Malhotra Joins Players for Bag Skates on Camp Day 1

Manny Malhotra finished his first day as an NHL head coach by joining his Vancouver Canucks players in their conditioning skate at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, British Columbia.

Malhotra, 46, and his new assistants took part after both split-squad sessions Thursday. Each group of players went through the skate once; the coaches did it twice.

"Yeah, that would be a first where you're getting toasted in the bag skate by your head coach," said 36-year-old defenseman Luke Schenn.

"Don't ask others what you're not willing to do yourself," Malhotra said. "Obviously, I time it so that I know that they're a little bit more tired, so I can be a part of it. Our mentality as a coaching staff is that we're all in this together; it's not you guys and us."

It was Malhotra's first day running an NHL camp. He used the same approach with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, whom he guided to the Calder Cup in 2024-25 before Vancouver promoted him after two AHL seasons.

The Canucks reported early for informal skates, with Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko among the veterans encouraging teammates to arrive by Sept. 1.

Boeser said it did not surprise him because Malhotra had done similar work when he was a Canucks assistant. "When I'm gassed and I see the other coaches doing this, I'm like, 'All right, they're in the fight with us,'" Boeser said.

Schenn, back for a third stint with Vancouver after signing in free agency, said the atmosphere has improved. Marco Rossi, acquired from Minnesota in the Quinn Hughes trade last December, called the environment "completely different" from last season.

Malhotra emphasized intensity and defensive fundamentals throughout the opening practices. The Canucks continue camp in Penticton through Sunday.