HIGHLIGHTS
- Rick Tocchet left Canucks earlier this week
- Tocchet has ties to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
- Read below for the full story
Rick Tocchet decided to not return to the Vancouver Canucks earlier this week, and his coaching services are likely going to be highly sought after this offseason.
A few teams have already reportedly expressed interest in the 61-year-old head coach after his three seasons in Vancouver.
There are plenty of teams seeking a new head coach, and Tocchet is going to be one of the main names on the market.
Let’s take a look at three potential landing spots for Rick Tocchet.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers fired John Tortorella with nine games remaining in the season, giving Brad Shaw a look as the interim head coach. Shaw is one of the names in the running to take over behind the bench, but Tocchet makes sense as a fit as well.
Tocchet played for the Flyers from 1984 until 1992, and finished out his career there from 2000 to 2002 after getting traded by the Phoenix Coyotes. The end of Tocchet’s career coincided with that of Keith Jones, who is currently the Flyers president of hockey operations. He was also a Flyers Postgame Live analyst after his career ended.
The Flyers may be looking for a fresh face behind the bench rather than going with another grizzled veteran, but Tocchet’s ties to Philadelphia make it an obvious possibility.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways with Mike Sullivan after 10 seasons as they enter a bit of a transitional stage. They still have their future Hall of Fame core, but they’re all getting up there in age.
Tocchet was traded from the Flyers to Pittsburgh during the 1991-92 season and played there through the 1993-94 season. Perhaps more importantly, Tocchet was on Pittsburgh’s staff as an assiastant coach when they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, so he already has a relationship with some of those older players.
The former Vancouver coach led the Canucks into the playoffs following a lackluster season, so perhaps he could do the same and guide the ship for a middling Penguins team.
Boston Bruins
Tocchet doesn’t have any direct ties to the Boston Bruins, but it could still be a great fit for both sides.
The Bruins plummeted down the standings this year and ended up with the fifth-worst record. However, they aren’t a typical rebuilding team.
The B’s have a few key pieces in place in goaltender Jeremy Swayman and superstar David Pastrnak. They have to do some work around them, but Tocchet showed he can take a struggling team to the playoffs as he did in his Jack Adams Award-winning season in Vancouver.
It’s been reported that Tocchet wants to head East, and a chance to get the Bruins back on track might appeal to him.
