Canucks’ Manny Malhotra Is Taking a Different Approach to Training Camp

There are many ways for a new coach to make an impression. Some coaches give speeches. Some stand behind the bench looking serious. Some spend the first few days of training camp trying to convince everybody that things are going to be different.

Manny Malhotra seems to have chosen a simpler approach with the Vancouver Canucks. He talks a lot. He coaches every drill. He jumps into the work with the players. And if the first few days of training camp are any indication, he isn’t particularly interested in wasting time. That may sound small, but it really isn’t. A new coach has to establish his personality before he establishes his system. Malhotra appears to be doing that pretty quickly.

Malhotra’s Voice Is Already Part of Canucks Camp

Jeff Paterson of Canucks Army was in Penticton for the first two days of camp and came away struck by just how loud Malhotra was. His voice was apparently booming around the rink throughout practice, whether he was pointing out a mistake or praising a player for doing something well.

At the end of the second day, when Malhotra was asked how his voice was doing, his answer was pretty telling. It was gone. That answer tells us that he isn’t standing off to the side and letting his assistants do the teaching. He is involved. He is watching. He is talking. And, perhaps most importantly, the players know exactly where he is and what he expects.

That is nothing particularly complicated. Hockey players spend a lot of time on the ice. They need to know what the coach sees, what he wants corrected and what he wants repeated. Malhotra appears to be making sure they hear it.

The Coach Who Decided to Join the Bag Skate

Then came the fun part. Malhotra and the Canucks’ coaching staff joined the players for the end-of-practice skate. This wasn’t just some symbolic stroll around the ice, either. The coaches got after it, and Malhotra apparently gave the players plenty to think about when he started outracing them.

Luke Schenn summed up the reaction pretty well, saying it was a first for him to be “getting toasted in a bag skate by your head coach.” That’s a pretty good way to introduce yourself.

The obvious motivational angle is there. Nobody wants to get beaten by the coach. But something else might matter more over the long haul. Malhotra is telling the players that the standards apply to everybody. The coaching staff isn’t asking the players to do something they’re unwilling to do themselves.

Malhotra Walks the Talk, and That Should Impress Young Players

That doesn’t mean Malhotra will become everybody’s best friend. He’s still the coach. But there is a difference between demanding something from players and demanding something while showing that you’re willing to put yourself through it, too.

And that could be a useful foundation for the Canucks. Of course, the Vancouver season will be about a lot more than how loud Malhotra’s voice is or whether he can win a bag skate. Eventually, players have to execute, systems have to work, and results have to follow. But before any of that happens, a coach has to get his players’ attention. Malhotra certainly seems to have done that.

Can Malhotra Turn Energy Into On-Ice Success?

The interesting part now will be watching what he does with that attention. A loud training camp is one thing. Turning that energy into a team that plays with structure, urgency and consistency is the real job.

Still, it’s an encouraging sign to see a coach who seems to understand that coaching isn’t just standing behind the players and telling them what to do. Sometimes you get out there and race them. And if you beat them while you’re at it, well, that’s probably even better.