Tocchet becomes fourth Canucks coach ever to be Jack Adams finalist
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Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has been named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award.
Tocchet has been a frontrunner for the award all year as he helped the Canucks reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. It’s his first time being named a finalist for the award.
Rick Bowness, Andrew Brunette and Rick Tocchet are the three finalists for the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award.
#NHLAwards: https://t.co/a2U28zHmZf pic.twitter.com/vTJloBG1QQ— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 3, 2024
The team finished the season with a 50-23-9 record and 109 points, best in the Pacific Division. That’s a 26-point improvement on their record from last season.
The other two finalists are Rick Bowness from the Winnipeg Jets and Andrew Brunette from the Nashville Predators.
“Honestly, it’s an organizational award for me,” said Tocchet today, humble as ever. “It’s the GM, the ownership, the assistant coaches, players, you’re a piece of the puzzle…I’ve got a huge support group that helps me.”
Tocchet is the fourth Canucks coach ever to be nominated for the award, alongside Pat Quinn, Alain Vigneault, and Bob McCammon
If Tocchet wins the award, he will become just the third head coach in Canucks history to do so following Quinn in 1991-92 and Vigneault in 2006-07.
Vigneault was also a finalist in 2011 and was eventually named runner-up. McCammon lost to the legendary Pat Burns in the 1988-89 season.
This was Tocchet’s first full season with the Canucks and his impact has been obvious. He’s implemented a strict structure that has transformed the team from one of the weakest defensively to among the best. The team allowed 75 fewer goals this season than last, almost a full one per game.
The 60-year-old was hired midway through last season, which allowed him to get familiar with the organization and hit the ground running. The team got off to a franchise-best start as a result.
The winner of the Jack Adams Award will be announced at the NHL Award Show this summer.
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