It’s fitting that we’re highlighting this major Canucks story of 2025 today, as Rick Tocchet’s Philadelphia Flyers get set to hit Rogers Arena on Tuesday night. While the Flyers and Canucks faced off before the Christmas break, Tuesday night’s contest will mark Tocchet’s first game back at Rogers Arena since announcing he wouldn’t be returning to the club over the offseason.

Be honest. Did you think Tocchet would leave? Personally, I grew skeptical over time, especially after he was rather noncommittal in his end-of-season media availability, but I still thought there was a good chance he’d stay, especially when word got out of the kind of big money the Canucks were offering him. The contract the Canucks tabled to Tocchet would have made him the highest-paid head coach in franchise history, and would put him at the upper echelon of NHL coaching salaries. Thankfully for Tocchet, the Flyers offered him similar money, and he was able to head back to the city he called home for much of his NHL playing career.

While some blame certainly was aimed in Tocchet’s direction for the Canucks’ lacklustre 2024-25 season — in particular their inability to score goals — his influence in helping the Canucks win the Pacific Division in 2023-24 is undeniable. Naturally, his departure left much of the fanbase feeling concerned about what the Canucks would do without him. This story was our fourth-most-read Canucks news story of the calendar year. Here’s what Tocchet said at the time of his departure.

“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks. Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes the opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities in and around hockey. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the entire Vancouver Canucks organization, starting with Francesco and Luigi Aquilini, Jim Rutherford, and Patrik Allvin. It’s been a pleasure and great learning experience to work with you all. To the players – thank you. Regardless of our results, I always felt your heart and effort was there. I was honoured to be your coach. To the coaching staff and support staff – you guys are first class, and you made it easy and enjoyable to come to work every day. Thank you for everything you give to help make the team a success. To the media, I appreciate your work and your diligence, your easy – and your difficult – questions. You guys do a great job, thank you. And to the Canucks fans – your infectious spirit, loyal commitment and will to win kept me and the entire team on our toes. I appreciate how you have made yourselves a driving force in the Canucks community. I’ve enjoyed my time here, and I wish everyone the best.”

While Tocchet remained a free agent for a little while, he was introduced as the Flyers’ next head coach just two weeks after announcing his departure from the Canucks. Tocchet has turned around the Flyers this season, as Philadelphia sits second in the Metropolitan Division, just two points back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes.

Check out our other top 10 stories of 2026 so far!
#10 – Canucks sign Garland and Demko to contract extensions on day one of free agency
#9 – When Rutherford hinted at trading for Jack and Luke Hughes to keep Quinn in Vancouver
#8 – Canucks select Braeden Cootes with 15th overall pick of 2025 NHL Draft
#7 – Brock Boeser details Allvin’s last-minute phone call that kept him in Vancouver
#6 – When Rick Tocchet was brutally honest about JT Miller’s poor play
#5 – When Brian Burke offered his thoughts on Elias Pettersson and JT Miller
#4 – When Rick Tocchet announced he was leaving the Canucks