Rick Tocchet drew ample respect during his 18 seasons as an NHL player.
Now he91裸聊视频檚 doing the same behind the bench 91裸聊视频� and leading the Vancouver Canucks to their best season in over a decade in the process.
Tocchet was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy on Friday, awarded annually to the NHL91裸聊视频檚 top head coach.
91裸聊视频淗e was a great player, obviously. Probably should be a Hall of Famer, right in that conversation, for sure,91裸聊视频� said fellow Adams nominee Andrew Brunette, who played with Tocchet on the Washington Capitals during the 1996-97 season.
Brunette91裸聊视频檚 currently the bench boss of the Nashville Predators who will look to extend their season Friday when they host Tocchet91裸聊视频檚 Canucks in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series. Vancouver leads the series 3-2.
Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness is the third nominee for the Jack Adams Trophy, which is voted on by members of the NHL Broadcasters91裸聊视频� Associaton.
Tocchet and his team are both intelligent and hard to play against, Brunette said.
91裸聊视频淩eminds me a lot of his mentality and style. They91裸聊视频檙e in your face, they91裸聊视频檙e not giving you any space, they91裸聊视频檝e got some skill,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淎nd that really epitomizes the player he was. Along with being a really tough guy.91裸聊视频�
Over the course of 1,144 regular-season NHL games, Tocchet put up 440 goals and 952 points. He won the Stanley Cup while playing for the Penguins in 1992, then added two more championship titles to his name as an assistant coach for Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.
Tocchet previously served as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes, and worked as a hockey analyst on TNT before taking over the struggling Canucks in January 2023.
For Conor Garland, the coaching change brought in a familiar face.
The winger, who spent three seasons playing for Tocchet in Arizona, describes his longtime coach as a 91裸聊视频済reat man91裸聊视频� who cares deeply about his players.
91裸聊视频淚 know guys have dealt with stuff that he91裸聊视频檚 helped them with mentally and he makes sure you91裸聊视频檙e doing all right,91裸聊视频� Garland said.
91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 why guys love playing for him. It91裸聊视频檚 not just 91裸聊视频楢re you playing well for me?91裸聊视频� He worries about guys and that91裸聊视频檚 what makes people want to run through a wall for him. That91裸聊视频檚 why you have such buy-in.91裸聊视频�
Dedication to the coach is translating into results. Under Tocchet, the Canucks have a 70-35-13 record with a .648 winning percentage.
This season 91裸聊视频� Tocchet91裸聊视频檚 first full campaign in Vancouver 91裸聊视频� the team posted a 50-23-9 record and finished atop the Pacific Division to earn its first playoff spot since 2020.
He91裸聊视频檚 consistently preached the importance of structure and keeping a level head, and under the new coach91裸聊视频檚 guidance, many of the club91裸聊视频檚 brightest stars have shone.
Quinn Hughes put in a franchise record-breaking performance this season and is a favourite for the league91裸聊视频檚 top defenceman award. Goalie Thatcher Demko is a V茅zina Trophy nominee, despite missing a month with a knee injury. Right-winger Brock Boeser hit the 40-goal mark for the first time in his career. Three Canucks players ended the campaign among the league91裸聊视频檚 top-20 point producers.
91裸聊视频淎 lot of success this year,91裸聊视频� Garland said. 91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檝e got a lot of guys that are bought in and want to work hard and want to earn their ice. When you play well, you get more and when your game91裸聊视频檚 not there, you91裸聊视频檙e going to get less. It91裸聊视频檚 pretty black and white. The rules apply to everybody.91裸聊视频�
The system in Vancouver doesn91裸聊视频檛 differ much from the one Tocchet utilized in Arizona, Garland added. The players and their skill levels are different, he said, but the team defends the same way and the coach91裸聊视频檚 expectations are the same.
The way Garland and the coach work together has evolved, but there are constants, too.
91裸聊视频淥bviously, I91裸聊视频檓 a little older now. Don91裸聊视频檛 need as many reminders from him as I did when I was younger. But I still get them from time to time,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淔ortunate for me, he91裸聊视频檚 had me for so many games 91裸聊视频� probably over 300 now 91裸聊视频� that he knows what my good hockey looks like and when it doesn91裸聊视频檛.91裸聊视频�
The reminders seem to be paying off. Garland became a crucial part of the Canucks91裸聊视频� offence this season, finding success on a line with big winger Dakota Joshua, and hitting a career-high in goals (20).
Tocchet has been an important part of his development as a player, Garland said.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had some ups and downs here as a player,91裸聊视频� the winger said. 91裸聊视频淎nd I91裸聊视频檝e been fortunate to find my game a little bit more this year. He91裸聊视频檚 obviously had a great year as a coach and we91裸聊视频檝e had a great year as a team.91裸聊视频�
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