Stanley Cup winner picked to lead Rockets
Former Colorado Avalanche captain Adam Foote replaces fired Jason Smith as head coach
Adam Foote has been named the new head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. Foote, a Stanley Cup winner with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and 2001 and former captain, was confirmed by the Rockets as coach Tuesday morning after word had leaked out late Monday night of his appointment.
Foote’s son Nolan is a star forward and assistant captain with the team. Another son, Cal, was a star defencemen with the Rockets for several seasons and now plays for the Syracuse Crunch, farm team of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Our hope is that Adam can come in and take over a team that is in transition,” said Rockets general manager Bruce Hamilton, who announced Monday he had let two-year coach Jason Smith go.
“Because we host the 2020 Memorial Cup, we know a number of personnel moves will have to be made,” said Hamilton in a news release.
“We are confident Adam will be able to help us move forward, not just this year, but next season also.”
Foote, 47, played junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques. He had 308 points (66 goals, 242 assists) in 19 NHL seasons and was known as a rock-solid defender. He won a gold medal with Team Canada in the 2002 Olympics.
Most recently, he was a defensive coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2011 to last season.
“I’m excited,” Foote said. “Kelowna is a great organization and there are exciting times ahead. I’m lucky to have played on a lot of good teams with great players throughout my career. I’ve gathered a lot of information over the years and plan to apply it to the development of Rockets players.”
Assistant coaches Kris Mallette and Travis Crickard remain with the team.
The Rockets hosted the Swift Current Broncos last night.
Former NHL player Adam Foote has been hired as the new head coach of the Kelowna Rockets.
He is taking over from Jason Smith, who was fired Monday. Both are former NHL defencemen. “Our hope is that Adam can come in and take over a team that is in transition,” Rockets general manager Bruce Hamilton said Tuesday.
Foote, 47, played 19 years n the NHL and won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche and a gold medal with Canada in the 2002 Olympics.
Foote will be coaching his son Nolan, who is currently an assistant captain in his third season with the Rockets.
His eldest son Cal is a former Rocket and currently plays for the Syracuse Crunch in the American Hockey League.
Having coached both his sons before, this new position will not be a problem, said Foote.
“I wasn’t going to do it if (Nolan) didn’t feel comfortable.”
They have agreed to keep hockey and home separate by not talking shop at home.
“It’s going to be dad at home, and if he goes to the rink I can’t skate him harder because he didn’t put his dishes away either. It works both ways.”
Nolan said he was happy when he found out his dad was going to be the new coach.
“I think it’s going to be great for our team,” he said. “He’ll bring a lot of energy. He’s very engaged in what he’s teaching, he always wants to give advice to everyone and I think that’s great.”
Hamilton said planning to hire a new coach was weeks in the making.
“I was researching out who was available . . . just waiting to see names that came back to me,” he said. “When we chose him, that’s the only person we went to, then waited to see what his decision was.”
When Foote got the call from Hamilton, it came as a shock. “I didn’t expect that,” he said. Foote said he thought about the offer for four or five days, spoke with his family and talked to other people in his life, including former NHL players.
“The unanimous decision was ‘you got to do this,’” he said. “They all said to me, ‘you’re a teacher, you’re a coach. You love it.’”
Foote, who has signed a two-year contract with the Rockets, said he will be focusing on accountability with the players and making some changes.
“We understand we can’t teach them overnight,” he said ahead of hosting the Swift Current Broncos last night. “We don’t want to complicate it too much.”
The upcoming Memorial Cup was a factor in the decision-making, said Hamilton.
“Because we host the 2020 Memorial Cup, we know a number of personnel moves will have to be made,” he said. “We are confident Adam will be able to help us move forward, not just this year, but next season also.”