The Abbotsford Canucks have their new head coach, and it’s Ryan Papaioannou taking over after Manny Malhotra.
Papaioannou arrives in the AHL after making his pro coaching debut this past season with the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL, where he worked as part of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ affiliate setup. He wasted no time making an impact.
Wheeling finished first in the ECHL North Division with a 46-20-3-3 record, then pushed all the way to the Eastern Conference final before losing in five games to the Florida Everglades. Florida went on to win the league title.
Before that, Papaioannou spent 16 seasons as both general manager and coach of the Brooks Bandits. During that run, he guided the Alberta club to four national Junior A championships in 2013, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Brooks also piled up a regular-season mark of 714-152-51 under his watch.
“Ryan has a unique talent for teaching and relating with players,” Abbotsford general manager Richard Seeley said in a team press release. “His preparation both technically and tactically has led him to outstanding accomplishments at the junior level, as well as an impressive first season in the ECHL. His reputation as a communicator and someone who holds individuals and teams to high standards are the exact qualities we are looking for in the leader of our team.”
The hire comes after the Canucks reportedly offered the Abbotsford job to Kitchener Rangers coach Jussi Ahokas, who turned it down before signing on to lead the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. That development has fueled continued speculation that the Canucks were not prepared to pay going rates.
Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali - The Team had reported a month ago that the Canucks were interested in Papaioannou.
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