How the Chilliwack Chiefs Helped Transform Caleb Malhotra Into a Top Pick
Caleb Malhotra, shown here at Canucks Development Camp, was chosen third overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. (Brandon Tucker/Abbotsford News)
By Ben Lypka
When Caleb Malhotra arrived to the Chilliwack Chiefs in 2024 the expectations were high, but the red carpet wasn’t exactly rolled out for the prospect – and head coach Brian Maloney said that was by design.
Malhotra made headlines last month by being selected third overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Draft and is a big future piece for the NHL franchise. He also appeared at the recent Canucks Development Camp in Abbotsford earlier this month.
The 16-year-old Malhotra had to battle against players much older than him in the BCHL, earn the trust of Maloney and improve all facets of his game to acquire valuable ice time on a strong 24-25 Chiefs team.
Maloney said Malhotra did just that and by the end of that playoff run he said he was one of the Chiefs best players. But along the way Malhotra was forced to grind and mature to develop both on and off the ice in Chilliwack.
“He got put on the ice and he never came off as a 16-year-old,” he said. “But I wanted him to earn it. I wanted to get some reactions out of him and push him to make him earn every inch of ice out there and he did that.”
Observers have looked at Malhotra’s BCHL numbers of 26 points in 44 games as a 16-year-old and some have come off unimpressed. Maloney said that narrative is false and pointed out that Malhotra got better as that first season continued.
“We were in a situation as a team where we were pretty deep,” he said of that Chiefs team. “So he was in the stands some nights, he was our fourth line centre and there were some nights where he was really scratching and clawing to get some ice time.”
Maloney said he believes those types of early challenges and not having everything immediately handed to you can produce a better player in the long run.
“I think a lot of junior coaches fail to realize that sometimes going through some adversity at an early stage of a junior career is a good thing,” he said. “He’s going to have to go through that jumping into college hockey and then also in pros.”
He added that Malhotra handled all of that adversity extremely well and developed a tremendous amount in Chilliwack.
“He was able to compete off the puck, be defensively responsible and take key face-offs for us very quickly,” he said. “He took pride in everything he did. I think we helped him understand that it’s not a sprint and we told him that eventually he should be better than everyone on the ice, but you have to learn all these other areas first.”
Maloney said he believes that Malhotra was chosen so high because he can do almost everything very well. That type of versatility is attractive to NHL teams and Maloney said he could also decide to focus and master on one aspect without taking away from his many other skills.
“He’s such a multi-tool player,” he said. “Are there faster players? Yeah. Are there kids that will score more? Maybe. But were there any people in this draft that can take draws, kill penalties, run a power play and run through guys like he does? He has some snarl to his game too and he has a lot of fantastic attributes across the board. He checks the boxes in all areas where some kids even in this draft might be elite in one area and struggle in others.
He said that Malhotra did everything the coaching staff asked of him on both sides of the ice and became a completely different player from September to May of that season.
“He was our best player in the playoffs on a really deep team,” Maloney said. “Even playing in the BCHL championship against Brooks that season, he might have been the best player on the ice that series as a 16-year-old.”
Maloney said he is friends with Caleb’s father Manny Malhotra and they would keep in communication throughout the season.
“I think Manny and I were on the same page with Caleb’s development,” he said. “I would feed him information, both bad and good.”
Maloney said he thinks there will be zero issues with Manny coaching Caleb at the NHL level.
“Manny is incredibly professional and is such a good listener and observer,” he said. “If his kid is playing well, then he’ll play him. If his kid isn’t playing well or can’t make the team or it’s a bad situation he will do what’s best.”
Maholtra followed a similar path when he left Chilliwack in 2025 to join the Brantford Bulldogs. Maloney observed from afar and said it was almost identical to the growth he showed over a season in the BCHL.
“He slowly got better and he’s going to grow every year,” he said. “It takes a little bit longer to excel in all these different areas, but he’s just so good at so many things. He did that in Brampton too.”
Maloney said Canucks fans should be thrilled by the addition of both Caleb and Manny to the organization.
“You’re getting two people that are extremely likeable and there will be no worries whatsoever about being good teammates, good people and professional,” he said. “Caleb is a kid that loves interacting with fans and is very outgoing with teammates. He’s also going to be able to hold his teammates accountable when he’s older. Caleb has all the tools on the ice, a phenomenal person off the ice and the sky is the limit. Fans should be patient, but I think within a few years you will get someone who is the face of the franchise.”
Caleb is expected to join the Boston University Terriers hockey team in the fall and is expected to join the Canucks in the coming years.