Breaking: Rick Tocchet to return to Canucks next season
The latest from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
According to a report from Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, Rick Tocchet will return to the Vancouver Canucks next season, with or without a new contract.
Friedman himself reported this past weekend that the Canucks have made a contract offer to Tocchet that was rejected but that the team fully expects to bring him back for next season. Tocchet's guaranteed contract expires this upcoming offseason but the team holds an option to bring him back for 2025-26 and Friedman reports that the Canucks intend on picking up the option.
From Friedman's most recent column for Sportsnet today:
Over the past few weeks, the Vancouver Canucks — particularly GM Patrik Allvin — have made it very clear they want Rick Tocchet to return.
The guaranteed portion of the coach’s contract expires June 30, but there is a team option for 2025-26. According to several sources, the Canucks are indicating that if Tocchet is coaching next season, it will be in Vancouver on his club option or with an extension.
Their goal is to extend him, but they will exercise the option if it is necessary.
Just last week Tocchet told Vancouver's Sportsnet 650 radio station that he's not currently interested in negotiating a new contract.
"I am so dialed in on (making the playoffs) that I really don't want to make it about me right now,” he said at the time.
With the Philadelphia Flyers now without a coach and with Tocchet's history with the Flyers organization there are rumors that Flyers GM Daniel Briere will make Tocchet an offer if available this summer. It appears though that the Canucks won't make Tocchet available and they'll work to extend him while exercising their team option on next season.
