01/15/23: On Sportsnet’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast last night, Friedman issued another update on the situation with the Canucks and Tocchet. He said “I do believe it will be Rick Tocchet” when or if the Canucks do decide to make a coaching change.
While still not a definite confirmation on the Canucks’ plans behind the bench, this report is a more firm indication that the Canucks are targeting the current TNT analyst to be their next head coach.
01/14/23: Bruce Boudreau has basically been on the hot seat since before the season started. When the Canucks opted not to extend his contract last summer, it created a situation where he was entering his ‘lame duck’ year. With a management team in place that inherited the veteran bench boss instead of hiring him, it felt it was going to be a year of uncertainty for the 68-year-old.
That’s exactly how things have played out. Vancouver’s first half of the season was largely underwhelming with the team collecting just 37 points in their first 41 games and are well outside the playoff picture as things stand. Between that and a perceived desire for management to hire their own coach, there has been an expectation of change basically all season long.
To that end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in a recent appearance on The Jeff Marek Show (audio link) that the team had discussions with several coaches earlier in the season including Rick Tocchet but obviously, nothing materialized. Friedman adds that the Canucks have since circled back and have re-engaged with Tocchet. However, he cautioned that even with this report, a change isn’t likely imminent.
There’s certainly familiarity between Vancouver’s management group – led by GM Patrik Allvin and president Jim Rutherford – dating back to Tocchet’s time with Pittsburgh when he served as an assistant coach for three seasons, two of which saw the Penguins take home the Stanley Cup.
Tocchet also has parts of six seasons head coaching experience between Tampa Bay and Arizona, sporting a .475 points percentage. That’s well below Boudreau’s career mark of .628 and even his points percentage with Vancouver which checks in at .566. However, whether it’s Tocchet or someone else, it sure seems like a coaching change is going to be on the horizon at some point; it’s not a matter of if but rather when and who it will be. Tocchet, currently an analyst for TNT, certainly appears to be garnering serious consideration for that spot whenever it’s made available.
BB also has zero ties,as does Tocchet.
Let’s start with moving out Horvat and Kuz to put something in the cupboard
Why would any respectable coach want to go there after the way management treated Boudreau. Such disrespect.
Okay, let’s hear your version of what the Canucks did to disrespect Bruce Boudreau. Please enlighten us.
And since there are only 32 of these jobs and the Canucks have some talent on the roster, there are plenty of high end guys who would love that job. It is the NHL.
Sounds like a gamble
Why would Tocchet leave a cushy gig at TNT to be John Tortorella 2.0 in Vancouver for a year (maybe two, tops)?
They are going nowhere anytime soon and no matter how much bad cop Tocchet pulls out on them that team is incapable by roster construction of being anything but soft.
And really, what record does Tocchet bring to the table that would impel anyone to hire him? If they’re just looking for Some Tough Guy To Kick A$$, hell, Mike Keenan’s available, and has a far better coaching record.
Why would anyone think that replacing BB with Tocchet is going to materially change the fortunes of this franchise? The years long problems run much much deeper than the coach.
The current administration wants to own their own mistakes, and not the mistakes of a previous regime. LOL
Makes me wonder if this is not just a familiarity hiring, or a way to piss of certain big ticket players to play better or request a trade. There’s no secret that OEL wasn’t not a fan of Tocchet in Arizona and wanted out of that situation…now you are potentially putting him back into the same delima. OEL only gave Arizona management the Canucks and Bruins as destinations he’d be willing to move to….we’ll, we have him now and the Bruins moved on, so those 2 destinations are no longer viable. So even if we somehow found a trade ( we obviously add significant sweetener), he might be more inclined to move on.
Also, someone like JT Miller and his attitude might not mesh well with Tocchet and he might request a trade….looks a bit better than management signing a guy to big contract, only to trade him before his trade protection kicks in…but if JT requests a trade….whatta ya gonna do?
I know this is probably not the case…but it does make me look at this a bit differently for those reasons.
This is like upgrading from a kettle to a pot.
Screaming hockey coach is so fresh.
What a dumb hire Tocchet would be. Might as well pry Babcock from retirement.