Rick Tocchet drew ample respect during his 18 seasons as an NHL player.

Now heB次元官网网址檚 doing the same behind the bench B次元官网网址� and leading the Vancouver Canucks to their best season in over a decade in the process.

Tocchet was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy on Friday, awarded annually to the NHLB次元官网网址檚 top head coach.

B次元官网网址淗e was a great player, obviously. Probably should be a Hall of Famer, right in that conversation, for sure,B次元官网网址� said fellow Adams nominee Andrew Brunette, who played with Tocchet on the Washington Capitals during the 1996-97 season.

BrunetteB次元官网网址檚 currently the bench boss of the Nashville Predators who will look to extend their season Friday when they host TocchetB次元官网网址檚 Canucks in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series. Vancouver leads the series 3-2.

Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness is the third nominee for the Jack Adams Trophy, which is voted on by members of the NHL BroadcastersB次元官网网址� Associaton.

Tocchet and his team are both intelligent and hard to play against, Brunette said.

B次元官网网址淩eminds me a lot of his mentality and style. TheyB次元官网网址檙e in your face, theyB次元官网网址檙e not giving you any space, theyB次元官网网址檝e got some skill,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd that really epitomizes the player he was. Along with being a really tough guy.B次元官网网址�

Over the course of 1,144 regular-season NHL games, Tocchet put up 440 goals and 952 points. He won the Stanley Cup while playing for the Penguins in 1992, then added two more championship titles to his name as an assistant coach for Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.

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.

For Conor Garland, the coaching change brought in a familiar face.

The winger, who spent three seasons playing for Tocchet in Arizona, describes his longtime coach as a B次元官网网址済reat manB次元官网网址� who cares deeply about his players.

B次元官网网址淚 know guys have dealt with stuff that heB次元官网网址檚 helped them with mentally and he makes sure youB次元官网网址檙e doing all right,B次元官网网址� Garland said.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 why guys love playing for him. ItB次元官网网址檚 not just B次元官网网址楢re you playing well for me?B次元官网网址� He worries about guys and thatB次元官网网址檚 what makes people want to run through a wall for him. ThatB次元官网网址檚 why you have such buy-in.B次元官网网址�

Dedication to the coach is translating into results. Under Tocchet, the Canucks have a 70-35-13 record with a .648 winning percentage.

This season B次元官网网址� TocchetB次元官网网址檚 first full campaign in Vancouver B次元官网网址� the team posted a 50-23-9 record and finished atop the Pacific Division to earn its first playoff spot since 2020.

HeB次元官网网址檚 consistently preached the importance of structure and keeping a level head, and under the new coachB次元官网网址檚 guidance, many of the clubB次元官网网址檚 brightest stars have shone.

Quinn Hughes put in a franchise record-breaking performance this season and is a favourite for the leagueB次元官网网址檚 top defenceman award. Goalie Thatcher Demko is a V茅zina 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 leagueB次元官网网址檚 top-20 point producers.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of success this year,B次元官网网址� Garland said. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檝e got a lot of guys that are bought in and want to work hard and want to earn their ice. When you play well, you get more and when your gameB次元官网网址檚 not there, youB次元官网网址檙e going to get less. ItB次元官网网址檚 pretty black and white. The rules apply to everybody.B次元官网网址�

The system in Vancouver doesnB次元官网网址檛 differ much from the one Tocchet utilized in Arizona, Garland added. The players and their skill levels are different, he said, but the team defends the same way and the coachB次元官网网址檚 expectations are the same.

The way Garland and the coach work together has evolved, but there are constants, too.

B次元官网网址淥bviously, IB次元官网网址檓 a little older now. DonB次元官网网址檛 need as many reminders from him as I did when I was younger. But I still get them from time to time,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淔ortunate for me, heB次元官网网址檚 had me for so many games B次元官网网址� probably over 300 now B次元官网网址� that he knows what my good hockey looks like and when it doesnB次元官网网址檛.B次元官网网址�

The reminders seem to be paying off. Garland became a crucial part of the CanucksB次元官网网址� offence this season, finding success on a line with big winger Dakota Joshua, and hitting a career-high in goals (20).

Tocchet has been an important part of his development as a player, Garland said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had some ups and downs here as a player,B次元官网网址� the winger said. B次元官网网址淎nd IB次元官网网址檝e been fortunate to find my game a little bit more this year. HeB次元官网网址檚 obviously had a great year as a coach and weB次元官网网址檝e had a great year as a team.B次元官网网址�

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