Jan. 1, 2026, is here, and that means it’s time to look back at the year that was for the Vancouver Canucks. Overall, it wasn’t pretty as they finished with a 37-39-9 record, missed the playoffs, traded two franchise players, and went through another coaching change. Hopefully, 2026 brings a little more positivity and less drama. With that, let’s dive into the biggest stories that ultimately defined the Canucks’ 2025 calendar year.
J.T. Miller Traded to Rangers After Drama With Elias Pettersson (Jan. 31)
2025 started with a bang, and it must have felt like 2023 again when the Canucks traded Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders. This time, they dealt another star centre to a New York-based team, in this case, the Rangers, when they moved J.T. Miller on Jan. 31. This was a culmination of months of drama in Vancouver surrounding Miller and Elias Pettersson and the supposed rift between them.
The Canucks received centre Filip Chytil, defenceman Victor Mancini, and a 2025 first-round pick in return for Miller, capping a three-year period that saw the front office dismantle a centre core that was once the envy of the NHL. In 2022-23, they had Horvat, Miller, and Pettersson, and in 2023-24, they had Miller, Pettersson, and Elias Lindholm. Now they have the shell of the 102-point Pettersson, an injury-prone Chytil, and Marco Rossi, who hasn’t fully established himself as a top-six centre. That’s a pretty far cry from the three-headed monster they had just a couple of seasons ago.
Canucks Change Coaches… Again (May 14)
The 2025 calendar year saw another coaching change for the Canucks, as Rick Tocchet decided to bolt to the Philadelphia Flyers in the offseason. They replaced the veteran coach with his assistant, Adam Foote, and to this point, it hasn’t gone according to plan. The Canucks sit 31st in the NHL with a 16-20-3 record and have the second-worst goal differential at minus-24. They also have by far the worst home record at 4-12-1, making this season one of the worst to be a Canucks fan – especially if you have season tickets.
Related: Canucks News & Rumours: Kampf, O’Connor, Demko & Tocchet
Going back to when the Canucks fired Travis Green on Dec. 5, 2021, the franchise has gone through two coaches (Bruce Boudreau and Tocchet) in the span of five years. And if the speculation proves to be true, that total might increase to three by the time we are talking on Dec. 31, 2026. Manny Malhotra, who is currently the head coach of the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League (AHL), has already been tabbed as a future option by fans. In fact, a lot of people believe he should have been hired instead of Foote.
Abbotsford Canucks Win Calder Cup (June 23)
Speaking of Malhotra, the reason why fans think he should be the next coach is the championship he helped bring to the Lower Mainland on June 23, 2025. He was behind the bench for Abbotsford as they raised the Calder Cup after a 3-2 comeback win in Game 6 over the Charlotte Checkers. It was a season for the ages as they finished second in the Pacific Division with 92 points and beat the Tucson Roadrunners, Coachella Valley Firebirds, Colorado Eagles, Texas Stars, and Checkers en route to the championship.
Now NHL regulars, Linus Karlsson (14 goals) and Max Sasson (14 points), were the leaders offensively alongside Arshdeep Bains (24 points), while now-Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs held down the crease. The latter ended up winning the AHL Playoff MVP award for his efforts, finishing with a stellar 2.01 goals-against average (GAA) and .930 save percentage (SV%).
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Abbotsford will repeat as champions. In fact, they probably won’t make the playoffs. Similar to their parent club, they sit 30th in the AHL with an 9-16-3-3 record, thanks to injuries, and the losses of the aforementioned Karlsson, Sasson and Silovs. Not to mention, they also don’t have Aatu Raty and veterans Sammy Blais, Phil Di Giuseppe and Christian Wolanin. Basically, most of the Calder Cup roster was dismantled in the offseason due to waiver eligibility, trades, or Vancouver/Abbotsford deciding not to re-sign certain players.
Regardless, it was fun while it lasted, and will be a fond memory for a long time – until Vancouver finally wins the Stanley Cup, that is.
Braeden Cootes Makes Opening Night Roster (Oct. 7)
The Canucks selected in the first round for the first time in two years on June 27, 2025, and chose centre Braeden Cootes at 15th overall. A few months later, on Oct. 9, he was in the blue and green playing his first NHL game at Rogers Arena. With it, he became the first 18-year-old since Petr Nedved to do so in Canucks history, surprising everyone with his poise, maturity and NHL-ready game. While he didn’t make the same impression in the regular season as he did in training camp and the preseason, it was an exciting story to follow, even if it was just for a few weeks.
Cootes was sent back to the Western Hockey League‘s Seattle Thunderbirds on Oct. 14 after only three games, and while it was disappointing, it probably was the right decision for his development. He is now playing in the World Juniors for Team Canada and is having a solid season in the WHL with 10 goals and 23 points in 17 games. With rumours that he could be traded to a contender, there’s a possibility Cootes will be a huge story in 2026 as well (from ‘WHL trade deadline: Could Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes be on the move?,’ The Province, 12/29/25). A gold medal, Memorial Cup, and maybe a full-time spot on the Canucks could be highlights of his year when we’re doing this again on Jan. 1, 2027.
Quinn Hughes Surprisingly Traded to the Wild (Dec. 12)
The Canucks started and ended the year in a similar way: trading a cornerstone player that was expected to be a huge part of their future. On Dec. 12, they dealt captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick, ending an exciting era that started on March 28, 2019, against the Los Angeles Kings. In that game, Hughes recorded his first NHL point and showcased what became a 459-game masterclass of skating, edgework and superstardom in a Canucks uniform.
Hughes’ last point came on Dec. 11 against the Buffalo Sabres, as he finished his Canucks tenure with 61 goals, 371 assists, and 439 points, which is tops in franchise history among defencemen. He is by far the best defenceman (maybe even the best player) the Canucks have ever had, and now fans have to watch him patrol the blue line as a member of the Wild – possibly for the next nine years.
An entire article could be written about his time in Vancouver and how it all went south this season. The bottom line is this: the Canucks weren’t a winning team, and he didn’t see a bright future with him leading the way. Whether it was to escape the drama and the spotlight of being captain in a Canadian market or simply wanting to be in a winning environment, he didn’t want to be a Canuck anymore. While that stings, that’s the reality of it. Regardless, he was fun to watch, and hopefully, he still gets a standing ovation when he returns to Rogers Arena sometime in 2026-27.
Outlook for 2026 & Beyond: Canucks Entering “Hybrid Rebuild”
All in all, 2025 was not a good year to be a Canucks fan. Looking back at it, the only real positive was the Abbotsford Canucks playoff run that ended with the Calder Cup coming to the Lower Mainland. Vancouver not only didn’t make the playoffs, but traded another All-Star centre, changed coaches, and most of all, said goodbye to their captain and best player.
Now, the Canucks are in the midst of what management is calling a “hybrid rebuild”, trying to inject youth into a core of veterans. While there is excitement with the potential of Buium, Rossi, Ohgren, Cootes, Raty, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and Tom Willander, the fact is, the Canucks should have been a contender with Hughes in his prime. Basically, they are starting over, and who knows how long fans will have to wait for the playoffs again. We will see what 2026 brings; hopefully, it’s at least devoid of the drama we’ve had to endure over 2024 and 2025.
