Canucks organization hires former NHL head coaches Colliton, Yeo

The Vancouver Canucks organization added two familiar faces to its coaching staff on Friday.

Former Chicago Blackhawks skipper Jeremy Colliton has been named the head coach of Vancouver's AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, while ex-Philadelphia Flyers interim bench boss Mike Yeo will join the Canucks as an assistant coach.

Colliton was head coach of the Blackhawks for parts of four seasons and was fired from his post in November after leading the team to a 1-9-2 start. Shortly after his dismissal, Colliton was named an assistant coach for Canada at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Yeo took over in Philadelphia after the team parted ways with Alain Vigneault in December. The Flyers went 17-36-7 under his tenure for the rest of the season. Philadelphia hired John Tortorella to be their new head coach last month.

Yeo has also served as the head coach of the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues. He's amassed an all-time coaching record of 263-217-62 and captured a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.

"When I started the conversations with Mike Yeo, it became clear to me that he would be an excellent addition," Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau said. "Working with (general manager Patrik Allvin) to create a well-rounded staff was very important for us as we look to continue to build upon the momentum we experienced last season."

Former Abbotsford head coach Trent Cull was promoted to assistant coach with Vancouver while Brad Shaw is leaving the organization to join the Flyers as an associate coach.