Canucks tap Rick Tocchet to replace fired coach Bruce Boudreau

The Vancouver Canucks have fired head coach Bruce Boudreau amid one other disappointing season and have changed him with veteran NHL participant and coach, Rick Tocchet.

The staff introduced the change Sunday, lower than every week since president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford stated ‘main surgical procedure’ was wanted to repair the Canucks, who’ve solely made the playoffs as soon as up to now eight years. Vancouver has misplaced 28 of 46 video games this season.

‘This was not a simple resolution to make however one which we felt was essential for this franchise,’ common supervisor Patrik Allvin stated in a press release thanking Boudreau for his contributions.

Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet, left, and common supervisor Patrik Allvin hear throughout a news convention after the NHL hockey staff introduced Tocchet’s hiring in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunda

The Vancouver Canucks have fired head coach Bruce Boudreau amid one other disappointing season and have changed him with veteran NHL participant and coach, Rick Tocchet

Boudreau waved to the group after the Canucks’ newest defeat Saturday evening, their third up to now 4 video games. Chants of ‘Bruce, there it’s!’ to the tune of Tag Team’s ‘Whoomp! (There It Is)’ echoed across the enviornment as a tribute to the well-respected 68-year-old hockey lifer who ranks among the many prime regular-season coaches in NHL historical past.

He’s the second coach Vancouver has fired in beneath 14 months. Boudreau took over in December 2021 when earlier coach Travis Green and common supervisor Jim Benning have been let go 25 video games into final season.

Assistant Trent Cull was additionally relieved of his duties, the staff stated Sunday. Adam Foote was named as an assistant and Sergei Gonchar a defensive growth coach on Tocchet’s workers.

Tocchet beforehand coached the Tampa Bay Lightning for components of two seasons from 2008-10 and the Arizona Coyotes for 4 years from 2017-21. He gained the Stanley Cup as a participant with the Pittsburgh Penguins after which twice as an assistant for them.

‘Rick Tocchet brings a wealth of data to this staff from each a coach and participant perspective,’ Allvin stated. ‘He has had greater than twenty years of teaching expertise, guiding groups of assorted types.’

Head coach Bruce Boudreau of the Vancouver Canucks seems to be on from the bench throughout their NHL sport in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena January 21, 2023 in Vancouver

The Canucks have missed the playoffs the previous two seasons since reaching the second spherical within the COVID-19 bubble in 2020.

Boudreau was together with his fourth NHL group after stints with Washington, Anaheim and Minnesota. He gained the Jack Adams Award as coach of the 12 months in 2007-08 when he was elevated from the minors to coach the Capitals on Thanksgiving and received them to the playoffs.

Teams coached by Boudreau for a full season have made the playoffs 9 out of 10 occasions. His .626 factors share ranks fourth amongst coaches with no less than 500 video games behind the bench, and his 617 wins are tied for twentieth in league historical past.

But a Canucks staff in disarray didn’t give him a lot of an opportunity to hold that success going. Rutherford in a news convention Monday stated large modifications could be coming within the offseason, citing the necessity for the staff to get youthful.

They may occur earlier than that, particularly with captain Bo Horvat unsigned past this season and attracting consideration forward of the March 3 commerce deadline.

Boudreau was together with his fourth NHL group after stints with Washington, Anaheim and Minnesota. He gained the Jack Adams Award as coach of the 12 months in 2007-08 when he was elevated from the minors to coach the Capitals on Thanksgiving and received them to the playoffs