Rick Tocchet won’t return as Vancouver Canucks head coach next season, according to a team source.
Tocchet joined the Canucks in January 2023, replacing Bruce Boudreau as coach. He won the Jack Adams Award in 2024 as Vancouver collected 109 points and won the Pacific Division. The 2024-25 season, however, was challenging. The Canucks failed to regain their heights from the previous year on the ice and the dressing room dynamic was impacted by a rift between star forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, ultimately leading to Miller being traded to the New York Rangers. Through two and a half seasons, Tocchet had a 108-65-27 record in Vancouver.
The Canucks held an option to extend Tocchet’s contract through the 2025-26 season but president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford declared last week that the club wouldn’t trigger it.
“We don’t feel it’s right to have somebody here that may have his mind somewhere else,” Rutherford said.
Tocchet is now free to explore other NHL coaching opportunities.
This story will be updated.
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