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Rick Tocchet Gets Brutally Honest About Why He Decided To Leave The Vancouver Canucks

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 20, 2025 7:16 PM ET

Rick Tocchet has been hired by the Philadelphia Flyers, but before moving on entirely, he has offered an explanation as to why he left the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks 2024/25 campaign was an incredibly disappointing one, and as a result we've already seen some big changes, with Adam Foote taking over as Head Coach following the departure of Rick Tocchet.

While many believed Tocchet could be the long-term answer in Vancouver after he took over the role from Bruce Boudreau, it simply wasn't to be, as he has now joined the Philadelphia Flyers, the team he played for over 11 seasons as a player in the NHL.

Before moving on however, he offered an interview with reporter Rick Dhaliwal, and throughout the interview, he revealed several reasons why he ended up departing the organization.

'I would be lying to you if practise facility wasn't a reason.'
'I thought I would have been in VAN long term, you wonder why I wanted a 5 year deal, you need security.'

On top of wanting to move back to the East Coast to be closer to his family, he revealed that the security of a long-term contract and the upgrade in practice facility were two key reasons why he departed.

Rick Tocchet Comments On Canucks Practice Facility

During the interview with Rick Dhaliwal Tocchet admitted the practice facility was in fact a big factor for his decision.

While that could frustrate fans in Vancouver, he clearly knew what he wanted, and the Canucks simply couldn't provide that, but on his way out, he revealed that despite how tough it can be to deal with Vancouver media at points, they weren't any factor in his departure.

Ultimately, it appears as though Tocchet simply wanted a fresh start away from Vancouver and closer to home, and while other things came into play, that may have been the biggest reason of all.

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

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