Canucks linked to a potentially historic assistant coach hire
The Vancouver Canucks are building their coaching staff under new head coach Manny Malhotra, and Elliotte Friedman is already hearing names.
According to Friedman on Sportsnet's 32 Thoughts podcast Wednesday, the Canucks have interest in Jessica Campbell, who recently departed the Seattle Kraken after her contract expired.
Campbell spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach in Seattle under Dan Bylsma.
Before that, she was behind the bench in Coachella Valley, where she helped the Firebirds reach back-to-back Calder Cup Finals.
Friedman floated the idea of a near-simultaneous swap: dismissed Canucks GM Patrik Allvin heading to Seattle, Campbell heading to Vancouver.
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The logic tracks. Allvin worked alongside Kraken GM Jason Botterill in the Pittsburgh Penguins' front office, so Botterill knows exactly what he'd be getting.
A 25-49-8 team needs more than a coaching swap to fix itself
The Canucks finished 32nd in the NHL this past season with 58 points and a -100 goal differential, giving up 316 goals against.
That is a franchise that needs a full rebuild of its culture, its systems, and frankly its roster.
Campbell is a credible name. She's earned her reputation through winning environments, not talking about winning.
The real question is whether this ends up as the Abbotsford job, the NHL bench, or both. Friedman left that open, and that vagueness is telling.
There are also NHL head coaching vacancies in Edmonton and Toronto right now, plus multiple openings in the PWHL. Campbell has options.
Vancouver's front office doesn't have a listed GM yet in the available data, which means Malhotra is assembling a staff without that infrastructure fully in place.
That's not a great foundation. Rebuilding a team that finished last overall while your front office is still in flux is like trying to renovate a house while the foundation is still settling.
Where Campbell lands, and in what role, remains genuinely unclear. But the Canucks are at least making calls.
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YESTERDAY
JUNE 2, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | - | 1 | |
| William Karlsson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Colton Sissons | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Smith | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||