[Report] Canucks fire Bruce Boudreau, Trent Cull; name Rick Tocchet as head coach, Adam Foote as assistant coach, Sergei Gonchar as defensive development coach

[PhillipBlunt]

2 minutes ago, King Heffy said:

Best parallel is what happened in Toronto after Neilson.  It wasn't pretty and most of the top players demanded trades.

I can see that happening here. Could be Pettersson and Hughes making the demand. 

[Curmudgeon]

4 hours ago, Barnstorm said:

Seriously? They’ve just wasted one year and now we have another potential lame duck coach?

Is that how this works? Team

just goes in this endless series of circles?

With respect, where have you been since 2011? This team just continues to throw good money after bad, to place their bets on the wrong players, and to fail at finding a coach who can build a winner. At the moment, they are at or near the bottom of the endless circle and it will be three years before they are contenders. I think that Tocchet will be given a lot of latitude in his approach and he is bound to create conflict, which is not necessarily a bad thing. If rumours of a country club atmosphere are even partially true, then Tocchet's mission is to turn it more towards a work camp. I am speculating, of course, but change is hard for some people. The ones who can rise to the challenge of being better players and teammates will ultimately be the ones to lead. Sadly, there will be popular players moved out in the next year or two. But, if the team is only marginally better after two seasons, then I can't see them keeping Tocchet. Something about an endless series of circles.

[WHL rocks]

 

[PhillipBlunt]

3 minutes ago, BPA said:

It would be funny next game to hear the fans chant “Bruce, There it is”!!

 

I think there may be some very quiet games coming up. And very poorly attended ones too. 

[King Heffy]

3 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

I can see that happening here. Could be Pettersson and Hughes making the demand. 

https://theathletic.com/3682238/2022/11/01/nhl-99-darryl-sittler/

 

“We want to talk about Roger Neilson treating you like a human being and a man, with respect. Imlach didn’t do that. At times, Ballard didn’t do that. Is that right? It’s not what the Maple Leafs, in my mind, stood for and should have stood for.

 

“That’s how I felt.”

 

Sounds awfully familiar.

[ToTellTheTruth]

6 minutes ago, PhillipBlunt said:

I think there may be some very quiet games coming up. And very poorly attended ones too. 

Bruce There It Is! In defiance. :D

Edited January 23, 2023 by ToTellTheTruth

[RWJC]

45 minutes ago, Gurn said:

coach already got sacked, GM already got sacked.

well past time to sack the players.----- Nah- fire another coach, that'll fix things. 

You know I’m all about it being on the players. Thats who I hold accountable first and foremost.

they were given additional help in the offseason. That had Bruce’s input. There was engagement with mgmt on whom to bring in to assist on the roster and how Bruce perceived the whole would perform this season. 

Essentially Bruce put his job on the line for his players, to keep the nucleus together.  He vouched for his boys. Give us one more chance to prove what we can do. what did he get in return?

They had Bruce’s fate completely in their hands and couldn’t rally to save him, not their pride. Couldn’t ever put in a constant, disciplined 60 min effort like most other NHL teams to save the one guy they apparently love and admire so much. Just completely detached.

 

It’s a crock of shit is what it is.

They straight up abandoned and failed him.  Very happy to know this roster will be reconstructed. 
 

small irony…if ppl could just try to be objective, just a smidge…who was it that really supported Bruce? Could argue it was mgmt up until this season. why? They doubled down on Bruce’s vision and what the club showed under him last year. But Bruce still had to sell them on it, because mgmt as initially stated, had doubts. but, they still backed him and invested further into this team and roster, and coach.
People around here now calling out mgmt for being so ruthless are completely oblivious to some of the real facts. 
we may have not secured the players we absolutely needed to best serve, but considering what was available, what we have for assets, where we were in terms of cap, and all the other limitations, attempts were made to bolster. Bolstering gives Bruce his last shot.
 

oh and lastly, for anyone that doesn’t realize this, JTM was extended in part because Bruce viewed him as integral. 
chew on that when blasting mgmt. 

