Adam Foote

Adam Foote (born July 10, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, the current Assistant Coach of the Vancouver Canucks of National Hockey League, and the former head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as a stay-at-home defenceman.

Adam Foote
Foote with the Colorado Avalanche in 2008
Born (1971-07-10) July 10, 1971
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
Coached for Kelowna Rockets(Head Coach)
Vancouver Canucks(Assistant)
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 22nd overall, 1989
Quebec Nordiques
Playing career 1992–2011
Coaching career 2018–Present

Foote was drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) 22nd overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. He began his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Nordiques in 1991–92 before the franchise relocated to Colorado, where he won two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. In 2005, Foote signed with the Columbus 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. Foote was the last active NHL player from the Quebec Nordiques.

Internationally, Foote won a gold medal in 2002 Winter Olympics and a World Cup championship in 2004 with Team Canada.[1]

He is the father of NHL players Cal Foote and Nolan Foote.

Playing career

Minor/Junior
Adam Foote (1997).

Foote grew up playing hockey for the Brooklin-Whitby Minor Hockey Association (OMHA). He was a teammate of future NHLer Keith 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 the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 1988 OHL Priority Selection. Foote went on to play three OHL seasons with the Greyhounds, winning a J. Ross Robertson Cup and appearing in the Memorial Cup in his final season under future NHL head coach Ted Nolan.

Professional

Foote was selected 22nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He played for Quebec for four seasons until the franchise moved to Colorado to become the Avalanche in 1995–96. Foote won his first of two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche that year, sweeping the Florida Panthers in the Finals. Five years later, Foote helped the Avalanche to a second Stanley Cup championship in 2001, defeating the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

The following season, in 2001–02, 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 the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. In 2002–03, Foote had another career-year offensively, scoring personal bests of 11 goals and 31 points. After a 30-point campaign in 2003–04, he remained inactive in 2004–05 due to the NHL lockout.

Foote defending against the Vancouver Canucks' Henrik Sedin in 2010

When NHL play was set to resume in 2005–06, Foote parted ways with the Avalanche franchise after 13 seasons, signing a three-year contract worth $13.5 million with the Columbus 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 defenceman Luke 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 in Calgary during the first period to play against the Flames.[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 captain Joe Sakic announced his retirement. As training camp was set to begin for the 2009–10 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 the 2010–11 season worth approximately $1 million.[5]

On April 10, 2011, Foote played his last game with the Avalanche, winning 4–3 in overtime against the Edmonton 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 in Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg in sharing the honour.

Coaching career

After his playing career, Foote was hired by his former club the Colorado 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 the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.[8] He was subsequently fired as head coach by the Rockets in February 2020.[9] On January 22nd, 2023, it was announced that Foote had been hired as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks upon the mid season hiring of new head coach Rick Tocchet.[10]

Personal life

Foote played minor hockey in Whitby, Ontario, and lived in Newcastle, 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,[11] and Nolan, born November 29, 2000. He eventually joined the team that both his sons played for, Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets, as head coach from October 2018 to February 2020. His youngest son, Nolan was team captain at the time of his departure.[12]

International play
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
Winter Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2002 Salt Lake City
World Cup
Gold medal – first place2004 Canada
Silver medal – second place1996 Canada

Foote debuted for Team Canada at the inaugural World Cup in 1996, scoring one goal as Canada finished as runner-up to the United States. Two years later, Foote was named to Team Canada for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, 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 the Czech Republic in the semi-finals, then Finland in the bronze medal game. At the next Winter 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 second World Cup in 2004, defeating Finland in the final. Selected to play in his third Olympics at the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy, Canada finished a disappointing seventh place while attempting to defend their gold medal from the prior tournament.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
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

International
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
1996 Canada WCH 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 8 1 0 1 16
1998 Canada Oly 4th 6 0 1 1 4
2002 Canada Oly 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 1 0 1 2
2004 Canada WCH 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 0 3 3 0
2006 Canada Oly 7th 6 0 1 1 6
Senior totals 32 2 5 7 28

Awards and honours

See also

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Adam Foote Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  2. "Something stinks with Foote's story on staying put". The Columbus Dispatch. March 1, 2008. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  3. Sadowski, Rick (February 26, 2008). "Foote contributes in return". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
  4. "Avs re-sign Foote". Slam Sports. June 30, 2008. Retrieved October 22, 2008.
  5. "Avalanche re-sign veteran blueliner Foote". The Sports Network. May 25, 2010. Archived from the original on May 29, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  6. "Avalanche beat Oilers in Overtime in Foote's last game". The Sports Network. April 10, 2011. Archived from the original on April 14, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
  7. "Adam Foote leaving coaching role with Avalanche". SportsNet. August 11, 2017.
  8. "Former NHL defenceman Adam Foote named coach of Kelowna Rockets". SportsNet. October 23, 2018.
  9. Brookes, Laura. "Rockets fire Adam Foote". Castanet.Net. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  10. "Canucks Announce Changes to Coaching Staff". National Hockey League. January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  11. Benton, Jim (December 15, 1998). "Child's birth, return to ice give Foote reasons to celebrate". Rocky Mountain News. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2005.
  12. Strachan, Brady (February 19, 2020). "Kelowna Rockets fire head coach Adam Foote, father of the WHL team's captain". CBC News British Columbia. CBC News. CBC News. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
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