Flyers
Canucks: “We Don’t Feel It’s Right It’s Right to Have Somebody Here That May Have His Mind Somewhere Else”, Decline Rick Tocchet’s Option with Speculation of Philadelphia Flyers Return
Mike Lipinski has been covering Philadelphia sports since 2005. Previous stops include Section 247 Sports, My MMA News, and more. He has been a part of the Sports Talk Philly team since 2019. He is the editor of Philadelphia Phillies content, co-editor for college football covering mainly the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and dabbles in all other sports. Follow him on social media channels -Twitter & Threads- @TheMikeLipinski
All posts by Mike LipinskiPublished21 Apr 2025
The Vancouver Canucks will not exercise their option on head coach Rick Tocchet, team president of hockey operations and general manager Jim Rutherford announced on Monday afternoon.
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The Vancouver Canucks WILL NOT exercise their option on coach Rick Tocchet…#NHL #Flyers #Canucks
— Sports Talk Philly (@sportstalkphl) April 21, 2025
The announcement comes after months of speculation in the Pacific Northwest about the status of the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award winning head coach.
The 60-year-old NHL veteran took over the Canucks midway through the 2023-24 for legendary head coach Bruce Boudreau. In his first full season behind the bench in Vancouver, the Canucks amassed 109-points and won the NHL’s Pacific Division for the first time in a decade plus before being eliminated in the second round by Edmonton. Hope was high in British Columbia heading into the 2024-25 season, however, the Canucks struggled going 38-30-14 and were eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention on April 9.
Despite the slide back, the organization was all in on Tocchet as their head coach. According to TSN’s Elliotte Friedman, the Canucks offered Tocchet a “massive” contract extension in late March which the bench boss did not take.
The lack of movement on Tocchet’s contract extension in Vancouver coincided with the Philadelphia Flyers decision to fire head coach John Tortorella. Tortorella’s dismissal and the lack of an extension in Vancouver led to speculation that Tocchet was on the short list to become the next head coach of the Flyers.
Still, as of a few days ago, Rutherford and the Canucks’ brass were ready to offer Tocchet another contract – reportedly more lucrative than the late-March offer – or exercise his option in an effort to keep him in Vancouver for at least one more year. While there’s still a chance Tocchet remains behind the bench in Vancouver, it was a quote from Rutherford that says otherwise.
While praising the work Tocchet and his staff have done over the past few seasons, Rutherford touched on why they didn’t pick up the option stating the organization didn’t: “feel it’s right have somebody here that may have his mind somewhere else.”
Time will tell if “somewhere” else is Philadelphia.
