Newly appointed Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote has finalized his coaching staff by adding three new members.
The club announced on Thursday the appointment of Kevin Dean, previously an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, Brett McLean, a former head coach in the American Hockey League, and Scott Young, who served as Vancouver`s director of player personnel, as assistant coaches.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a statement, “The search for coaches was a very detailed process, as our goal was to find the most suitable individuals for our team.”
Allvin added, “Following Adam`s hiring, we focused on assembling a group of assistant coaches who excel as teachers, communicators, and individuals. Adam has successfully built a balanced staff combining diverse experience with expertise specific to different roles. I am eager to see this team work together and am fully prepared to provide them with all necessary support for the upcoming season.”
Dean, aged 56, joins Vancouver after spending three seasons as an assistant coach for the Blackhawks. He recently contributed to Team USA`s gold medal victory at the 2025 World Championships, a roster that included Canucks forwards Conor Garland and Drew O`Connor.
Foote informed reporters on Thursday that Dean, recognized as a defensive expert, will be responsible for overseeing Vancouver`s penalty kill unit.
Foote commented from Toronto, where he was attending a Blue Jays game, “After just the second or third phone call, I knew he was the right person for us. I`m genuinely excited to have him working on that side of the bench and letting him manage things. I believe he will significantly improve our defensive group.”
Foote also mentioned that McLean will manage the team`s power play.
McLean, 46 years old, comes to the Canucks following a two-year tenure as head coach of the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. Prior to that, he served for three seasons as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild. His playing career spanned 18 professional seasons across seven leagues, including time in the NHL.
According to Foote, Young will serve as the team`s `glue guy,` providing assistance across various areas.
Young has been with the Canucks organization for three seasons and previously spent five years as the director of player development for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He had a 17-year playing career in the NHL, winning Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 1991 and Colorado in 1996.
The Canucks also confirmed on Thursday that assistant coach Yogi Svejkovsky, defensive development coach Sergei Gonchar, and video coach Dylan Crawford will not be returning for the next season.
These changes follow former head coach Rick Tocchet`s departure from Vancouver in April. Foote was subsequently promoted after spending two years as an assistant coach under Tocchet.
Tocchet was later appointed head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Svejkovsky is expected to join him there.
Foote commented, “There are absolutely no hard feelings. Yogi is a friend of mine. Rick developed both me and him. If that`s where he feels more comfortable… that is perfectly fine.”
Dean, McLean, and Young join a Canucks coaching staff that includes player development coaches Daniel and Henrik Sedin, goaltending coach Marko Torenius, assistant video coach Ian Beckenstein, and skills and skating coach Jason Krog.
Foote mentioned that the team is still planning to hire an additional video coach.
