How much money Rick Tocchet turned down from the Vancouver Canucks
Rick Tocchet’s departure from the Vancouver Canucks reportedly didn’t come down to money.
After winning the Jack Adams Award last year, there was no doubt Tocchet’s next deal was going to be costly. He did some great work during his time in Vancouver and was in line to earn a significant raise.
The Canucks stepped up to the plate, offering Tocchet a $25 million contact over five years per CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on Donnie & Dhali. That still wasn’t enough to finalize a deal.
“It wasn’t about money or term or a counteroffer being met,” reported The Athletic’s Thomas Drance.
That $5 million per-season price tag would’ve made Tocchet one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. He made just over half that number last season at $2.75 million, and there are just two coaches, Jon Cooper and Mike Sullivan, who are confirmed to make $5 million or more per season. Both Cooper and Sullivan have won multiple Stanley Cups as head coaches.
“[The Canucks stepped up],” added Tocchet’s agent Steve Mountain on Donnie & Dhali. “The Canucks were terrific in this… these guys really did extend themselves. It would be unfair to suggest that Vancouver didn’t make Rick feel completely wanted. That would not be fair.”
Tocchet’s decision seems to be motivated by other factors, including a desire to be closer to family on the East Coast. There are also some job openings in that area, which are surely attractive, including head coaching positions with the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers.
This was a long year for the Canucks filled with drama at every turn. That seemingly also had an impact on Tocchet, who had to deal with the J.T. Miller-Elias Pettersson feud, a constantly injured roster, and other storylines while facing the media day after day.
It’s telling that Tocchet said he couldn’t go to this year’s World Championship because he couldn’t give Canada the best version of himself. He called it “a long year,” and the grind was likely difficult for him.
Tocchet will almost surely be coaching in the NHL next year, just not for the Canucks. He made the decision to move on and from all reports, it seems that was personal and not because the Canucks wouldn’t give him the offer he wanted.