Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced Friday that Manny Malhotra has been hired as the new head of the team's AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. 

He replaces Jeremy Colliton, who was behind the bench the last two seasons for Abbotsford. 

Malhotra had spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs after joining the team at the start of the 2020 NHL campaign. He also previously spent time on the Canucks coaching staff working as a development coach (2016-17) and assistant coach (2017-20). 

“Bringing in someone who is familiar with the organization is a big win for us,” said Allvin. “Manny’s experience in hockey development and coaching has prepared him really well for this head coaching opportunity. We look forward to working with him and providing our staff in Abbotsford all the support they need to continue to develop our players.”

As a player, Malhotra was drafted seventh overall by the New York Rangers at the 1998 NHL Draft. He appeared in 991 career NHL games, scoring 116 goals with 295 points split between the Rangers, Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens. 

“Being able to return the to the Vancouver Canucks organization is an incredible opportunity for both me and my family,” said Malhotra. “Getting the chance to help develop the next wave of young talent is an honour and a privilege. We have a lot of good prospects in the group, and I can’t wait to get started on the ice. I would like to thank the Toronto Maple Leafs as well for providing me the opportunity to work with them the past four years.”