It’s been a day since the Vancouver Canucks officially confirmed that Rick Tocchet will not be returning with the team next season.
The sting of the announcement is sure to be felt for a while in Vancouver, as it highlights a season of disappointment for the Canucks with the team seemingly lacking a clear direction heading into the off-season.
For the players themselves, there’s a sense of disappointment in losing a coach who was so highly respected by the team. On Wednesday, Conor Garland joined Mike Rupp and Brian Boyle on NHL Network to talk about Tocchet’s departure, and he had nothing but good things to say about the former Vancouver coach en route to his next coaching position.
“Any team that gets him is gonna be very lucky,” Garland said. “A lot of those guys, whether he wins 10 more Jack Adams or doesn’t win another game, those guys will go through a wall for him, he’s that type of coach. Any team will be lucky to have him.”
