Conor Garland Gets Honest About Rick Tocchet's Decision to Leave the Vancouver Canucks
Photo credit: ESPN
Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland gave an interview this week where he opened up about his now former head coach, Rick Tocchet, leaving the organization.
After parts of three seasons as the bench boss of the Vancouver Canucks, Rick Tocchet decided it was time to leave to pursue a new opportunity and turned down a contract extension that would've made him the highest paid coach in franchise history.
During his time as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, Rick Tocchet had a positive impact on a number of players, including Conor Garland, who he knew from his time as bench boss of the Arizona Coyotes.
Conor Garland speaks about Rick Tocchet's departure from Vancouver Canucks
A little over a week ago during an interview with the NHL Network, Conor Garland opened up about Rick Tocchet's decision to leave, where he shared how grateful he to have him as his head coach in both Arizona and Vancouver.
"I was very fortunate to have him. I was a young player, I really didn't understand the details of the game and what it took to win. I was more just relying on scoring and producing points, and he taught me the other side of the game and really filled out the rest of my game. I'll be forever grateful for that." Garland said.
During some free time while at the at the 2025 IIHF World Championship with the United States, Garland spoke with Donnie & Dhali and he was asked if he was surprised that Rick Tocchet left he Canucks.
"Well, I don't know. Tocc's a guy that you have to earn your minutes for, so to speak on that, I just think a coach like that is going to be playing guys who are going and I tried to be going each and every night." Garland said.
He added, "Obviously I was disappointed when I found out. Rick's someone who helped me when I came into the league as a young kid. Helped form my game.
I was a big point producer in junior, but I didn't understand the other side of the game, so to have him was so big for me at a young age and having him later on was awesome, a great experience and whichever team that gets him is going to be a very lucky club."
He added, "Obviously I was disappointed when I found out. Rick's someone who helped me when I came into the league as a young kid. Helped form my game.
I was a big point producer in junior, but I didn't understand the other side of the game, so to have him was so big for me at a young age and having him later on was awesome, a great experience and whichever team that gets him is going to be a very lucky club."
Garland, 29, had Rick Tocchet as his head coach for six of his seven seasons in the National Hockey League and it's going to be quite interesting to see how he performs under a new bench boss and what his role might be.
Regardless of who the next head coach is, Rick Tocchet seemed to find a perfect spot for Conor Garland in this lineup, on the third line, sometimes the second, while featuring on the team's second powerplay unit and hopefully, that doesn't change.
| POLL | ||
MAI 13 | 897 ANSWERS Conor Garland Gets Honest About Rick Tocchet's Decision to Leave the Vancouver Canucks Do you think Conor Garland will see his role/usage change under the Vancouver Canucks' next head coach? | ||
| Yes | 301 | 33.6 % |
| No, they should keep him in the same role | 596 | 66.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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