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Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet wins 2023-24 Jack Adams Award
? Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has won the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success. The award, selected by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, is the first such achievement in Tocchet’s coaching career.

Tocchet was a top-three pick on 109 of the 114 ballots, receiving 82 first-place votes for 483 voting points, securing a decisive win. Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette finished second with 145 voting points, followed by Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets with 75 points.

In his first full season behind the Vancouver bench, Tocchet led the club to one of its best regular seasons. The Canucks captured the Pacific Division title and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, finishing with their third-highest point total (50-23-9, 109 points).

Expressing gratitude for the award, Tocchet emphasized the collective effort behind the Canucks’ success:

“First of all, I would like to thank the Aquilini family, Jim and Patrik for providing me this incredible opportunity,” said Tocchet.

“This really is a team award, and I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of our staff and complete buy-in from the players. I am truly honoured and humbled by this achievement and look forward to getting back to work this summer as we continue to work on improving our hockey team. Vancouver is a passionate hockey market and our fans were a huge part of our success this season.”

Tocchet, a first-time Jack Adams finalist, becomes the third winner in Canucks history, following Pat Quinn in 1991-92 and Alain Vigneault in 2006-07. He is also the club’s first finalist for this award since Vigneault finished second in 2010-11.

The Canucks’ remarkable season under Tocchet’s guidance helped them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2020. Vancouver lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the second round.

This article first appeared on Canucksarmy and was syndicated with permission.

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