Tocchet not returning as Canucks coach
Rick Tocchet is not returning as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, the team confirmed Tuesday.
"After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks," president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said. "This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick's decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career.
"We did everything in our power to keep him, but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change. He is a good friend, a good coach, and we can't thank him enough for all he did for our organization. Toc is a stand-up guy, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward."
Rutherford told reporters last week he declined to exercise an option in Tocchet's contract but offered him a new, more lucrative deal to stay in Vancouver.
"We don't feel it's right to have somebody here that may have his mind somewhere else," Rutherford said, according to Sportsnet. "I'd say that about anybody, this is not just about (Tocchet). ... We're hoping that he takes that contract and stays."
Rutherford also said Abbotsford Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra will "certainly be on the short list" to replace Tocchet, according to The Athletic's Harman Dayal.
The executive added that former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan doesn't want to leave the East.
Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2024, leading the team to a Pacific Division title with a 50-23-9 record.
Things took a turn for the worse in 2024-25. In a season full of distractions and drama with the feud between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, the Canucks missed the playoffs entirely with a 38-30-14 record.
"I'm choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks," Tocchet said. "Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes the opportune time. While I don't know where I'm headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities in and around hockey."
The Canucks now have the league's eighth head coaching vacancy, joining the Flyers, Penguins, Bruins, Kraken, Blackhawks, Ducks, and Rangers.
Tocchet played for three of those teams: the Flyers, Penguins, and Bruins. He won Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh as a player (1992) and as an assistant coach (2016, 2017).
The 61-year-old also served as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons (2008-10) and Arizona Coyotes for four seasons (2017-21). He owns a career head coaching record of 286-265-87 for a .516 points percentage.
The Canucks are searching for their sixth head coach since Alain Vigneault's successful seven-year run from 2006-13.