For Abbotsford Canucks assistant coach Harry Mahesh, hockey remains a continuous learning curve.
That might sound like a simple statement for someone who has spent the better part of a decade climbing the coaching ladder, but it is a philosophy that has followed him from youth hockey rinks to professional locker rooms.
Yet amid all the video analysis and team meetings, Mahesh believes that the most important aspect of the game remains the joy that it brings to those who play it.
From Abbotsford to Chandigarh
Speaking with Sportskeeda, Mahesh reflected on just how much he’s learnt since his early days as assistant coach of the Banff Hockey Academy Varsity.
“As I progressed through the levels, it was the amount of detail in hockey that the naked eye just doesn’t see,” Mahesh said. “There’s a lot of detail in the game of hockey, which I’ve learned as I’ve gone through.”
That realization dawned on him even more as he moved from coaching younger players to working with professionals.
Yet for all the tactical intricacies that come with higher levels of hockey, Mahesh believes the joy that it brings remains the most important aspect of the sport.
“The thing I’ve learned is even from coaching 15-year-olds to 25-year-olds to 30-year-olds, it’s a game that is fun,” he said. “Everybody becomes a kid when they play sports, and I think that’s the best thing about sport.”
That perspective was reinforced recently during his visit to India as part of the India Hockey 360 Festival held in Chandigarh.
While spending time with coaches and players who were still discovering the sport, what stood out to Mahesh was the level of enthusiasm they brought to the table.
“I sat with them for over an hour, and you could just see the look on their faces, the interest, the excitement,” he said. “They were actually happy about the fact that somebody was there to teach them.”
The enthusiasm he witnessed in Chandigarh reinforced his belief that hockey’s greatest strength isn’t in its complexity, but rather its ability to bring people together.
Toronto: The Biggest Market in Hockey
Before joining Abbotsford, Mahesh spent a season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in a player development role.
While speaking about how his experience varied from where he is at now, Mahesh said he sees more similarities than differences. The biggest difference, though, seemingly comes down to scale.
“Toronto is the biggest market in the hockey world, so they spare no expense,” he said. “They have three of everything that you need.”
That extends beyond the rink.
“You see it even day to day in terms of the media coverage,” Mahesh said. “Vancouver is a massive market, but Toronto is still that next tier that kind of stands alone.”
Incidentally, it was in Toronto where he first crossed paths with a coach who would have a profound impact on his career.
The Manny Malhotra effect
When asked about his experience with Manny Malhotra, the conversation quickly moved beyond the nuances of hockey.
During his stint in Toronto, Mahesh was still relatively new to professional coaching. Manny, on the other hand, was serving as an assistant coach. But that didn’t stop him from making time for Mahesh.
“He had a very important job to do, but he made sure he took that time to teach me and help me grow,” Mahesh said.
One interaction that stood out was when the two were preparing for a game between Vancouver and Toronto. Manny approached him with a seemingly straightforward question: “Are you ready?”
With five minutes remaining to puck drop, Mahesh assumed Manny was asking him about the game. Instead, it was far more personal.
“My wife was expecting our first child,” Mahesh said. “That’s what he was talking about… He cares about people first and the game second.”
The two eventually teamed up again in Abbotsford where Manny led as head coach before ultimately making the step up to be Vancouver’s new bench boss.
When it comes to being a coach, Mahesh described Manny as someone who players can relate to rather easily.
“I think Manny’s a very modern coach. He relates to the players and knows the trends…. He still maintains a pretty high-level of fitness and trains himself. So he still very much has that player mindset,” Mahesh said.
These are qualities which could help Manny Malhotra establish credibility in his new locker room as he takes on his biggest coaching challenge yet.
What Caleb Malhotra inherited
Drafted third overall by Vancouver in the 2026 NHL Draft, the expectations surrounding 18-year-old Caleb Malhotra will be high. Perhaps even more so given that he’s also the son of their new head coach.
When asked about his thoughts, Mahesh pointed out the similarities between the two.
“I got to see Caleb a few times, and you could tell when Manny gets excited, he gets jittery. You can see it in his mannerisms and Caleb’s the same way. They play hockey almost with a smile.”
The similarities don’t stop there. Mahesh pointed out that Manny’s dedication and work ethic away from the ice have rubbed off on his son as well.
“Manny is into fitness and health and Caleb growing up in that NHL world, he’s very aware of what it takes off the ice to make it… They’re extremely committed to everything. Not just practice but their diet, exercise and rest. He’s really dialed in for a young kid on all that stuff.”
These habits have long been associated with Manny’s career, helping him sustain nearly two decades in professional hockey. Habits his son Caleb seem to have picked up on early.
Canucks’ Next Generation Looking To Make a Mark
Player development is the lifeblood of organizations like Abbotsford and Mahesh has spent enough time around the Vancouver Canucks’ prospect pool to identify several players who could be poised for major leaps this season.
One name that immediately sprang to his mind was Jonathan Lekkerimäki. Having coached the young winger for two seasons, Mahesh has witnessed his growth firsthand.
“He’s a goal scorer,” he said. “He’s worked really hard on the areas that he needed to improve.”
Mahesh also highlighted Canucks’ recent first-round pick Braeden Cootes.
“He’s got captain-type characteristics. I know he’s the type of guy who’s really going in there to gun for a spot.”
Mahesh then threw out a name which he himself described as a “wild card”
“Nikita Tolopilo,” Mahesh said. “I’ve got to work with him for two years and I think he’s really, really pushing for an NHL job. He’s really going to make it competitive in the goaltending area.”
Three different players with three different skillsets who Mahesh believes could make a favorable impression on Vancouver’s new head coach.
Even as these players look to make the leap to the NHL, Mahesh hopes they keep enjoying the game along the way.
After ten years in coaching, that remains the lesson Harry Mahesh values most. The game may become more complex with every step up the ladder, but at its core, it’s still hockey. A game meant to be enjoyed.
Edited by Shivayan Roy