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BOMBSHELL: Rick Tocchet Has made another Disastrous change for Canucks.
Rick Tocchet had comfort and security as a well-respected TNT analyst.
What was he thinking?
Canucks ownership is impatient. It wants to win now. Fans are frenetic. Social media is their platform to launch bombs.
Did Tocchet really need this? Absolutely.
The fire still burned in the belly of the hockey-lifer because previous head-coaching adventures in Tampa Bay and Arizona resulted in one playoff appearance in six seasons. And that was one round in the 2020 bubble.
Fast-forward and the results in Vancouver have been remarkable.
On Friday, Tocchet was named one of three finalists for the Jack Adams Award as the top NHL bench boss this season. He’s joined by Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets and Adam Brunette of the Nashville Predators.
The late Pat Quinn (1992) and Alain Vigneault (2007) are the only Canucks coaches to have captured the prestigious award.
“It’s an organizational award (nomination) for me,” said Tocchet. “It’s the GM, the ownership, the assistant coaches and the players. I’m just a piece of the puzzle. I have a huge support group that helps me.
“That’s the way I look at it and, honestly, I’m just focused on the game tonight (Friday).”
“He was very positive. He loves the city, and deep down he might not admit it, but he’d like to see Vancouver do well.”
A new hockey operations department bet on the possibility.
President Jim Rutherford, general manager Patrik Allvin and Tocchet have a Pittsburgh Penguins’ past and total devotion to a brighter Canucks’ future.
The manner in which Tocchet played has transcended his players. His “non-negotiable” staples call for strict adherence to systems to earn and own the day. And a peek at his past is proof of that as a sixth-round draft choice with a no-quit mantra.
Tocchet captured the Stanley Cup in 1992 with Pittsburgh and two more as a Penguins’ assistant coach in 2016 and 2017. He was no picnic to play against. In the 1989-89 season, he led the Flyers in scoring with 96 points (37-59) and piled up a whopping 196 penalty minutes.
He’s in the Flyers’ Hall of Fame and holds the franchise record for Gordie Howe Hat-Tricks — goal, assist and fight in a game — with nine. That’s right, nine.
“There was a lot of will,” said Berube, a former Flyers’ teammate and roommate, who guided the St. Louis Blues to the 2019 Cup title. He was never satisfied and never shied away from getting his nose dirty.
