A New NHL Family Dynamic
Vancouver Canucks make NHL history: Father coaches son, addressing favoritism concerns.
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The Vancouver Canucks made NHL history on June 26, 2026, selecting Caleb Malhotra 3rd overall in the NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo — making him the son of his own head coach, Manny Malhotra, according to The Hockey News. It is only the eighth time in NHL history a coach will direct his own son on the same team, and the highest draft pick for Vancouver since Henrik Sedin in 1999.
GM Ryan Johnson was direct about how it happened. "Any decision we make will have nothing to do with Manny being the coach. We make separate decisions," he said, per NHL.com. Caleb, for his part, confirmed he will head to Boston University for the 2026-27 season before turning pro — giving everyone a buffer period before father and son share the same dressing room.
Caleb Malhotra's Numbers Made the Pick Easy
Caleb, a 6'2" centerman, put up 84 points in 67 regular-season games for the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL this past year, ranking second among all OHL rookies, according to theScore. He then exploded for 26 points in just 15 playoff games, leading all Brantford players. His plus-minus sat at +33 on the season, showing he is just as strong defensively as he is offensively.
Scouts were bullish. Chris Peters of FloHockey projected Caleb as a No. 2 center with No. 1 upside, comparing his style to former Canucks captain Bo Horvat. Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked him 7th overall and praised his "above-average hockey sense and compete level," saying he is built for heavy playoff hockey.
Manny Got the Job First, Then His Son Got Drafted
The sequence of events matters here. Manny Malhotra was hired as the 23rd head coach in Canucks history on June 1, 2026, per CBC Sports. He won a Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2025 before getting the call to Vancouver. The NHL Draft came 25 days later. Johnson insists the two decisions were made in isolation.
Manny was equally clear about his role at home. "I am Dad, who also happens to be a professional hockey coach. We have a very clear understanding in my household," he told Daily Hive. The last time Manny coached Caleb was on a spring hockey team in British Columbia when Caleb was 12 years old, according to NHL.com.
The Locker Room Question Nobody Can Fully Answer Yet
The biggest concern is not favouritism — it is the perception of it. Bryan Hayes of TSN put it plainly: the dynamic is "weird because guys talk," noting that players regularly vent about their coaches, something that becomes nearly impossible when the coach's son is sitting in the next stall.
History gives reason for caution. When Dave Lowry coached his son Adam with the Winnipeg Jets in 2021-22, Adam reportedly "lost his voice" in the locker room, only reclaiming it — and the captaincy — after his father left, according to Last Word On Sports. Tyler Yaremchuk of Daily Faceoff raised similar concerns, warning that teammates might feel undermined even if no real favouritism exists.
The Malhotras Argue Their Famous Family Is an Asset, Not a Liability
Caleb did not grow up in an ordinary hockey family. His mother, Joann, is a former University of Victoria soccer standout and sister to NBA legend Steve Nash and professional soccer player Martin Nash, per Wikipedia. Scouts at McKeen's Hockey argue that being surrounded by elite athletes has given Caleb a maturity level that most 18-year-olds simply do not have.
Caleb said he already knows how to split the two roles. "This is something I literally dreamed about," he told NHL.com. He added that he often seeks out "coach's" specific advice on things like the penalty kill, keeping the father-son and player-coach relationships in separate lanes. The Canucks, coming off a last-place finish in 2025-26, are betting that both Malhotras can help turn that around — together.
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