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Eastern Conference Team Pushing Hard to Sign Rick Tocchet as Head Coach After Latest Joel Quenneville Signing

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated May 8, 2025 11:39 AM ET

The NHL playoffs are moving along, but so are the head coaching rumors, as it appears the Boston Bruins are very invested in signing Rick Tocchet as their coach.

The Boston Bruins are among several NHL teams seeking a new head coach heading into the offseason. After Jim Montgomery left in November, Joe Sacco filled in on an interim basis to ride out the rest of the 2024-25 season with the team.

The Bruins now seek a full-time replacement. According to an RG source, and as reported by insider Jimmy Murphy , Boston's top target is former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, the winner of the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award.

'If they can secure an interview with him, and yeah, they're trying, he becomes their top target,' an NHL source told RG.

Tocchet just became available on the market after the Vancouver Canucks announced he wouldn't be returning next year.

While Vancouver languished in 2024-25, Tocquet spearheaded their 2023-24 turnaround to a 50-23-9 record and a Pacific Division first-place finish. He ended with a 108-65-27 mark in more than 200 games with the Canucks franchise.

Before Vancouver, Tocchet had been coach for the Arizona Coyotes for four years and, previously, had been an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins, guiding the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.

Tocchet will generate a lot of interest. In addition to the Bruins, the Penguins, Flyers, and Kraken are also looking for a head coach, with others possibly entering the mix.

'A new GM is coming for the Islanders, so obviously, a coaching change may happen there, but I'm hearing there could be some big changes with Utah, too,' the source told RG. 'If so, Tocchet instantly becomes a candidate for both teams.'

Joel Quenneville was just named coach of the Ducks

Anaheim was initially a team of interest, but with the recent announcement that Joel Quenneville will be the team's new coach, they are officially off the table.

With his championship background and recent success, Tocchet will be a hot commodity this offseason.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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