Canucks fire head coach Bruce Boudreau, hire Rick Tocchet

The Vancouver Canucks finally fired head coach Bruce Boudreau on Sunday and replaced him with Rick Tocchet, a move so widely expected that it had become the worst kept secret in the NHL.

The firing comes one week after Canucks president Jim Rutherford confirmed he had spoken in recent months to potential candidates to replace his coach and makes Boudreau, 68, the first coach to be sacked in the NHL this season.

Also let go by the Canucks was assistant coach Trent Cull.

The Canucks’ handling of the Boudreau saga has been the topic of much criticism throughout the NHL world. It was clear over the past few weeks that the anticipation and delay of the coaching change was wearing on both the veteran coach and the team.

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Tocchet, an 18-year NHL veteran, has long been rumoured to be Rutherford’s preferred choice for head coach. Tocchet has been working as an analyst on TNT’s NHL broadcasts in the U.S. since 2021, but has coaching experience on his résumé. The 58-year-old was an assistant in Colorado, Arizona, Tampa Bay, and Pittsburgh, winning a pair of Stanley Cups with the latter.

He was also the head coach in Tampa (2008-10) and most recently in Arizona (2017-21) and has compiled a 178-200-60 record in that role. His teams have only made the playoffs once in his six seasons as a head coach.

Joining Tocchet’s staff are former NHLers Adam Foote, as an assistant, and Sergei Gonchar, as defensive development coach.

The Canucks lost Boudreau’s last game, 4-2 to the Edmonton Oilers on a Saturday night full of emotions. In the final moments of the game, Canucks fans rose to their feet and started their most emphatic “Bruce, there it is!” chant of the night as Boudreau tearfully watched on, saluting Rogers Arena before making his way down the tunnel. 

“You never know if it’s the end,” Boudreau told reporters after the game. “You’ve been at it for 50 years, and if it’s the end? So I had to stay out there and look at the crowd and say to myself: ‘Remember this moment.’”

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Rumours of a coaching change in Vancouver have been rampant for weeks, and the ongoing speculation took a toll on the team, according to defenceman Tyler Myers following Friday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche. 

“It’s not easy times right now,” the veteran blueliner said. “There’s a lot going on.” 

After an evening of goodbyes, news filtered out on Sunday morning that Boudreau was set to have a meeting with the club. A media release followed shortly after, with GM Patrik Allvin announcing the changes.

The season started with a seven-game winless streak for the Canucks and they have begun the new year — typically seen as the mid-way point of the season — losing eight of 10, leaving them seven games below .500. 

Vancouver (18-25-3) has struggled the most at home, winning just eight of its 22 home games thus far. The Canucks are currently in 12th place in the Western Conference and are 14 points back of a wild-card spot.

Boudreau was hired as Canucks coach in December 2021 after the club fired head coach Travis Green and GM Jim Benning. Rutherford was installed as president of hockey operations just a week after Boudreau was brought on board.   

Under Boudreau, the Canucks initially elevated their game, posting a 32-15-10 record with the new coach in the remainder of the 2021-22 season They were eliminated from playoff contention with just two games left in the season.   

However, the Canucks declined to give Boudreau an extension during the summer and he returned in the fall in the final year of his deal.   

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Trouble started from the very first day of the season.  

After going winless in a five-game road trip to start the year, the Canucks were booed off the ice by fans at their home opener after they lost 5-1 to the Buffalo Sabres. Three Canucks jerseys were tossed on the ice.

After the loss in the home opener, Rutherford criticized the team’s structure during an interview on Hockey Night in Canada’s After Hours segment — a clear sign that the coach’s job was in danger.   

Teams coached by Boudreau for a full season have made the playoffs nine out of 10 times. His .626 points percentage ranks fourth among coaches with at least 500 games behind the bench, and his 617 wins are tied for 20th in league history.

The Jack Adams Award winner as NHL coach of the year with Washington in 2007-08, the Toronto-born Boudreau has coached more than 1,000 career NHL games with the Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and Canucks. 

— With a file from The Canadian Press

More from Sportsnet

‘One of the hardest days I’ve ever had in hockey’: Canucks bid emotional farewell to Boudreau

‘It’s unbelievable’: Boudreau touched by support from Canucks fans as end nears

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