Rick Tocchet awkwardly addresses Canucks coaching future on TNT
Well, this is awkward. With reports that he has essentially already been hired to be the Vancouver Canucks’ next head coach, Rick Tocchet went to work at his current place of employment today.
A former head coach with the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning, Tocchet is a studio analyst on TNT’s NHL coverage.
For now.
Sitting next to former Canucks winger Anson Carter, the TNT panelists took turns having fun at Tocchet’s expense, joking that they were surprised to see him there.
“Listen, I haven’t signed any contract,” said Tocchet, which may have been semantics.
“I’ve known Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin for a lot of years. I have talked to them, but I’ve talked to them for years about everything… But I’m here.”
Rick Tocchet on the Canucks coaching job pic.twitter.com/P8NBkLWNLL
— Mike Martignago (@MikeMartignago) January 19, 2023
Tocchet was an assistant coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2014 to 2017, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 with Rutherford and Allvin.
There are rumours that Tocchet has to give four weeks notice to TNT before leaving, which could explain the state of limbo he and the Canucks find themselves in at the moment.
Rutherford didn’t exactly give Bruce Boudreau a vote of confidence during Monday’s press conference, saying “Bruce is our coach now.” He proceeded to admit that he has called around at various points, looking into potential replacements.
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