| Adam Foote | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Foote with theColorado Avalanche in 2008 | |||
| Born | (1971-07-10)July 10, 1971 (age 54) Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Quebec Nordiques Colorado Avalanche Columbus Blue Jackets | ||
| CurrentNHL coach | Vancouver Canucks | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 22nd overall,1989 Quebec Nordiques | ||
| Playing career | 1992–2011 | ||
| Coaching career | 2018–Present | ||
Adam David Vernon Foote (born July 10, 1971) is a Canadian professionalice hockey coach and former player who is thehead coach for theVancouver Canucks of theNational Hockey League (NHL). He was also the formerhead coach of theKelowna Rockets of theWestern Hockey League. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as astay-at-home defenceman.
Foote was drafted out of theOntario Hockey League (OHL) 22nd overall in the1989 NHL Entry Draft by theQuebec Nordiques. He began hisNational Hockey League (NHL) career with the Nordiques in1991–92 before the franchise relocated toColorado, where he won twoStanley Cups in1996 and2001. In2005, Foote signed with theColumbus Blue Jackets, where he served as team captain for three seasons. He then returned to the Avalanche in 2008 via trade, where he would eventually complete his playing career. At the end of his playing career in 2011, Foote was the last active NHL player to have played for theQuebec Nordiques.
Internationally, Foote won a gold medal in2002 Winter Olympics and aWorld Cup championship in2004 withTeam Canada.[1]
Foote is the father of NHL playerNolan Foote and former NHL playerCal Foote.
Foote grew up playing hockey for the Brooklin-Whitby Minor Hockey Association (OMHA). He was a teammate of future NHLerKeith Primeau for several years, leading their teams to several OMHA "AA" Championships in the early 1980s. After a successful midget season with Brooklin-Whitby's AA team, Foote was a second-round underage choice, 21st overall, of theSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 1988OHL Priority Selection. Foote went on to play three OHL seasons with the Greyhounds, winning aJ. Ross Robertson Cup and appearing in theMemorial Cup in his final season under future NHL head coachTed Nolan.
Foote was selected 22nd overall by theQuebec Nordiques in the1989 NHL Entry Draft. He played for Quebec for four seasons until the franchise moved to Colorado to become theAvalanche in1995–96. Foote won his first of twoStanley Cups with the Avalanche that year, sweeping theFlorida Panthers in theFinals. Five years later, Foote helped the Avalanche to a second Stanley Cup championship in2001, defeating theNew Jersey Devils in seven games.
The following season, in2001–02, Foote recorded a career-high 22 assists in the regular season before missing out on his second straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance with the Avalanche, losing in seven games to theDetroit Red Wings in theWestern Conference Finals. In2002–03, Foote had another career-year offensively, scoring personal bests of 11 goals and 31 points. After a 30-point campaign in2003–04, he remained inactive in2004–05 due to theNHL lockout.
When NHL play was set to resume in2005–06, Foote parted ways with the Avalanche franchise after 13 seasons, signing a three-year contract worth $13.5 million with theColumbus Blue Jackets on August 1, 2005. He was immediately named an alternate captain for the upcoming season, but was assigned the Blue Jackets' captaincy in December 2005 when defencemanLuke Richardson stepped down from the position. He became the fourth captain in franchise history.
Three seasons later, with his contract set to expire, Foote was traded from the Blue Jackets back to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for two conditional draft picks on February 26, 2008. The trade occurred amid speculation that the Blue Jackets were trying to re-sign Foote to keep him in Columbus, but could not meet Foote's asking price.[2] Later that night, he arrived inCalgary during the first period to play against theFlames.[3] Foote managed one goal and 15 assists for a total of 16 points in 75 games with the Avs and Blue Jackets combined.
On June 30, 2008, Foote agreed to re-sign with the Avalanche with a two-year $6 million deal at $3 million per season.[4] His first full season back in Colorado was cut short by injury and he managed just 42 games. Further major injuries to key players in the lineup resulted in the Avalanche finishing in last place in the Western Conference. The following off-season, long-time Avalanche captainJoe Sakic announced his retirement. As training camp was set to begin for the2009–10 season, Foote was named Sakic's successor on September 11, 2009, becoming the eighth captain in franchise history (including the Nordiques) and just the second in Avalanche history.
