What can Canucks fans expect in the Rick Tocchet era?

It’s been an emotional and wild week for Vancouver Canucks fans. First, it was the loss of fan favourite Gino Odjick and then management fired beloved, now ex-head coach Bruce Boudreau.

From an optics point of view, the entire situation involving Boudreau has not been handled well. It’s widely known, even if you’re not a hockey fan or follow the team closely. And for those who’ve long supported the team, many have taken to social media to vent their frustrations.

It was long speculated Boudreau was going to be let go, and then on Sunday morning, he was officially fired with team brass hiring former NHLer and head coach Rick Tocchet to replace him.

Bruce Boudreau leaves the ice to a “Bruce there it is!” chant. pic.twitter.com/RF8OjR2Ngd

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2023

Bruce Boudreau got emotional this morning when asked what it means for him to coach in the NHL#Canucks pic.twitter.com/c940BthyXV

— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) January 20, 2023

Sportsnet 650 host Bik Nizzar explains that fans hoping this new coaching era brings about new change may be waiting a while.

“Real change is going to come in the way of results… and we’re talking sustained success here — multiple years of playoff wins, potentially leading to the biggest prize. Until you get to that stage, it’s a physical and material change. The results of the organization have to change.”

Nizzar understands that fans are angry with how this all went down.

“This was handled really poorly as evidenced by [Canucks President] Jim Rutherford’s attempted apology, even though he walked it back a bit, about how this has all played out and wants to apologize to Bruce Boudreau and that’s the big question about this, is the process of how this was handled, that’s what’s drawn so much ire from fans in how Bruce has been treated.”

He says the HR debacle of his firing shows this organization has a lot of work to do.

“They’ve accelerated this on themselves by making this type of decision in the manner in which it’s played out. They’ve asked for patience, but the optics are terrible.”

I can honestly say that, in my 15 yrs covering the NHL, I have never seen anything like this Bruce Boudreau fiasco. I have no clue how any organization—even one as apparently as dysfunctional as the Canucks—could operate this way. The cruelty of it aside, it’s just so ridiculous.

— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) January 22, 2023

Bruce Boudreau said post-game that he had a parade of players come to his office after the game to say goodbye individually, all of them in tears along with him. #Canucks @Sportsnet650

— Brendan Batchelor (@BatchHockey) January 22, 2023

Tocchet is entering a hostile, angry Canucks landscape, and Nizzar says management hasn’t been helpful.

“One thing that strikes me is how the management group has not set him up in a position to get accepted by the fanbase immediately. First impressions are a big deal, you only get one chance to make them and the way this has transpired has not really given the opportunity for fans to welcome Rick Tocchet in with open arms. He’s going to have to earn a lot of the trust as this management group continues to do so.”

Miss any of our special #Canucks coverage today?

The People’s Show with @BikNizzar has the presser plus your reaction https://t.co/VNllL0gfLv

An emergency Canucks Central Pod with @danriccio_ & @SatiarShah examining the moves and what’s next https://t.co/cFzwsbQ3ff

— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) January 23, 2023

Nizzar says that with three dozen games left in the regular season, there’s not much time for the team to really prove anything.

“In the here and now, it’s 36 games — not enough to build part of your program — you need training camp to do that, and 36 games is just solving one problem at a time. Work on the smaller things and come next season, hopefully, you start working on big-picture things and resetting the culture of the organization.

“Bruce Boudreau was more of a ‘vibes coach’ in getting the mood right, whereas Rick Tocchet wants to get the X’s and O’s right and getting the discipline right and that’s the stuff this team really needs.”

Nizzar says if the Canucks want to make the playoffs in less than three years, which is the timeline Rutherford previously gave to turn the team around, he stresses things are going to have to change quickly.

Related Articles:

• Vancouver Canucks fire Bruce Boudreau; Rick Tocchet new coach

• ‘One of the hardest days I’ve ever had in hockey’: Canucks bid emotional farewell to Boudreau

“More than anything, you have to make the right moves to accelerate rebuilds. It’s possible that you can get back to the playoffs even as soon as next year, but it requires an aggressive move on [the Canucks] behalf and a detailed vision that they commit to and that’s why we get into these conversations of, ‘Is this a rebuild?’ Or ‘Is this a retool?’ which is an exhausting conversation, but it depends on the actions you take.”

In addition to the coaching change, Nizzar says people also need to keep their eyes on Mar. 3, which is the trade deadline as it’s long been rumoured Canucks captain Bo Horvat could potentially be on his way out of town.

“As for Canucks fans having hope for the future, this is a prove-it time now. I understand the skepticism of fans saying, ‘I’m not ready to believe in what this management group is selling,’ it’s valid given what we’ve seen for the last two months.

“I think people like Rich Tocchet deserve the opportunity to be judged upon their actions in the organization but it’s valid for fans to say, ‘I want to see more, and I want to see a commitment to the idea of a plan. There’s been a lot of words spoken, but not enough action from this management group.”

The Canucks’ next game is Tuesday night at Rogers Arena against the Chicago Blackhawks.

You can hear Bik Nizzar Monday to Friday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily on Sportsnet 650 and catch him, alongside Sat Shah, on the Canucks Post-Show.