 

again I’m am not a proponent of this mgmt group, but I am one when it comes to giving whomever is running this club, their chance, respect for their right to due diligence, and respect for their honest effort. It’s only fair.

Hopefully more people can get behind that logic. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by RWJC

[Gawdzukes]

3 hours ago, Kenny Powers said:

Imagine if Adam Foote can get Myers to play physical, stay at home D. He’s got some solid offensive instincts, but I believe he could simplify his game to more effectively partner with OEL. Myers seemed really rattled by Bruce’s departure… maybe he’ll be someone who rebounds best with the new coaching staff.

I really like Foote. That's the kind of D style and commitment our guys need to be taught. Who knows with Myers. If we happen to get one good RD in here I think Myers can be good in a limited 3rd pairing role providing a solid presence. He needs to be taught never to touch the puck or if he does just clear it ... hard.

[wai_lai416]

18 minutes ago, Harold Drunken said:

Not true

lol we are just a smudge above the bottom 3rd of the league.. that's littered with the tankers SJ chicago arizona anaheim columbus.. the offensively challenged group..

[PhillipBlunt]

3 minutes ago, ToTellTheTruth said:

Bruce There It Is! In defiance. :D

The cheers should feature Aquilini or Rutherford instead. 

[DrJockitch]

Foote’s son plays for the team that could take a Kuzmenko or Schenn and not afford to resign either. 

[ToTellTheTruth]

4 minutes ago, wai_lai416 said:

lol we are just a smudge above the bottom 3rd of the league.. that's littered with the tankers SJ chicago arizona anaheim columbus.. the offensively challenged group..

Bottom 25% of the league. Worse than bottom third.

[PhillipBlunt]

8 minutes ago, Muttley said:

I don't know if Tocchet can be as dynamic as this but we're going to find out.

 

 

That would be the best outcome. The team blew the season. Not Bruce. Maybe Yeo, but not Bruce. Rutherturd and chipmunk didn’t improve the defense near enough to make it passable, Bear considered. 
 

Tocchett should be given the benefit of the doubt. He just arrived. 
 

A huge amount of blame, perhaps the lion’s share, is on the team. They’ve been crap. Uninspired and lifeless. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by PhillipBlunt

[Ballisticsports.]

33 minutes ago, Harold Drunken said:

They can't win because they give up 4 plus a game and have AHL goaltending. Thier PP has been the lone decent stat this team has. To blame the PP for our struggles is actually pretty hilarious.  Scoring isn't this teams problem, that's well documented 

Scoring is the one thing they can do

Curious how the Canucks fair with other teams. with goals scored against, while we are on the Power Play?

Our goalies have saved a lot of embarrassment there from what i recall

[*Buzzsaw*]

I haven't said anything positive about this coaching group because fundamentally I think Management should have waited till summer to replace BB... replace the assistants, not head coach.

 

I think they should have let the team continue its trajectory and get the draft picks.

 

Putting that aside...  as far as my assessment of this new staff:

 

Tocchet has not shown much as a head coach... his years in Arizona were a disaster... although you have to say the team was not good.  On a positive note, yes he was a good player... very solid never quit guy who was force in the locker room... maybe that translates here in building a new culture.  But based on his results... not much shown.

Adam Foote was a tremendous player... a real warrior who knew how to play defense in and out.  Jersey retired in Colorado... So that is good.  Is he a good coach?  He's only had a coaching track record in Junior... which is a far cry from the NHL.  So the jury's out.

 

Sergei Gonchar was also a very solid D.  He has a better track record in coaching... being an assistant with the Russian National team.  Of course, Russia is not the NHL, and the Russians have underachieved for the last 10 years in International play.

 

So basically we have three guys with not much of a track record as coaches... who were all excellent players.  So was Gretzky... and we know where that went.

 

Management has made its decision... now they will have to live with the results.

 

I think if this coaching group doesn't work out... then Management should take the fall.

[jyu]

28 minutes ago, *Buzzsaw* said:

My assessment:

 

The team will see a bounce in the standings... some more wins.

 

Not enough to get them into the playoffs, but enough to make their chances of getting a top 4 pick impossible.

 

Which means this entire sh*tshow season will be for nothing... a complete waste.

 

We won't get a decent pick and we won't make the playoffs.

 

Congrats to the management team... NOT.

I think we were locked into 6th or 7th worst in the league with or without the coaching change. There was no way we get into the bottom 4 with Bruce or with Tocchet or even with Scotty Bowman. The only way is to get one of the top 2 picks via winning the lottery.

 

We might string a few wins but I don't see a major winning streak coming, not with Martin and Delia in net.

 

[BarnBurner]

15 minutes ago, King Heffy said:

https://theathletic.com/3682238/2022/11/01/nhl-99-darryl-sittler/

 

“We want to talk about Roger Neilson treating you like a human being and a man, with respect. Imlach didn’t do that. At times, Ballard didn’t do that. Is that right? It’s not what the Maple Leafs, in my mind, stood for and should have stood for.

 

“That’s how I felt.”

 

Sounds awfully familiar.

I moved from Vancouver to Toronto in the mid eighties when Ballard was running the Laffs into the ground. 

 

What a gong show. 

 

This is similar, but that was epic. 

 

Is FA trying to top Hal? 

[RWJC]

29 minutes ago, 24K PureCool said:

I respect your opinion but to me the genesis of all of this was JR's comment on BB about defensive structure. That set this whole circus up. We can all blame the media for fanning the flames but there is a flame to begin with. Had JR not said that last off season, media might not have tried so hard to dig for the story. 

 

Like I said in another post.

Aqua put together the kindling.

JR lit the fire.

Media fanned the flames.

Then JR instead of extinguishing it, poured gasoline ontop of it. 

 

It helps BB was likeable but like you said BB was bound to go due to on ice performance if the team and the fact he ain't part of JR's country club. 

 

Blaming this fully on media and is just disingenuous. 

 

As with your comparison to Bowness, that is still different than this situation. Main difference is he was let go or not renewed after the season. During the season we also do not have concrete reporting of if or whom Bowness would replaced by. His treatment also sucked that is more par of the course for the nhl. This situation isn't and is unique in the nhl in recent history. 

I’m not blaming this fully on media at all.

that doesn’t make any sense to do especially when JR already admitted fault for his bonehead statements. 

like I’ve stated previously, I try and be objective as I can when I form perspectives. I thinks it’s fair to the subject matter rather than just defaulting to what naturally feels like a right or wrong. In this case, I look at the media taking something a statement which at the time was obvious and in hindsight was unequivocally accurate, and immediately tying that into Bruce’s contract status. It could have been left separate - on ice criticism vs businesses side, but that’s the angle the media wanted to frame and roll with because it was a great hook. 
 

here we have JR apologizing for the comments. He wasn’t really apologizing for what he said, he was apologizing for how it was perceived and how that affected people. Essentially he was apologizing for thinking he could speak candidly and directly. Maybe he should have known better, but this media market managed to get a guy who his whollllllle decades long career has been direct, candid, thorough and a good interview, to announce he will now shut up. (though perhaps that’s a good thing now?)

they are parasitic. Who originated this story and subsequently has his name plastered everywhere as the source of this info? Friedman. I’d say he’s benefitted quite well from this affair, and what bothers me most is he has the smug audacity to pontificate on how poorly Bruce has been treated, when Friedman himself fed off the blood being drawn. Such hypocrisy. Sickening.

 

so yeah, I also blame the media.

[J-23]

I honestly think we might see some intentional tanking this year.

 

I don’t think Tocchet will do anything serious until next season.

 

How do you keep Pettersson long term? Bedard, Fantilli or Carlsson.

[jyu]

15 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

I really like Foote. That's the kind of D style and commitment our guys need to be taught. Who knows with Myers. If we happen to get one good RD in here I think Myers can be good in a limited 3rd pairing role providing a solid presence. He needs to be taught never to touch the puck or if he does just clear it ... hard.

Pretty hard to do when the opponents keep dumping the puck on your side... and the other thing you mention is called icing. Generally, you don't want to ice the puck.