NHL Analysts Reveal Potential Canucks Head Coach Replacements for Rick Tocchet

During his time there, Tocchet posted the second-highest points percentage among any coach in franchise history and took home the Jack Adams Award in 2024 as the NHL Coach of the Year.

Replacing Tocchet as a leader will not be an easy task, and the Canucks are just beginning a coaching search that they hadn't anticipated having to do this summer.

With the process not yet begun, the group seeks to throw an open net across a broad candidate base.

Experienced coaches may be available, and some, even with prior ties to the team, will surely be in the mix for team President Jim Rutherford during his search, along with upstart bench leaders thriving at today's AHL level.

'We'll do a shortlist,' said Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford on Tuesday afternoon. 'I'd expect our phones will ring on a regular basis from people who want this job. We'll narrow it down fairly quick and start the process from there. Up until now, we didn't talk about it.'

At this point, the Canucks appear to be open to a broad base of coaching types as they look to get exactly the right blend.

The Canucks could have up to as many as nine coaches to choose from

According to NHL analysts Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal of 'The Athletic', nine individuals have been presented as the favorites.

The top nine frontrunner candidates, per these two analysts, are Manny Malhotra, Adam Foote, Peter Laviolette, Jeremy Colliton, Mike Yeo, Todd Nelson, Jay Woodcroft, Mike Vellucci, and Dominique Ducharme.

It will be an interesting few weeks and months ahead in the NHL as many teams are now in search of new coaches.