Following a lengthy career on the ice, playing for 18 years for various teams throughout North America and Europe, Comox's Brett McLean has been named as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks.
The team made the announcement on June 5, also naming Kevin Dean and Scott Young as assistant coaches.
McLean hung up his skates and began his coaching career in Iowa, as an assistant in 2017. In 2021, the NHL'S Minnesota Wild named him as their assistant coach and in 2023, he became the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the #Canucks have named Kevin Dean, Brett McLean, and Scott Young Assistant Coaches. pic.twitter.com/Ny0kjqF82L
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) June 5, 2025
Iowa is Minnesota’s AHL affiliate team.
When the Record questioned McLean about the possibility of becoming a head coach for a national league’s club, McLean stated that all his focus is on the present.
“Last year, when I was coaching in Minnesota, I wasn’t waiting for the head coach position,” admits McLean. “There’s so much to learn. To become an NHL head coach, you have to be really ready and overprepared for that job. If the opportunity comes, I want to be over-ripened and I know that it will take some time.”
