NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Colorado Avalanche - Source: Imagn — Elliotte Friedman explains why Adam Foote was the right call for Canucks (Image Source: Imagn)

Elliotte Friedman makes his thoughts clear about Canucks' new HC Adam Foote following Rick Tocchet's exit

Modified May 16, 2025 14:26 GMT

Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts on the Vancouver Canucks promoting Adam Foote to head coach after Rick Tocchet’s departure. Speaking on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman explained why Foote was the right choice for the team right now.

Friedman said (1:15:25 onwards):

“Adam Foote is a guy who's been around for a long time. He knows hockey. He understands hockey.”

Friedman said Foote’s experience and knowledge should help him manage the role well. Friedman added that Foote worked on two strong areas last season—the penalty kill and the defense:

“One of the very few good things about the Canucks last year was their penalty kill, which he was in charge of.”

He also pointed out that Foote was responsible for the defense, which improved during the season.

Friedman explained that the Canucks wanted someone the players already liked and respected:

“They felt that someone the players knew, liked, and were comfortable with gave him a big edge.”

This became even more important after a tough season full of distractions. The team believed that bringing in someone familiar would help calm things down.

Quinn Hughes, the Canucks captain, was not officially part of the hiring process. But Friedman said:

“They know how he feels about Adam Foote and they know how those defensemen feel about Adam Foote.”

This support from key players helped Foote’s case.

It was clear the team trusted how the players felt about Foote:

"At the end of the day, it comes down to the letter W."

If Foote can help the Canucks win, the choice will be seen as the right one. If not, the team will have to reassess. Friedman added:

“Foote’s the guy. And I don’t think there’s a lot of surprise that Foote’s the guy.”

Adam Foote steps in as Canucks head coach with support from Rick Tocchet

Adam Foote is now the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. He gained coaching experience over the last two and a half years. Rick Tocchet, now with the Flyers, believed in him from the start.

“I knew he was going to be a head coach,” Tocchet said (via sportsnet.com).

Foote worked well with different types of players. Tocchet respected how he communicated with both stars and depth players. Quinn Hughes wasn’t asked for input, but the team knows he supports Foote. GM Patrik Allvin said the hiring helps with building trust and keeping core players like Hughes.

Foote plans to add two assistants, one for offense and one for defense. He said experience is good, but fit matters more. When asked about his son’s legal case, Foote said he couldn’t comment but supports his family. He also thanked Tocchet for the opportunity.

“I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a head coach when I took that job,” Foote said. “Patrik asked me probably a year ago, year and a half ago. And Rick said to me, ‘If you really want to be a head coach, I'll help you.’

"He really wanted it for me. He is so happy for me. And I'm so happy and lucky that I was under him. He taught me so much, and I owe him.”

Now, he’s focused on helping the team improve.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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