Tocchet downplays Pettersson comment, offers warning to Canucks media
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet wasn’t thrilled with the way his recent comments about Elias Pettersson were portrayed.
Following a 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, Tocchet had some constructive feedback for the superstar forward.
“Yeah, I haven’t liked his game in the last 3-4 games. We gotta get him going,” the head coach said to reporters postgame. “I think he’s gotta skate. I think he’s gotta start skating a little bit. I think he’s good with the moves sometimes, but I think when you have speed and you make those moves, that’s when he’s at his best.”
In a market like Vancouver, those comments are going to get attention. When this morning rolled around, Tocchet was asked about the reaction that his criticism may have caused. He expressed his displeasure with how the conversation was framed.
“The article I blasted him, that’s you guys,” the head coach said to the media after practice on Thursday. “What do you guys want me to say? If Hoggy has a bad game, a couple bad games, I say it but it’s not in the paper. Petey’s a big man.”
“He had a tough night skating-wise, I thought. It’s over with, he played 21 minutes. He’s not on the end of the bench. We’re taking this to a different level.”
Pettersson finished the night with zero points as the Canucks lost for just the second time in the last 10 games. They earned a single point in both defeats.
“It’s not ‘Tocchet has a problem with Pettersson,'” continued the head coach. “You asked me a question, ‘who was good, who was bad?’ I gotta be careful because if you guys are going to ask me questions now about a player, I’m gonna say ‘no comment.’ I’ll let you guys analyze it, so you guys gotta be careful.”
“He’s out there smiling, it’s not a big deal. Maybe it’s a story that we’re winning a lot and we’re looking for negativity.”
Indeed, there have not been many negative stories to write in the Vancouver market this season. The Canucks are first place in the NHL and seem destined to host their first playoff game at Rogers Arena since 2015.
“Not to blast you guys, it’s just frustrating because it’s all over the internet: ‘Tocchet blasts Pettersson.’ I don’t know how I blasted him, I just said he had a tough night,” the coach finished with.
Tocchet wasn’t the only one expressing this morning that there’s no issue here. The high-scoring forward also told the media that he was open to feedback from his head coach.
“We play a professional game,” Pettersson said after practice on Thursday. “Coach wants more of me, I’m going to try and do a better job next game.”
The 25-year-old centreman was shoved to the ground in a controversial play right before the Blues scored the game-winning goal. No matter what happened on that play, he wasn’t happy with his performance in the extra frame.
“I had two turnovers to get them the puck back when we had the puck on three-on-three. Whether it’s a non-call or not, it’s not up to me. I can do a better job before that.”
In 12 games this month, the Swedish centreman has 12 goals and 18 points. He’s off to Toronto to represent the Canucks at the NHL All-Star Game next weekend.
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