Rick Tocchet Leaving Vancouver Canucks

Rick Tocchet Ends Vancouver Canucks Tenure

We all knew it was possible, but the announcement is still a surprise. It’s one more twist in a tumultuous season in Vancouver, and all the more shocking after captain Quinn Hughes‘ full-throated endorsement.

It hasn’t been an easy ride. Tocchet took over a Canucks team that was talented, but flailing under Bruce Boudreau. He righted the ship, adding discipline and sound defensive structure, nearly dragging the team to the playoffs after an 18-25-3 start.

That carried over into the 2023-24 season, with the Canucks finishing not only in the playoffs after a four-year absence, but their third-best season in team history. They made it to game seven in the second round before their run ended. There was reason for optimism in 2024-25.

That optimism was short-lived, with the Canucks staggering our of the gate at home. Their road record was very good at 10-2-1 through December 3rd. At home, however, where you expect coaching to be key, they were 3-5-3 in the same time frame.

Some drop was expected after the team’s astounding 2023-24 finish, but not to this degree. Rick Tocchet’s Canucks finished 38-30-14, a 19-point drop in a thud heard ’round the league.

Tocchet finishes with a 108-65-27 record coaching Vancouver, behind only Alain Vigneault in points percentage. He is behind only Travis Green and Roger Neilsen in wins-loss percentage.

What Happened

Did we mention that it wasn’t an easy year? Internal conflict shredded the team’s trust in each other, resulting in the J.T. Miller trade. The return was decent for a forced move, but it left a huge gap in the Canucks offence.

That conflict was undoubtedly part of Elias Pettersson‘s mediocre performance to start the year, too. But he didn’t get much better after Miller’s departure, and Pettersson had the worst production of his career. Without much scoring support behind him, the team’s offence cratered, and their defence wasn’t much better.

Misjudged signings on the blue line left Vancouver vulnerable, even more so when Thatcher Demko was injured before the season started. To make up for it, Tocchet leaned even harder on Quinn Hughes and their system play. It worked until Hughes was also injured.

There were positive notes throughout the year, mostly provided by players lower in the lineup. That’s great for them, not so great for the team. Even the best systems can only help so much when the most skilled players are failing or injured.

With many coaching opportunities opening up across the league, negotiations between team and coach were oddly muted. Both said they liked where they were publicly, but as the days passed it seemed less and less likely that Rick Tocchet and the Canucks would reach a deal.

Rick Tocchet and Canucks Fail to Reach A Deal

Speculation started when he didn’t immediately sign – something that is usually pro forma. The Canucks warned off other teams, saying they loved their coach and would use their option if anyone even looked Tocchet’s way. Tocchet said he liked the work done, the team, the city, et cetera.

But Vancouver’s management also said they wanted an answer by last Friday, and apparently didn’t get one. More and more coaching opportunities opened up across the league, word got out that they were offering the richest contract in Canucks history, but still no word.

President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford eventually softened his stance, saying he wouldn’t force Tocchet to stay if he wanted to leave. And, clearly, he wanted to leave and has now done so.

Now What Happens

One of the more interesting coaching changes, as far as Vancouver is concerned, is Mike Sullivan leaving Pittsburgh. Sullivan was officially an assistant coach in Vancouver under John Tortorella. But he was also a head coach while Tortorella was serving a six-game suspension, going 2-4-0.

Sullivan would want a lot more money than whatever Tocchet was asking. He has the track record for it: 479-311-15 as a head coach over 12 seasons and two Stanley Cup victories. He has missed the playoffs with a declining Penguins team, but that doesn’t overshadow his past success.

There are other options, including possibly bringing AHL coach Manny Malhotra up. But this is Malhotra’s first head coaching job at a professional level, and it’s unlikely Vancouver wants to hire a rookie. They’ve done so a couple of times recently and didn’t get the results they wanted.

The biggest question for the team is how Hughes will be used by any new arrival. It’s no secret that he is the cornerstone of any future plans, but there’s not a lot he can contribute beyond his support for Tocchet.

There are a plethora of options out there, including Jeremy Colliton and Jay Woodcroft, if they want younger but still experienced head coaches. Jeff Blashill has been with very good systems, and Dan Bylsma was a surprise firing just down the road.

For all the work management has to do this off-season, hiring a new coach should come first. Before major changes happen, they need to know they have a coach who agrees with the direction they are taking. Even better if the captain agrees.