According to Elliote Friedman, Rick Tocchet will not be returning to Vancouver.
News of the decision came out Tuesday afternoon, with Tocchet expected to release a full statement and rationale at a later time.
Tocchet had reportedly met with the Canucks’ brass on Friday to discuss his future with the organization.
Among the things discussed were the teams’ lack of a practice facility, an increase in salary and the future of star defenseman Quinn Hughes.
After the meeting, Tocchet had yet to decide what his future holds, whether that be in Vancouver, Philadelphia, or whether or not he would continue coaching.
Rick Tocchet was with the Canucks for three seasons, starting in 2022. He won the Jack Adams Award with the team in the 2023/24 season.
What Does Tocchet’s Departure Mean for the Flyers
Rick Tocchet’s departure from the Canucks means a handful of things for the Flyers and Tocchet’s career.
First of all, it now means that the biggest obstacle in hiring Tocchet is now out of the way. Up to this point, Tocchet was and is still under contract with Vancouver. His deal does not expire until June 30th.
According to Friedman, the Canucks had not given any other team permission to speak with Tocchet. With his decision to leave, that will likely change.
If Tocchet is at the top of the Flyers’ wish list, they’ll likely be able to communicate legally with the Canucks’ former bench boss.
The second thing is maybe Tocchet is just done with coaching. Every rumor circulating had carefully stated that IF he were to continue coaching, it would be Vancouver or Philadelphia. That “IF” implies that he might be considering a different route. That will be cleared up when his rationale is released.
The third thing is speculatory. One major event occurred since Tocchet’s meeting with the Canucks and this news. That would be the Penguins moving on from Mike Sullivan, creating a vacancy in Pittsburgh.
It was not much time, but Tocchet did spend three years in Pittsburgh as a player and three years as an assistant coach. He won a Stanley Cup in Pittsburgh as a player, and two as an assistant coach.
Given his winning history with the organization along with the timing of the announcement, it would be naive to rule Pittsburgh out.
If the Flyers truly have Tocchet at the top of their list, they’ll could only hope the first thing is true.
Only time will tell why Rick Tocchet decided to leave Vancouver.
Read More: Flyers Coaching Tracker: Where Are Things At Right Now?
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