Practice facility apparently an issue in Tocchet negotiations with Vancouver Canucks
Contract negotiations between Rick Tocchet and the Vancouver Canucks continue to drag on.
The regular season ended more than two weeks ago, but there has still been little news on Tocchet’s status for next season. Canucks management has said they won’t be exercising the option in Tocchet’s contract, meaning the two sides must agree on a long-term deal to bring him back into the fold.
“They met Friday, and I was told no final decision as of [Sunday afternoon]. I still don’t think this is going to be a very long time,” explained Elliotte Friedman onĀ 32 Thoughts.Ā
While money and the club’s outlook have been widely reported as key issues in negotiations, it appears that another point may be causing some trouble: the lack of a practice facility. The Canucks are the only team in the NHL without at least a plan to build one.
“If you listen to Jim Rutherford’s media conference when he spoke with Patrik Allvin a week ago, he had some interesting comments about their practice facility,” continued Friedman. “Now the Canucks are the one team that doesn’t have one and I understand that one of the reasons Rutherford talked at length about that is because Tocchet brought that up as a thing.”
The Canucks search for a practice facility has been ongoing for more than a decade. There were plans for a building to be developed close to Rogers Arena at the Plaza of Nations, but those fell through in 2021.
The lack of a dedicated practice facility makes it difficult for players to work out and skate in one location, especially when Rogers Arena is hosting other events such as concerts.
Rutherford talked about the ongoing search for a new facility last week and expressed confidence it would happen, although he didn’t give much of a timeline.
“We’re going to get this done,” he said. “Maybe long after I’m here, maybe long after I’m even on this earth, but it’ll get done.”
Rutherford mentioned the Canucks have reached out to local rinks attempting to make a partnership but nothing has come to fruition yet. He called it a “frustrating” situation for everyone.
The practice facility has come under the spotlight again as Elias Pettersson’s preparation for last season has been criticized. The Canucks reportedly wanted him to stay in Vancouver this summer, but with no practice facility, training in the city would be difficult. Pettersson has stuck around for longer than normal before heading back to Sweden.
There are lots of head coaching vacancies around the league that Tocchet might be interested in. The Philadelphia Flyers are searching for a new bench boss, and Tocchet played there for more than a decade. The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins also fired their coaches, and Tocchet could be an attractive option.
If Tocchet does leave, the Canucks will be searching for their fourth head coach in four years. There are some strong replacement candidates on the market, including the recently fired Mike Sullivan.