Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet remains in limbo as the team ponders its next move regarding a contract extension for their Jack Adams-winning bench boss.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Canucks would much rather not pick up Tocchet’s option for next season. The club would, instead, prefer to sign him to a long-term extension.
But as Friedman stated in the April 28 edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the holdup isn’t related to anything about the contract itself. Tocchet’s uncertainty stems from the team’s lack of a practice facility.
The Canucks have lost access to their usual training facility due to the PWHL granting a franchise to Vancouver. As a result, the new PWHL franchise is expected to play out of its own facility in the Pacific Coliseum which includes a practice facility.
Meanwhile, the Canucks won’t have their own practice facility, leaving them dependent on public rinks if they can’t secure a permanent location for the club heading into next year.
As Friedman noted:
“I would understand that. I think if you’re the one team that doesn’t have one and the nights where your main rink is not available, and you kind of have to go into a public rink. It’s a little bit different. I could see why that would drive a coach crazy.”
Canucks President Jim Rutherford has stated that the Canucks will secure a permanent practice facility with the amenities the team requires. But until that’s the case, it seems Tocchet and Canucks will be at a stalemate.
Canucks’ Rick Tocchet looking to move into the upper echelon of NHL coaches
A piece in The Province published on April 28 explored the main issues keeping Rick Toccet from signing an extension with the Vancouver Canucks. While the practice rink issue is certainly a main factor, there are also other factors the Jack Adams winner has taken into consideration.
As The Province notes, Rick Tocchet is looking to move into the “upper echelon” of NHL coaches, in particular, coaches such as Jared Bednar and John Cooper who make close to or in excess of $5 million per season.
While the Canucks may be willing to pony up the money for Tocchet, the aforementioned coaches have something that Tocchet doesn’t: A Stanley Cup.
That is why the article The Province asserts that Tocchet could be looking for a deal similar to the one Craig Berube got from the Toronto Maple Leafs, that is, a deal worth $4.5 million annually.
It remains to be seen if the practice rink issue is significant enough to keep Rick Tocchet from signing long-term with the Canucks or if solid financial terms can offset the problems stemming from the rink issues.
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Edited by Nestor Quixtan
