VANCOUVER – Exactly four years ago today, the Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Jim Benning and head coach Travis Green.
The current state of the team is worse than ever.
The Canucks are dead last in the NHL standings and despite a strong effort in returning to home ice Friday after a four-game road trip, they fell to Utah 4-1 despite beating the Mammoth 32-18.
“I was just looking at all our chances,” Vancouver coach Adam Foote said after the game. “The fans might call me crazy. We should have played this game (4-1) or 5-1.”
Instead, the Mammoth got lucky with the puck and took a 2-0 lead, with only Arshdeep Baines able to find a way past red-hot Utah goaltender Karel Weimelka.
“It's tough,” said Vancouver's leading scorer Elias Pettersson, who finished with two shots on six attempts but has now gone three scoreless games. “We definitely created a lot, enough to win the game. Created a lot of chances, looked good.”
After the Canucks (10-15-3) limited the Mammoth to just one shot in the first 17 minutes of the third period, the visitors put the game away on a rushing goal by Kevin Stenlund before John Marino tied the score with a shorthanded goal.
The Canucks have allowed at least four goals in 14 of their 28 games this season. They remain last in the league with 3.64 goals per game and have dropped to 24th in attack with an average of just 2.64 goals. The power play has also dried up during the club's current four-game slump.
Known for his physical play in front of his goalkeeper during his playing days, Foote remains determined to focus on the process and hope that the rebounds will eventually start going in his team's favor.
“I can’t be upset about what we’re doing,” he said. “Hopefully the goals will be scored. I hate to lose, but we're pushing. If we can't score a goal from a shot, we'll have to come back and go and put the goalie in the net. Maybe a little more dirty, aggressive thinking around the goal, even if we get into some battles and start a war there. That's probably what will change.”
The Canucks have also been at the center of NHL rumors in recent weeks, constantly discussing the future of Quinn Hughes. The team is also believed to be open to trading its upcoming unrestricted free agents.
With injured goalie Thatcher Demko and forward Nils Hoglander potentially back in the lineup next week, Foote hopes they provide the backup that can get Vancouver back into the playoffs.
“I believe we'll get the guys back and we'll be better for it,” he said. “We're not far behind.”
The Canucks are six points out of second place in the Western Conference as the Minnesota Wild take the ice at Rogers Arena on Saturday night.
“There’s no reason to stop there,” Pettersson said. “It sucks to lose. But back down again.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2025.
