<p>According to Sportsnet&#8217;s Elliotte Friedman, it sounds like the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Vancouver Canucks</a> will be searching for a new bench boss coming for the 2025-2026 season.</p>
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<p>Friedman said he&#8217;s hearing as of Tuesday afternoon that Rick Tocchet will not be returning as head coach of the Canucks.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">There is word this afternoon that Rick Tocchet will not be returning as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. </p>
<p>Believe there will be a full statement with his rationale in the next little while&#8230;but add Vancouver to the teams looking for a new bench boss.</p>
<p>&mdash; Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) <a href="https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1917300474975486102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Tocchet was hired by the Canucks on January 22, 2023, replacing Bruce Boudreau. During his two and a half seasons in Vancouver, Tocchet took the Canucks to a 108-65-27 record, including their first Pacific Division title in 2023-2024. This was the only season the Canucks earned a post season berth, where they took the eventual Western Conference Champions (Edmonton Oilers) to Game 7, falling just one goal short.</p>
<p>After Tocchet took to the Canucks to their first playoff appearance since the 2020 bubble playoffs, he was recognized on the national scale for his efforts by winning the Jack Adams Award in 2023-2024.</p>
<p>In that same season, Tocchet coached <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/quinn-hughes-big-vote-confidence-vancouver-canucks-coaches-rick-tocchet-adam-foote">Quinn Hughes</a> to the franchise&#8217;s first Norris trophy as the league&#8217;s best defenceman. The Canucks captain had high praise regarding Tocchet and his coaching staff late in the season in an interview with Sportsnet&#8217;s <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/hughes-feeling-weight-of-canucks-season-this-year-has-been-hard/">Iain MacIntyre:</a></p>
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<div class="mb-5">“I believe that with Rick and Footy (assistant coach Adam Foote) and the way that they coach and structuring how we are defensively,” Hughes said, “if we add another player or two and have some guys within our group play better next year than they did this past season, I think we can be a really, really successful team. We’re very structured, we don’t give up much, we have maybe the best goalie tandem in the league, and we have a great D-corps and others that are coming that will help us. The point is, if we get Rick back and add a piece or two, we can be very successful.</div>
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<div class="mb-5">“He’s an amazing coach,” Hughes said. “You look at me individually and my game, he’s been amazing for me — amazing for a lot of guys. He’s just a great person, first of all. That’s a guy you want to compete for, you want to play for. And he’s a terrific coach.</div>
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<div>“I think just the way Rick coaches, how solid we are defensively and structured, he gives us the chance to win every night. At times (with injuries this season), we might have been a little outmatched. But I think he’s a terrific coach. Last year, he won the Jack Adams Award, and this year, I think he’s probably been even better. But whatever he does, it’s his decision. Obviously, I’d like to have him back. And I think he knows that.”</div>
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<p>There are a few high-profile candidates to be Tocchet&#8217;s successor, highlighted by former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-notebook-pittsburgh-penguins-mike-sullivan-part-ways-thats-interesting-for-vancouver-canucks">Mike Sullivan</a> – who has ties to the city of Vancouver and Canucks management Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford.</p>
<p><a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/friedman-vancouver-canucks-rick-tocchet-met-friday-night-lack-practice-facility-bothering-tocchet">Reports on Monday</a> indicated that the issues between the coach and the team stemmed from the contract, a lack of a practice facility, and the uncertain future of Quinn Hughes. While there has been no announcement from the team regarding the matter, it appears these decisions played into Rick Tocchet not returning as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.</p>
<p>The Canucks now join the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Piitsburgh Penguins, and the Seattle Kraken who&#8217;re all looking for new bench bosses next season.</p>


According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, it sounds like the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Vancouver Canucks</a> will be searching for a new bench boss coming for the 2025-2026 season.
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Friedman said he's hearing as of Tuesday afternoon that Rick Tocchet will not be returning as head coach of the Canucks.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1917300474975486102

Tocchet was hired by the Canucks on January 22, 2023, replacing Bruce Boudreau. During his two and a half seasons in Vancouver, Tocchet took the Canucks to a 108-65-27 record, including their first Pacific Division title in 2023-2024. This was the only season the Canucks earned a post season berth, where they took the eventual Western Conference Champions (Edmonton Oilers) to Game 7, falling just one goal short.

After Tocchet took to the Canucks to their first playoff appearance since the 2020 bubble playoffs, he was recognized on the national scale for his efforts by winning the Jack Adams Award in 2023-2024.

In that same season, Tocchet coached <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/quinn-hughes-big-vote-confidence-vancouver-canucks-coaches-rick-tocchet-adam-foote">Quinn Hughes</a> to the franchise's first Norris trophy as the league's best defenceman. The Canucks captain had high praise regarding Tocchet and his coaching staff late in the season in an interview with Sportsnet's <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/hughes-feeling-weight-of-canucks-season-this-year-has-been-hard/">Iain MacIntyre:</a>
<blockquote>
<div class="mb-5">“I believe that with Rick and Footy (assistant coach Adam Foote) and the way that they coach and structuring how we are defensively,” Hughes said, “if we add another player or two and have some guys within our group play better next year than they did this past season, I think we can be a really, really successful team. We’re very structured, we don’t give up much, we have maybe the best goalie tandem in the league, and we have a great D-corps and others that are coming that will help us. The point is, if we get Rick back and add a piece or two, we can be very successful.</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<div class="mb-5">“He’s an amazing coach,” Hughes said. “You look at me individually and my game, he’s been amazing for me — amazing for a lot of guys. He’s just a great person, first of all. That’s a guy you want to compete for, you want to play for. And he’s a terrific coach.</div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>“I think just the way Rick coaches, how solid we are defensively and structured, he gives us the chance to win every night. At times (with injuries this season), we might have been a little outmatched. But I think he’s a terrific coach. Last year, he won the Jack Adams Award, and this year, I think he’s probably been even better. But whatever he does, it’s his decision. Obviously, I’d like to have him back. And I think he knows that.”</div></blockquote>
There are a few high-profile candidates to be Tocchet's successor, highlighted by former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-notebook-pittsburgh-penguins-mike-sullivan-part-ways-thats-interesting-for-vancouver-canucks">Mike Sullivan</a> – who has ties to the city of Vancouver and Canucks management Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford.

<a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/friedman-vancouver-canucks-rick-tocchet-met-friday-night-lack-practice-facility-bothering-tocchet">Reports on Monday</a> indicated that the issues between the coach and the team stemmed from the contract, a lack of a practice facility, and the uncertain future of Quinn Hughes. While there has been no announcement from the team regarding the matter, it appears these decisions played into Rick Tocchet not returning as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks now join the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Piitsburgh Penguins, and the Seattle Kraken who're all looking for new bench bosses next season.

Rick Tocchet will not be returning to the Canucks: report

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