Adam Foote is back behind a bench, just not as a head coach. The former Canucks bench boss has signed on as an assistant in Utah.
Rick Dhaliwal reported the move. Foote, now the former Vancouver coach, is joining the Utah staff in an assistant role.
The notable part is the title change. Going from an NHL head coaching job to an assistant seat is a step down on paper, even if it's far from unusual.
It also confirms a coaching change in Vancouver. Foote is the "former" coach now, after a short tenure that began only last May.
That fits the bigger picture for the Canucks.
Dhaliwal's report closes one chapter and opens another for Foote.
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A step down in title, but a fit for both sides
Start with Vancouver. The Canucks finished 32nd overall at 58 points, deep in a rebuild. Coaching turnover alongside a roster overhaul isn't a surprise.
Foote's run there was brief, and a tough situation with a last-place team rarely sets a coach up to succeed. Now he turns the page.
Utah is a sensible landing spot. The Mammoth finished 92 points and 15th overall, a rising young team, and adding an experienced former NHL head coach to Andre Tourigny's staff is a smart depth move.
Foote brings real bench experience and a defensive pedigree from his playing days. That's useful know-how for a club on the upswing.
For Foote himself, staying in the league in any role keeps him relevant. Assistant jobs are often a path back to head coaching down the road.
The carousel works this way all the time. Former head coaches landing as assistants is common, and it usually benefits the team doing the hiring.
Here's my read: there's no shame in this move. Foote stays in the NHL after a rough stint with a rebuilding Canucks team, Utah gets experience, and Vancouver's reset rolls on.
It's a logical reset for everyone involved. A clean break that serves all three parties reasonably well.
So Foote starts fresh in Utah, the Canucks look ahead behind their bench, and a former head coach bets on the assistant route as a way back.
Whether it leads to another head coaching shot down the line is the longer story. For now, he's got a new bench and a fresh start.
Can Adam Foote work his way back to an NHL head coaching job?
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