MAJOR | Canucks ownership investing in the team: Tocchet's call for help went through
The Vancouver Canucks are one of two teams that do not have a practice facility to date. The Flames have begun construction on their first practice facility, leaving Vancouver on the hot seat. In late August, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet called out the Vancouver Canucks management in a Sportsnet Q&A for that fact, saying:
"We don't have a practice facility...Rogers Arena was under construction. There's a lot of things that we don't have, so I can't blame the players..."
The Canucks may be getting close to granting their coach's wishes. CanucksArmy reports that Canucks owner, Francisco Aquilini, has been in talks with the Simon Fraser University (SFU) President on a deal that would have SFU host the facility. The value would work for both the school and the team.
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SFU has recently shut down their football program and now may be looking at a D1 hockey team. This would align perfectly for Aquilini and the Canucks. The Canucks have had issues getting a rink because of the high costs of acquiring land in Vancouver. This deal with SFU, which would have each party split the price, would greatly help them financially.
This is not a guaranteed deal by any stretch, and there could be several changes over the next little while, but this is a positive sign for the Canucks. The practice facility would be a welcome addition for the Canucks and especially Tocchet, who has spent much time speaking about the importance of changing the Canucks practice habits. Tocchet mentioned in his introduction as head coach that he wanted to see better patterns from the top guys. He expected Pettersson and Hughes to "set the bar."
When asked about the poor starts the Canucks have had the last few years, and how you avoid it this year in the Q&A, Tocchet said that, among other things, the team needed to use "preparation" to combat the pressure of the season.
The Canucks looking into getting a practice facility seems to be a good start for the coach's preparation plans for the season!
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