On May 25, 2010, the Avalanche re-signed Foote to a one-year contract extension for the2010–11 season worth approximately $1 million.[5]
On April 10, 2011, Foote played his last game with the Avalanche, winning 4–3 in overtime against theEdmonton Oilers during the season finale. He was awarded first star of the game.[6] Foote was the last former Nordique to be active in the NHL. On November 2, 2013, Foote had his number 52 jersey retired by the Avalanche, joining elite company inRay Bourque,Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic andPeter Forsberg in sharing the honour.
After his playing career, Foote was hired by his former club theColorado Avalanche as a defensive coach from 2011 to 2017.[7] On October 23, 2018, It was announced that Foote had been named the head coach for theKelowna Rockets of theWestern Hockey League.[8] He was subsequently fired as head coach by the Rockets in February 2020.[9] On January 22, 2023, it was announced that Foote had been hired as an assistant coach for theVancouver Canucks upon the mid season hiring of new head coachRick Tocchet.[10] Following Tocchet's departure after the2024–25 season, Foote was named head coach of the Canucks on May 14, 2025.[11]
Foote played minor hockey inWhitby, Ontario, and lived inNewcastle, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. He lived there during the late 1990s before relocating to Whitby. Foote and his wife Jennifer have two sons –Callan, who was born prematurely on December 13, 1998,[12] andNolan, born November 29, 2000. He eventually joined the team that both his sons played for, theWestern Hockey League'sKelowna Rockets, as head coach from October 2018 to February 2020. His youngest son, Nolan was team captain at the time of his departure.[13]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing Canada | ||
| Winter Olympics | ||
 | 2002 Salt Lake City | |
| World Cup | ||
| 2004 Canada | |
 | 1996 Canada | |
Foote debuted forTeam Canada at the inauguralWorld Cup in 1996, scoring one goal as Canada finished as runner-up to theUnited States. Two years later, Foote was named to Team Canada for the1998 Winter Olympics inNagano, Japan. The tournament marked the first time NHL players were allowed to participate in the Olympics. Foote managed an assist in six games as Canada finished in fourth place, losing to theCzech Republic in the semi-finals, thenFinland in the bronze medal game. At the nextWinter Olympics in 2002, Foote helped Canada end a 50-year gold medal drought in the ice hockey tournament by defeating the United States in the final. He won another championship two years later and was even selected to the Tournament All-Star Team in his secondWorld Cup in 2004, defeating Finland in the final. Selected to play in his third Olympics at the2006 Games inTurin, Italy, Canada finished a disappointing seventh place while attempting to defend their gold medal from the prior tournament.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1987–88 | Whitby | OMHA | 65 | 25 | 43 | 68 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 66 | 7 | 31 | 38 | 120 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 61 | 12 | 43 | 55 | 199 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 59 | 18 | 51 | 69 | 93 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 28 | ||
| 1991–92 | Halifax Citadels | AHL | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 46 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 81 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 168 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1993–94 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 45 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 35 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 52 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 1995–96 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 73 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 88 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 36 | ||
| 1996–97 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 78 | 2 | 19 | 21 | 135 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 62 | ||
| 1997–98 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 77 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 124 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | ||
| 1998–99 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 64 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 92 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 24 | ||
| 1999–00 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 59 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 98 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 | ||
| 2000–01 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 35 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 42 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 47 | ||
| 2001–02 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 55 | 5 | 22 | 27 | 55 | 21 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 28 | ||
| 2002–03 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 78 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 88 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 73 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 87 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | ||
| 2005–06 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 65 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 59 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 63 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 42 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 67 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 64 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 2010–11 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 47 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,154 | 66 | 242 | 308 | 1,534 | 170 | 7 | 35 | 42 | 298 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Canada | WCH |  | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | |
| 1998 | Canada | Oly | 4th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2002 | Canada | Oly |  | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Canada | WCH | | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Canada | Oly | 7th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Senior totals | 32 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 28 | ||||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Columbus Blue Jackets captain 2005–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Colorado Avalanche captain 2009–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head coach of the Vancouver Canucks 2025–present | Incumbent |
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