As we approach the 2024-25 season, the attention of many around Vancouver is on the task at hand - reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight year, but it's hard not to look ahead either.
Next summer, the Canucks have a number of players who can hit the free agent market, including Brock Boeser, but behind the bench there's someone who could be in line for an extension, that being head coach Rick Tocchet.
Patrik Allvin recently sat down for an interview with Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre, who asked the Canucks General Manager if the team's still plans on waiting until after the season to re-sign their head coach.
Allvin said that the Canucks and Rick Tocchet have a mutual option for the 2025-26 season as part of his current contract, but added that they'll sit down with him at the right time and look into a new deal.
Since joining the Vancouver Canucks in January 2023, Rick Tocchet has become one of the better head coaches in the National Hockey League and the team quickly bought into his system after being hired. The team finished the 2022-23 season with a record of 20-12-4 in their final 36 games, which set the tone for last season, where the Canucks had 50 wins for just the third time in franchise history.
It's hard to envision the Vancouver Canucks without Rick Tocchet at the helm next season and it's probably safe to say that at some point once the 2024-25 campaign concludes, that both sides will be able to hammer out an extension to keep the former Stanley Cup champion behind the bench for years to come.
POLL | ||
Should the Canucks sign Rick Tocchet to an extension? | ||
Yes | 131 | 74.9 % |
Depends on how this season goes | 41 | 23.4 % |
No | 3 | 1.7 % |
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