He left it for an uncomfortable and uncertain future as head coach in a hockey-mad Vancouver market where every decision and every loss are analyzed in minute detail.
What was he thinking?
Canucks ownership is impatient. It wants to win now. Fans are frenetic. Social media is their platform to launch bombs.
Did Tocchet really need this? Absolutely.
The fire still burned in the belly of the hockey-lifer because previous head-coaching adventures in Tampa Bay and Arizona resulted in one playoff appearance in six seasons. And that was one round in the 2020 bubble.
Fast forward and the results in Vancouver have been remarkable.
On Friday, Tocchet was named one of three finalists for the Jack Adams Award as the top NHL bench boss this season.
He’s joined by Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets and Adam Brunette of the Nashville Predators.
The late Pat Quinn (1992) and Alain Vigneault (2007) are the only Canucks coaches to have captured the prestigious award.
“It’s an organizational award (nomination) for me,” said Tocchet. “It’s the GM, the ownership, the assistant coaches and the players. I’m just a piece of the puzzle. I have a huge support group that helps me.
“That’s the way I look at it and, honestly, I’m just focused on the game tonight.”
