Rick Tocchet's Former Team Officially Emerges as Prime Landing Spot
Photo credit: NHL.com
One of Rick Tocchet's former teams during his playing days in the National Hockey League has emerged as a potential landing spot for him ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet is going to be highly sought after in the weeks ahead as teams around the NHL with coaching vacancies try to finalize their respective benches for next year.
Tocchet, who left the Vancouver Canucks in late April, is reportedly top target for the Boston Bruins, spoke with the Anaheim Ducks and also reportedly interviewed with the Seattle Kraken this week.
Rick Tocchet's former team emerges as potential landing spot
Almost immediately after the Philadelphia Flyers parted ways with John Tortorella in March, Rick Tocchet was mentioned as the most ideal candidate to take over behind the bench for the club he spent parts of 11 seasons with in the NHL.
While the Philadelphia Flyers could still very well be in the mix for Rick Tocchet's services, it looks like another Eastern Conference team could be interested in him to be their next head coach.
In a recent article on The Athletic, Josh Yohe suggests that Rick Tocchet is exactly the head coach the Pittsburgh Penguins need right now.
Tocchet spent parts of three seasons as a player for the Pittsburgh Penguins and three seasons assistant coach with them from 2014-15 to 2016-17, winning three Stanley Cups in total.
Yohe says that he's never heard Sidney Crosby talk so highly of any other coach than Rick Tocchet and that the former Canucks bench boss' defensive system is something the Pittsburgh Penguins need, along with some toughness - mentally and physically.
"Tocchet believes in more defensive responsibility than the Penguins have shown in recent years. They badly need this. After the season, Crosby spoke at length about the Penguins needing to be better defensively. I don't recall him ever bringing it up before, and certainly not with this kind of conviction." Yohe said.
Given Rick Tocchet's history with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and that he's well-liked by remaining members of the core from his time there as an assistant coach, it wouldn't come as a shock to anyone if that's where he ends up this summer.
Previously on CanucksDaily
| POLL | ||
MAI 10 | 1018 ANSWERS Rick Tocchet's Former Team Officially Emerges as Prime Landing Spot Which team do you think would be the best fit for Rick Tocchet? | ||
| Boston Bruins | 210 | 20.6 % |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 633 | 62.2 % |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 175 | 17.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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