Adam Foote After Only One Season
The Canucks promoted former NHL defenseman Adam Foote to the position of head coach following the departure of former Jack Adams Trophy winner Rick Tocchet to the Philadelphia Flyers.
But Foote and the Canucks struggled heavily in 2025-26, finishing with a record of 25-49-8 and earning the last place spot in the Pacific Division standings.
It won’t be long before Manny Malhotra’s coaching staff begins to take shape, and there stands a good chance that Jessica Campbell could be considered.
Canucks Reportedly Interested In Trailblazer For Assistant Coach