NHL.com ranked the NHL’s top 16 coaches, and Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet was ranked at No. 10 despite winning the Jack Adams Award last season.
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Tocchet was the runaway winner of the Jack Adams Award with 82 first-place votes. The next closest was Andrew Brunette of the Nashville Predators with eight. Brunette finished at 14 on NHL.com’s list.
Tocchet turned a non-playoff team into one of the top seeds in the entire league in one full season. He has influenced a roster that has had most of its core stick together despite coaching changes and a lack of playoff appearances.
While an argument could be made that Tocchet isn’t the No. 1 coach in the league, 10th seems far too low for a bench boss that won coach of the year. If the Canucks and Tocchet can repeat their success in 24-25, then there isn’t a question that Tocchet is at least a top-five coach in the league.
Mike Zeisberger ranked Tocchet at No. 6.
“Tocchet’s impact in less than two seasons with the Canucks was symbolized when he won the Jack Adams Award last season. Since he took over the Canucks on Jan. 22, 2023, they have gone 70-35-13 in the regular season, including 50-23-9 last season. He guided them to a six-game win against the Nashville Predators in the Western Conference First Round and rode third-string goalie Arturs Silovs to force the high-powered Edmonton Oilers to seven games. Tocchet, No. 6 for me, shoots from the lip and coaches the way he played: straightforward and communicative, no nonsense allowed,” Zeisberger wrote.
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