Vancouver, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the club has named Kevin Dean, Brett McLean, and Scott Young Assistant Coaches.
“The coaching search was a very thorough process as we wanted to find the best fit for our hockey club,” said Allvin. “Once Adam was hired, we set out on selecting a team of assistant coaches who are good teachers, good communicators, and good people. Footey has done a great job in assembling a well-rounded staff with a strong mix of experience and position specific expertise. I am excited to watch this group come together and am ready to support them in every way I can to help them prepare for the upcoming season.”
The team also announced that Assistant Coach Yogi Svejkovský, Defensive Development Coach Sergei Gonchar, and Video Coach Dylan Crawford will not be returning to the team for the 2025.26 season. The Canucks would like to thank Yogi, Sergei and Dylan for all that they have done for the organization and wish them the best moving forward.
Besides the additions of Dean, McLean and Young, Head Coach Adam Foote is pleased to have Marko Torenius, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Jason Krog return to the Canucks next season to resume their current roles.
“Putting this staff together was an enjoyable process and a rewarding experience,” said Foote. “I talked to a lot of great hockey people and formed many important relationships. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to help me through this exercise. The group that we have brought together is a great mix of hockey people. Kevin has an impressive resume, an intelligent hockey mind, and has helped develop a lot of good defencemen. Brett and I met years ago and have stayed in touch, and I respect his hockey IQ. I have a long history with Scott, and we share a very strong bond. He has been in the organization for a few years and knows exactly how things work and what we need to do to be successful. Not only do I look forward to working with those guys, but I am also excited to continue my coaching partnership with Marko, Jason and the Sedins, who will still to be very involved in the coaching and teaching process.”
Dean recently completed his third season as an Assistant Coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he spent time working with the team’s defencemen and helping develop young players such as Alex Vlasic, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Kevin Korchinski, amongst others. He was also an Assistant Coach for Team USA at the 2025 World Championships, winning gold, alongside Canucks’ players Conor Garland and Drew O’Connor.
The Madison, WI native has spent 19 seasons coaching professional hockey, beginning with the New Jersey Devils organization as an Assistant Coach with the Lowell Devils (AHL) from 2006 until 2010, before spending the 2010.11 season as the Head Coach of the Trenton Devils (ECHL). He then moved to the Boston Bruins organization, first as an Assistant Coach with the Providence Bruins (AHL) from 2011 until 2017, and then as an Assistant Coach with Boston from 2017 until 2022.
Dean also played in 331 NHL games across seven seasons, recording 55 points (7-48-55), 138 penalty minutes, and a +15 plus/minus rating, split between the New Jersey Devils, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, and Chicago Blackhawks. He won both the Stanley Cup and Calder Cup with New Jersey and Albany River Rats, respectively, in 1994.95.
McLean spent the past two seasons as Head Coach of the Minnesota Wild’s AHL affiliate, Iowa Wild. Prior to his head coaching career, he spent three seasons (2020-23) as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild. During his tenure with the Wild, he helped the team to three consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff berths and a 134-63-23 (.661) regular-season record, the sixth-best point percentage in the National Hockey League (NHL) during that span. He returned to Des Moines after previously serving three seasons (2017-20) as an assistant coach for Iowa, during which time the club recorded an 107-71-37 (.583) regular season record in American Hockey League (AHL) play.
Prior to his coaching career, the Comox, B.C., native played professionally as a forward for 18 seasons (1999-2017), compiling 1,111 games across seven different leagues (NHL, AHL, IHL, ECHL, SEL, Swiss-A and the Austrian League). Originally selected by the Dallas Stars in the ninth round, 242nd overall of the 1997 NHL Draft, McLean posted 162 points (56-106-162) in 385 career NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers from 2002-09.
McLean also represented Canada multiple times during his playing career, including at the Under-18 level, the 1998 IIHF World Junior Championship and for six Spengler Cups. He won the Swiss-A championship in 2010 and the Spengler Cup in 2012.
Scott Young has spent the past three seasons serving as Director of Player Personnel for the Vancouver Canucks. Prior to his tenure with the organization, he spent five years as Director of Player Development for the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he oversaw efforts to develop prospects in the minor leagues as well as junior and college hockey. He also served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang.
Young brings a winning pedigree to the organization as a two-time Stanley Cup Champion (1991 – Pittsburgh; 1996 – Colorado). His professional accolades also extend beyond the NHL, as he represented the United States at nearly every major international tournament, winning silver at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, gold at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and bronze at the 1986 World Junior Championship. He was enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in the Class of 2017.
A former 17-year NHL veteran, Young played 1,181 career regular season games with Hartford, Pittsburgh, Quebec, Colorado, Anaheim, St. Louis and Dallas, totaling 756 points (342-414-756). Young was originally selected by Hartford in the first round, 11th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.
Vancouver’s Coaching Staff for 2025.26
