ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS ANNOUNCE HOCKEY OPERATIONS STAFF UPDATE
Abbotsford Canucks General Manager, Ryan Johnson, announced today the hiring of Harry Mahesh as Assistant Coach, Andrew Shaw as Video Coach, and Ross MacEluch as Assistant Athletic Therapist, in addition to confirming the rest of club’s hockey operations staff ahead of the 2024-25 American Hockey League season.
“I am very pleased with the new hires we have made, as well as the makeup of our entire staff as a whole,” said Abbotsford General Manager Ryan Johnson. “We have made a lot of changes heading into next season, and I think our fans should be excited about that. I am looking forward to seeing the group we now have drive our team’s performance and elevate the development of our organization’s prospects.” Manny Malhotra will lead the hockey operations staff in his first season as Head Coach of the team, with the support of newly hired Assistant Coach Jordan Smith, as well as a returning Goaltending & Development Coach Marko Torenius.
Jordan Smith enters the Canucks organization from the St. Louis Blues AHL affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, where he served as an Assistant Coach for the past two seasons. He has held Associate Coach positions with both the Sudbury Wolves and Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, in addition to formerly serving as General Manager and Head Coach of the Soo Thunderbirds of the tier II Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native led his hometown Thunderbirds to back-to-back NOJHL championships in 2015 and 2016, as well as being named the league’s Coach of the Year in both 2014 and 2015.
Harry Mahesh joins Abbotsford for his first coaching season in the AHL, having spent the 2023-24 season as a Coaching Development Associate for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to joining the Maple Leafs, the Vanderhoof, B.C. native was previously an Assistant Coach with the BCHL’s Powell River Kings as well as serving as both General Manager and Head Coach of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winnipeg Freeze. Mahesh became the first ever General Manager of South Asian descent in Canadian Junior A hockey when he was hired by the Freeze in 2021, and has been affiliated with the NHL Coaches Association BIPOC Coaches Program.
Andrew Shaw will make his professional hockey debut as Video Coach for Abbotsford this upcoming season after departing from the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs. The Chilliwack, B.C. native held titles of Associate Coach, Assistant Coach and Video Coach with the Chiefs from 2019 to 2024. Ross MacEluch now joins Abbotsford in a full-time position, having assisted the Canucks medical staff with injury assessment and return-to-play protocols since 2022. The Vancouver native is a graduate of Camosun College’s Athletic and Exercise Therapy program and began his career in hockey with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express in 2018.
Ryan Johnson also confirmed that Nathan Wong has been promoted to Head Athletic Therapist of the club, and that Strength & Conditioning Coach John Murray, Head Equipment Manager Ramandeep “Chico” Dhanjal and Assistant Equipment Manager Shingo Sasaki will all be returning to their roles in 2024-25.