Playoff rival Brunette, Winnipeg’s Bowness also named finalists for NHL’s Jack Adams Award
Now he’s doing the same behind the bench — and leading the Vancouver Canucks to their best season in over a decade in the process.
Brunette’s currently the bench boss of the Nashville Predators who will look to extend their season Friday when they host Tocchet’s Canucks in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series. Vancouver leads the series 3-2. 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.The winger, who spent three seasons playing for Tocchet in Arizona, describes his longtime coach as a “great man” who cares deeply about his players.
Dedication to the coach is translating into results. Under Tocchet, the Canucks have a 70-35-13 record with a .648 winning percentage. Quinn Hughes put in a franchise record-breaking performance this season and is a favourite for the league’s top defenceman award. Goalie Thatcher Demko is a Vézina 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 league’s top-20 point producers.
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