Vancouver Canucks President Jim Rutherford spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon following the announcement that Rick Tocchet will not be returning as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
Rutherford began the media availability with an opening statement on Tocchet’s decision not to return to the team.
“I got disappointing news this morning. As you know by now, Rick Tocchet has decided not to return as the coach of the Vancouver Canucks, and it’s a little bit surprising. We had a lot of talks over the last four to six weeks. In those talks, it was sort of general talks like we would normally have it at the end of each year, and he’s talking about what he’s going to do with the players in the summertime, what he wants to do different at camp, what he wants to do with the team next year. So, for the most part, the talks were all about the future, and it appeared to me that he would return,” said Rutherford.
He went on to say that over the past few days, they were going to have to come to a decision as to what the future is so that the Canucks can take the next step.
Rutherford said that Tocchet wanted to move to the Eastern part of the United States and be closer to his family.
“Obviously, we’re very disappointed,” said Rutherford. “We thank him greatly for the job he did here. He’s been a friend of mine for a long time, and he always will be, and he’s a very good coach, and he did a good job here, so we’re very thankful for that.”
Moving forward, Rutherford mentioned that he and General Manager Patrik Allvin will form a short list of candidates.
“I would expect our phones will ring on a regular basis for people that want this job, and we’ll narrow it down fairly quick and then start the process from there,” said Rutherford.
Rutherford then addressed how the team was constructed to play in a style that fit Tocchet’s structure and whether the personnel they were looking for would be different with a new head coach.
“We were going to have to make changes anyway, whether Toc was returning, and we knew we were going to certainly make some changes with our forwards, but ideally, we know who the coach is so that the coach can have input on that,” said Rutherford.
He went on to say that it is important for the coach to get the players they want, and it’s not just about management picking the players they want. Though the team won’t rush into hiring a new head coach, Rutherford wants to get the process started, as it will help them accomplish their offseason tasks.
“We really don’t want to do this in a manner that we do it too quick and we make the wrong decision on a coach. We want to make sure that we go through the proper process, but the sooner we get it done, the better it is for the planning for the offseason,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford then spoke about the remaining coaching staff members.
“The organization respects the other guys, and they will be guys that we will want to keep. But at the same time, if you bring a new coach in, he may want to bring one or two of his own guys,” said Rutherford. “So, we’re going to have to tread lightly here for a little bit, even though those guys are going to want to know. So, we’ll just have to see how that plays out.”
In terms of potential candidates, Rutherford mentioned that Abbotsford Head Coach Manny Malhotra is on the short list. He also noted that the team is not necessarily looking for someone with a lot of NHL coaching experience, but rather for the experience candidates have as leaders.
“First of all, we’re going to get lots of calls. We have lots of names. We have to break those names down. And then we’re going to have to interview these people and see where they’re coming from,” said Rutherford.
“We have a situation here where we have some star players, impact players. Anytime you have them, the coach has to be able to adjust to how you deal with them compared to the rest of the roster.”
He also mentioned that free-agent coach Mike Sullivan does not want to leave the East due to family reasons. Rutherford did not want to take Peter Laviolette off the short list, but said Patrik Allvin was not as familiar with Laviolette as he is.
When asked about why a coach might want to come to Vancouver, Rutherford spoke about the team’s strength in net and on the defence. He also mentioned that they need to make their forward group better and have more balance up front.
Rutherford is keen to move forward, and his goal remains to bring a championship to the city of Vancouver.
“I’m still here for the same reasons, and I don’t feel comfortable with the job that I’ve done,” said Rutherford. “We were on the right track a year ago. We got off that track this year. I take a lot of responsibility for it. It’s my job. I had the hockey department, and we have a lot of work to do to get back on track, and so at this point in time, that’s my focus, to see if we can do that.”
Tocchet released a statement to Canucks fans through Canucks Communications on Tuesday afternoon.
“To the Canucks fans - your infectious spirit, loyal commitment and will to win kept me and the entire team on our toes. I appreciate how you have made yourselves a driving force in the Canucks community,” said Tocchet.
“I’ve enjoyed my time here, and I wish everyone the best.”
