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Vancouver Canucks' President Jim Rutherford "Disappointed" in Rick Tocchet's Actions
Photo credit: NHL
Vancouver Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford expressed his disappointment on Tuesday afternoon over Rick Tocchet's decision to leave.
In the past few weeks, the Vancouver Canucks' management group did all they could to keep Rick Tocchet around and even offered him a massive contract that would've made him the highest-paid coach in franchise history.
However, on Tuesday afternoon, it was revealed by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman that Rick Tocchet would not be returning as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks and will now seek opportunities elsewhere.
Jim Rutherford says he's disappointed over Rick Tocchet's decision
Shortly after Elliotte Friedman's report, the Vancouver Canucks confirmed the news that Rick Tocchet has decided to leave the organization.
"The Vancouver Canucks announced today that Rick Tocchet has decided not to return as Head Coach for the upcoming season. After thoughtful discussions with the team and management, Tocchet has opted to step away from his role, concluding his tenure with the Canucks." the Canucks said.
Jim Rutherford, the Vancouver Canucks' President of Hockey Operations, commented on the news in the team's press release and said that he was disappointed by Rick Tocchet's decision.
Rutherford added that it was a very long process and that while they're disappointed, they respect Rick Tocchet's decision to move onto a new chapter in his career as a coach in the National Hockey League and thanked him for the work he did for the Vancouver Canucks.
"After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks. This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick's decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career. We did everything in our power to keep him, but at the end of the day Rick felt he needed a change. He is a good friend, a good coach, and we can't thank him enough for all he did for our organization. Toc is a stand-up guy, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward." Jim Rutherford said.
Tocchet, a native of Scarborough, Ontario, finishes his tenure with the Vancouver Canucks with a record of 108-65-27 in 200 games behind the bench.
His 108 wins are seventh-most in Vancouver Canucks franchise history, with Alain Vigneault, Marc Crawford, Harry Neale, Pat Quinn, Travis Green and Willie Desjardins as the only names ahead of him.
Vancouver will now being a search for their next head coach and will be competing for potential candidates with seven other teams in the National Hockey League who are in the same position.
Source: Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks Announce Rick Tocchet Will Not Return as Head Coach
Vancouver Canucks Announce Rick Tocchet Will Not Return as Head Coach
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 29 | 1074 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks' President Jim Rutherford "Disappointed" in Rick Tocchet's Actions Do you agree with Jim Rutherford that it's disappointing Rick Tocchet decided to leave? | ||
| Yes | 884 | 82.3 % |
| No, the team needs a new voice behind the bench | 190 | 17.7 % |
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