The Canucks opened 2026 training camp in Penticton with intense on-ice sessions led by first-time head coach Manny Malhotra as the team prepares for the season and a pre-season game against Seattle.
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The Vancouver Canucks opened their 2026 training camp in Penticton with intense on-ice sessions on Thursday at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
For Manny Malhotra, the day also marked the first NHL training camp he has run in his career. He took part in multiple segments of practice and helped set the tone through the structure of drills and how his staff communicated during sessions.
Thursday’s workouts featured battle-focused drills alongside conditioning, with the day’s agenda designed to push players through high-tempo repetitions rather than a light re-entry from summer training.
After the session, Malhotra described the atmosphere as energetic and pointed to the competitiveness of the drills, including one-on-one battles and physical play.
A theme of Malhotra’s coaching on Day 1 was communication during play. He was vocal on the ice, using his voice to deliver instructions and identify mistakes so they could be corrected immediately. He also stressed praising successful execution to build confidence and reinforce what the coaching staff wants to see.
In a departure from typical practice routines, Malhotra joined players for a bag skate at the end of each session, explaining that he was aiming to be part of the group when players were already more fatigued and to reinforce the team-wide work ethic that everyone is “in this together.”
The Canucks are working with a shortened four-day camp schedule and also have a pre-season game scheduled for Saturday against the Seattle Kraken.
With limited time, Malhotra emphasized improving the team’s defensive play as an early foundation. He said the early drills are connected to Vancouver’s defensive systems and intended to limit situations in the team’s own zone so the Canucks can spend more time attacking later in games.
As camp continues beyond Thursday, the sessions are expected to follow a similar format focused on systems and defensive structure as the team looks to carry that work into game readiness ahead of the pre-season matchup and the start of the season.
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