The Abbotsford Canucks have announced a new assistant coach and assistant athletic therapist, as well as confirmed that other staff is either returning or being promoted.
Vanderhoof product Harry Mahesh is the club's new assistant coach. He will join fellow new hires head coach Manny Malhotra and assistant coach Jordan Smith behind the bench. Goaltender coach Marko Torenius will return in his role for 2024-25.
The 36-year-old spent last season as a coaching development associate for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has also served as an assistant coach with the BCHL's Powell River Kings and general manager/head coach of the MJHL'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.
Mahesh played his junior hockey with the MJHL's Winkler Flyers. He played professionally in the Federal and Southern Professional Hockey Leagues in the 2010s. His final year on the ice saw him score 15 points in 35 games with the FHL's Dayton Demolition. He also played one year professionally in Sweden.
Abbotsford Canucks general manager Ryan Johnson also announced the hiring of Ross MacEluch as assistant athletic therapist. MacEluch had previously assisted the Canucks medical staff with injury assessment and return-to-play protocols since 2022. The Vancouver product is a graduate of Camosun College鈥檚 athletic and exercise therapy program and began his career in hockey with the BCHL鈥檚 Coquitlam Express in 2018.
Johnson went on to confirm that Nathan Wong has been promoted to head athletic therapist and that strength and conditioning coach John Murray, head equipment manager Ramandeep 鈥淐hico鈥� Dhanjal and assistant equipment manager Shingo Sasaki will all be returning to their roles in 2024-25.
The team's release also shared information about new video coach Andrew Shaw and new assistant coach Jordan Smith, but that news was already first shared last month.
The club opens the AHL season on Oct. 11 and host the San Diego Gulls for the team's home opener inside the Abbotsford Centre on Oct. 25.
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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鈥檚 hockey operations staff鈥�
