Canucks finalise staff with WHL veteran and local video coach
The Abbotsford Canucks have filled the final slots on their bench for the upcoming American Hockey League season, naming Mark O’Leary as assistant coach and Lucas Bourdon as video coach, the team announced Friday.
General manager Richard Seeley said the additions are intended to bolster player development and add regional familiarity to the staff as the club prepares for the 2026-27 campaign.
“We’re excited to finalise our coaching staff by welcoming Mark and Lucas to the Abbotsford Canucks,” Seeley said. “Mark brings valuable head coaching experience from the WHL, along with international experience through Hockey Canada. He has a proven track record of developing players and leading competitive teams, and his ability to adapt to different environments will be a tremendous asset to our group. Lucas brings strong ties to the Fraser Valley, great energy, and a keen attention to detail that will complement our staff. We’re confident both will make a positive impact on our organization.”
O’Leary, 41, arrives with a background that includes a lengthy run in the Western Hockey League, most recently as head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors from 2019-20 through the 2025-26 season. During his tenure in Moose Jaw he recorded a cumulative regular-season record of 145-127-24 and helped guide the Warriors to the WHL championship in 2024. His best single-season numbers came in 2023-24 when Moose Jaw posted a 44-21-3 record.
Last season the Warriors struggled, finishing 15-45-8 and missing the postseason, underscoring the variability that can accompany junior coaching careers.
| Coach | Notable WHL Record | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Mark O’Leary | 145-127-24 (Moose Jaw) | WHL champion (2024); Canadian U18 assistant (2026) |
| Lucas Bourdon | — | BCHL video coach (Chilliwack); Fraser Valley ties |
O’Leary’s résumé also includes time as an assistant coach with the Warriors beginning in 2012-13 and recent international experience as an assistant with Canada’s under-18 team at the 2026 U18 World Junior Championships. As a player, he reached the American Hockey League level for a short stint with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2007-08 and skated across several ECHL clubs, while his junior days were split between the OHL’s Guelph Storm and Mississauga IceDogs.
Joining him behind the bench will be 23-year-old Lucas Bourdon, a Fraser Valley product who spent the past two seasons as video coach with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs. Bourdon also played in the BCHL for the Chiefs and the Powell River Kings and had stops in the AJHL with Grande Prairie and in the MJHL with Niverville.
- O’Leary brings WHL head-coaching experience and recent Hockey Canada work.
- Bourdon offers local connections and video-analytics experience from the BCHL.
- The hires aim to strengthen player development and regional engagement ahead of the 2026-27 season.
For Abbotsford, the additions mean the AHL club will enter the season with a mix of seasoned junior coaching nous and local familiarity. The Canucks organisation has leaned in recent years on relationships with junior and professional ranks to shepherd prospects through the AHL level, and O’Leary’s WHL title experience is likely to be positioned as a resource for young players aiming to make the next step toward the NHL.
Bourdon’s appointment will be watched closely by local hockey followers: his roots in the Fraser Valley and recent work with the Chilliwack Chiefs keep analytical and developmental expertise close to home, a narrative the club highlighted in its announcement.
The Abbotsford Canucks will now turn focus to training camp and roster construction as they integrate their new coaching hires into systems and player-development plans for the season ahead.
