List of Vancouver Canucks head coaches

The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canucks are a members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). [cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=StandingsPage&type=DIV|title=Standings|publisher=NHL.com|accessdate=2008-07-22] The Canucks currently play home games at General Motors Place. The Canucks joined the NHL in 1970 as an expansion team, along with the Buffalo Sabres. [cite web|url=http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/NHL-Business/Expansion.htm|title=NHL Expansion & Relocation Since 1967|publisher=AndrewsStarsPage.com|accessdate=2008-07-22] They have advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals twice but were defeated by the New York Islanders in 1982, and the New York Rangers in 1994. [cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/cup/champs.html|title=Stanley Cup Champions and Finalists|publisher=NHL.com|accessdate=2008-07-24]

There have been 16 head coaches in the Canucks franchise history. Roger Neilson is the only Hockey Hall of Fame inductee to coach the Canucks. Marc Crawford coached the most games of any Canucks head coach with 529 games and has the most points all-time with the Canucks with 586 points. He is followed by Pat Quinn, who has 310 points all-time with the Canucks. Alain Vigneault has the most points in a season of any Canucks coach, with 105 in the 2006–07 season. Quinn and Vigneault are the only two Canucks head coaches to win a Jack Adams Award with the team. Bill LaForge, who coached the start of the 1984 season, has the least points with the Canucks (10). Harry Neale served the most terms as head coach of the Canucks with three while Pat Quinn served two. After Rick Ley was fired, General Manager Pat Quinn coached the final 6 games of the season and but lost in the first round of the playoffs. In June 1996 Tom Renney, who had been coaching the Canada national men's ice hockey team, was hired but missed the playoffs in his first season. In the following season, despite a poor start and a club record 10-game losing streak, Quinn endorsed Renney as head coach. [cite news |first= Elliott |last= Pap |title= Quinn refuses to sacrifice Renney |work= Vancouver Sun |page= C1 |date= 03 November 1997] Shortly after vice-President Steve Tambellini fired both Quinn and Renney, and hired Mike Keenan. [cite news |first= Iain |last= MacIntyre |title= Canucks carry on without Quinn |work= Vancouver Sun |page= E1 |date= 06 November 1997] The Canucks still came in last place in the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons, resulting in Keenan being replaced by Marc Crawford in January 1999 during the All-Star break. Crawford was still under contract with the Colorado Avalanche for whom he had quit following a first round playoff loss the previous season, so the Canucks compensated the Avalanche with a second round draft pick and cash. [cite news |first= Mike|last= Brehm |title= Canucks replace Keenan with Crawford |work= USA Today |page= C11 |date= 25 January 1999] Unlike Renney, Keenan voiced his displeasure at being fired. [cite news |first= Iain |last= MacIntyre |title= Renney refuses to place blame on others for his fall from grace |work= Vancouver Sun |page= C3 |date= 14 November 1997] [cite news |first= Elliott |last= Pap |title= Burke tells Keenan to clam up |work= Vancouver Sun |page= C1 |date= 16 March 1999] Crawford's coaching style relied upon the professionalism of players and rarely criticized individual players in public. [cite news |first= Iain |last= MacIntyre |title= 'Bam-Bam' Vigneault to coach Canucks: Team's new bench boss will demand accountability |work= Vancouver Sun |page= E1 |date= 20 June 2006] After coaching the Canucks for six and a half seasons, Crawford was fired after failing to make the playoffs as the team changed its focus to a more defensive strategy. [cite news |first= Brian |last= Cazeneuve |title= Northwest |work= Sports Illustrated |date= 02 October 2006] When Alain Vigneault, the coach of the Canuck’s farm team, the Manitoba Moose, took over he replaced the assistant coaches. He won the Jack Adams Award in his first season as Canucks came in first in the Northwest division. Alain Vigneault is currently the head coach of the Canucks.

Key

Coaches

"Note: Statistics are correct through the end of the 2007–08 season."

Notes

*note label|Note1|a|a A running total of the number of coaches of the Canucks. Thus any coach who has two or more separate terms as head coach is only counted once.
*note label|Note2|b|b Starting in the 2005–06 season, if a game is still tied at the end of a five-minute overtime, the game enters a shootout. The team with the most goals during the three-round shootout wins the game. [cite web|url=http://proicehockey.about.com/od/rules/a/shootout_debate_2.htm|title=How the NHL Shootout Works|publisher=About.com|accessdate=2008-07-04]

References

;General
*cite web|url=http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/VAN/coaches.html|title=Vancouver Canucks Coach Register|publisher=Hockey-Reference.com|accessdate=2008-07-03
*cite web|url=http://www.sportsline.com/nhl/teams/history/VAN |title=Vancouver Canucks Coaching History |publisher=CBSSports.com |accessdate=2008-07-24;Specific