Firm, but fair.
That’s what Vancouver Canucks players can expect from head coach Rick Tocchet when training camp begins on Thursday morning in Penticton. Tocchet says he won’t be trying to bludgeon players or overload them with information. The coach says he has a well-thought-out plan for camp that will involve different themes each day to keep the players engaged.
“I’m not here to kill the guys,” Tocchet said as he addressed the media on the concourse at the South Okanagan Events Centre. “Our coaches, we’re not drill sergeants. The guys know that. We educate the players on this camp and yeah, they have to work hard and we want guys to bust their asses. There’s a reason why we do these things. We’re not doing mountains back and forth for half an hour. I don’t believe in that stuff and I think the players respect that. There’s a partnership with the coaches. And they’ve (the players) have shared some stuff over the summer. We’re a bunch of teachers out there. We’ve got the Twins, we just hired Manny Malhotra – smart guy, obviously Footy did a hell of a job last year, Yogi just got promoted, he’s been incredible all summer. For me, this camp is about learning from last year and working on our weaknesses, but also working on our strengths.”
One of the things Tocchet revealed was that he would keep JT Miller and Brock Boeser together early in camp and would pair Elias Pettersson with newcomer Jake DeBrusk as expected. He also says he plans to use the versatile Pius Suter as a centre this season and as such should expect to see him line-up that way from day one of camp.
Tocchet also pulled back the curtain on his camp plans a little by telling the media he would start work on special teams earlier than he has in past camps.
“We’ll probably dive into special teams a little bit earlier than I think other teams,” Tocchet said. “A lot of guys are excited about that. I know Millsy was excited about that. I think that’s important. Even though we’ve got a lot of guys in camp I think it’s important.”
While Tocchet is in charge, he will lean heavily on his coaching staff over the three days of drills ahead of Sunday’s camp finale scrimmage. But he insists the flow of information won’t – and can’t – be a one-way street.
“I really want to see our leaders especially from the first drill takeover and set the pace,” Tocchet explained. “Last year they did a pretty good job, but I think there is another level there. So I need them to do that. We spent a lot of time as coaches with reasons why we’re doing these types of drills to make our team better. So I talked to some of the veterans (and said) ‘hey I need you to be ready from the first drill.’
The Canucks announced on Tuesday that Dakota Joshua would be unavailable for camp and on Wednesday added Teddy Blueger, Thatcher Demko and Cole McWard to that list. That will complicate matters to some degree for Tocchet, but at the same time will present terrific opportunities for others to fill those roles.
Tocchet knows the market has an insatiable appetite for any morsel of Canucks line-up news, but the coach was quick to caution that fans and the media should be careful leaping to any conclusions based on what they see on the first day of camp.
“When you fill a line-up out for Day 1, you can’t really read into it too much because I’m going to switch some things,” he said. “I rely on Patrick and Jim and some of the other guys ‘hey, maybe give this guy a chance here.’ Nothing is set in stone. I think it’s important that you have different puzzles at different times. I wouldn’t read too much into the start.”
One area of the game Tocchet wants to attack early in camp is generating offence off the rush. The coach has said in various interviews through the off-season that he recognizes the Canucks need to do more with their possession in the offensive zone this season.
To that end, look for the Canucks to work on their transition game at camp. Probably starting with their first on-ice sessions.
“It’s not like brain surgery or trying to reinvent the wheel, but there is stuff especially off the rush or off our breakouts where we can attack better,” Tocchet said. “We’ve done a good dive into it. We’ve got some good video. We’ve got some good drills for the players. I think if we get our D up into the play a little bit more – not just Hughes – that will help. But our breakouts are really good, but sometimes we play a little bit safer. Guys are content chipping the puck in. But I think there are more weak side plays for us. And that’s on me to get the players to do that and give them a playbook when it comes to that. I expect a lot of myself to get some of this information to these guys especially early so we can apply it and do a lot of reps with it.”
On the eve of training camp, the coach seemed relaxed as he discussed his plans for the team’s brief stay in Penticton. On Thursday, Rick Tocchet’s intensity is bound to pick up. And he’s certainly expecting that the players will hit the ice ready to set the tone for the days – and the season – ahead.
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