New Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote has completed his coaching staff by adding three new assistants. The team announced Thursday that Kevin Dean, previously an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks; Brett McLean, a former American Hockey League head coach; and Scott Young, formerly Vancouver`s director of player personnel, have all been appointed to assistant coaching roles.
General Manager Patrik Allvin commented on the appointments, stating, “The coaching search was a very thorough process as we wanted to find the best fit for our hockey club. Once Adam was hired, we set out on selecting a team of assistant coaches who are good teachers, good communicators, and good people. Footey has done a great job in assembling a well-rounded staff with a strong mix of experience and position-specific expertise. I am excited to watch this group come together and am ready to support them in every way I can to help them prepare for the upcoming season.”
Kevin Dean, 56, joins the Canucks after spending three seasons as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also recently contributed to the United States winning a gold medal at the 2025 world championships, a team that included Canucks forwards Conor Garland and Drew O`Connor. Foote indicated that Dean, known for his defensive expertise, will oversee the team`s penalty kill.
Foote expressed confidence in Dean`s fit, telling reporters, “I knew within the second or third phone call that this was the guy for us… I`m very excited about him being down that side of the bench and letting him do his thing. I think he`ll do a great job with our d corps.”
Brett McLean, 46, has been assigned responsibility for the power play, according to Foote. McLean comes to Vancouver after two years as head coach of the Iowa Wild, the AHL affiliate of the Minnesota Wild. His coaching background also includes three seasons as an assistant coach with the Minnesota Wild. Prior to coaching, McLean had a professional playing career spanning 18 seasons in various leagues, including the NHL.
Scott Young, described by Foote as the team`s “glue guy,” will assist in various areas. Young has been part of the Canucks organization for three seasons and previously served five years as director of player development for the Pittsburgh Penguins. His playing career included 17 years in the NHL, highlighted by winning Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh (1991) and Colorado (1996).
In related news, the Canucks confirmed 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 Rick Tocchet`s departure as head coach in April and Adam Foote`s subsequent promotion after serving two years as an assistant under Tocchet.
Tocchet has since been named head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Svejkovsky is expected to join his staff there. Foote commented on Svejkovsky`s departure, stating, “There`s zero hard feelings. (Svejkovsky) is a friend of mine… Rick developed me, developed him. And if that`s where he`s going to feel more comfortable … that is just fine.”
Dean, McLean, and Young join the existing Canucks coaching staff, which 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 the team is still seeking to hire an additional video coach.
Duncan Priestley 
Neville Woodall