VANCOUVER – When the unchangeable end of a season nears, fans will count games remaining. Reporters count practices, and Friday was the final one for the Vancouver Canucks.
Despite another second-half bounce under another new coach, the Canucks know they’ll be missing the National Hockey League playoffs for the seventh time in eight years. Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames, desperately still trying to make the Stanley Cup tournament, is the last at home for the Canucks.
They finish their season with a three-game road trip next week. But with a travel day Sunday to Los Angeles and an off-day Wednesday in Phoenix between three games in four nights, the Canucks won’t practice again this season.
“I didn’t even think of that,” coach Rick Tocchet told reporters on Friday. “I should have went harder.”
Actually, the Canucks have gone pretty hard under Tocchet, amassing a 17-11-4 record and dramatically transforming their defensive play since Bruce Boudreau was fired on Jan. 22. But with a week to go – maybe because there is only a week to go – Tocchet is still pushing them.
We sat down with him after Friday’s practice for a fascinating discussion about what he has learned about his players’ strengths and failings and whether this team will ever again make the playoffs.
Sportsnet: With 11 weeks on the job and one week to go, what has pleased you the most?
Tocchet: First of all, just coming into the organization — and this is from the heart — there’s just so many good people here. For me, I can’t believe the first-class people here. When it comes to the group of players, I think that what’s pleased me is there has been buy-in for the most part. I think they’re all ears. They want to understand certain things and they want the knowledge from us. So that’s pleased me. Now the hard part is: Is it sustainable? Can we sustain it? Because it’s hard to do. We’ve still got a long way to go.
Sportsnet: Is that why you seem so concerned about the downtick in your team’s play the last five games (1-2-2), when you have offered some of your strongest public criticism of players?
Tocchet: All I know is that, for me, little things (matter) like the body language, the bad changes, the frustration if things don’t go our way. Can we stay in our own skin if it’s a 1-1 game … in the third period and we don’t just push our chips in? So that’s the next level for me, and I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know yet. I want to believe it. But if I’m not doing my part … by hammering out (the message), then I’m not helping the players out.
Sportsnet: Funny you should mention the S-word, too, because sustainability is on a lot of people’s minds after the failure of the team to maintain the success it had under Boudreau at the end of last year. Does it bother you that many fans are pessimistic about your sustainability?
Tocchet: It really doesn’t because only the players, myself, the coaches, the organization, the management, can change that narrative, right? There’s validity to some of that thinking. There might be some unfairness to it — I don’t know because I wasn’t here. But I know every day I come to work … I feel what we’re trying to do is (teach) winning hockey, the way we want players to play. I think we’re doing the right thing as a coaching staff. I really believe that. And if you think that way, you can’t really worry about the outside noise.
Sportsnet: When you were hired, a long-time NHL coach told us that you would succeed in changing the Canucks’ culture and the way the team played because you were stubborn and would out-wait the players as long as necessary. Is that fair?
Tocchet: Yeah, it’s a fair assessment. Listen, I’m swinging the bat. I’ve got the head coaching job this year, I’m back in the fire, I’m swinging the bat. I’m not looking for a walk. I really believe in certain ways. You know, as a coach sometimes you’ve got to let players figure things out and turn a blind eye. You can’t always be on the players. But – and I’ve talked to you about this – there are non-negotiables. I can’t give in if we’re trying to turn things around, and the players have to understand that. And quite frankly, you need accountability from your leadership group. They’ve got to help you out. It’s a partnership.
Sportsnet: How is that working?
Tocchet: I’ve seen it and I’ve liked what I’ve seen, but there’s another level. We have to go there (and) it’s going to get painful, right? There’s going to be some painful stuff to get there. I just hope that these guys are willing to go that painful route, not the easy route.
Sportsnet: Is it harder to change the mindset of key players who have had individual success, but no team success, over several years in the league versus starting over with new players?
Tocchet: I know what you’re saying. I mean, I follow different coaches from different eras … and Bill Parcells or (Bill) Belichick, they go into a losing program and they’re getting rid of everybody. They’re just starting new. I’m not quite sure that’s the case here because I think these guys are very good hockey players. I just think that they have to understand that we have to get to a level of being uncomfortable. You can’t win being comfortable, and I think it’s important that they realize there’s going to very uncomfortable times with me, with other coaches, with other teammates, to get to the level we want. Comfortability is not going to get us there.
Sportsnet: Is there more to work with in Vancouver than you thought?
Tocchet: There’s talent, there’s some real eliteness in the way that they can make a play or the way a guy one-times the puck. I say, ‘Wow, that’s pretty special.’ But that doesn’t always win. To me, it’s the collective four or five or six, whatever the leadership group is here .. are they willing to go head-to-head in practice to make themselves better? I’ve got to see that. Are they willing to challenge each other in certain situations? Are they willing to take the next step and control that room? That’s the next level. That’s the only way we’re going to get out of this. You have to take ownership. It’s not an individual, it’s not about, ‘Hey, I’ve got 30 goals or I’ve got 80 points.’ That’s a by-product. Yeah, if a team’s winning and playing well, you’re going to get your stuff. But if we’re looking for individual stuff, you’re not going to win.
Sportsnet: Do you have the players you need to win? You’ve talked several times about wanting more ‘wall guys’ and players who win puck battles. Do you have enough of them?
Tocchet: I don’t know if we have it. We have some. I don’t know if we have what it takes to win yet. I’m not saying (we don’t) and it’s my job to get that out of them. Meet pressure with pressure. You have to teach your players to understand that, like, when the pressure hits you, don’t go away from pressure, meet it head on. We’re not there yet. I felt when we’ve had some pressure situations, guys were going away from the puck … instead of going through a situation where it might get a little bit uncomfortable, but if you make that play, it’s going to be a big reward. I shouldn’t say it displeases me (but) it’s something I’m questioning right now. Do we have that yet? And I take it personal; I have to get them to do that.
Sportsnet: Can you teach that? Some people feel, for instance, that you simply don’t have the talent on defence to be successful. But are the concepts of battling, of being willing to be uncomfortable, more important to you than personnel?
Tocchet: Really what it comes down to is structure, if you have good structure, and then it’s playing to your identity. So if you’re a team that’s maybe not heavy but competitive and fast, then play to that. I don’t know exactly what our identity is yet. I really thought there for a while … we went into Dallas and played really well, Toronto. We’ve had some moments where we’ve gotten some heavy teams and were competitive. (Assistant coach) Adam Foote likes to watch the team and see: How would they be in a seven-game series? That’s the standard, right? That’s really what you look at: What’s this guy going to do under pressure in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals?
Sportsnet: It would be nice to find that out. Can you be a playoff team next season?
Tocchet: My answer is always going to be yes. My job is to get them in the playoffs. Is it sustainable? Is it realistic? I don’t know. All I know is that every day I come in, our goal is to try and make the playoffs and what we are doing (is to get us) to that promised land. What is it, seven out of eight years (missing the playoffs)? I don’t want the players coming in here thinking we’ve got to make the playoffs; I just want them to get prepared. When we come into camp, they’re prepared (and) they did what they’re supposed to do to hit the standard. Our testing will be different this year; there’s going to be some standards they’re going to have to meet. And if they do their part, then we will go to the next level. You just chip away.
Sportsnet: Have you had any buyer’s remorse after taking the Canucks job and leaving the television studio?
Tocchet: The first week was a little tough. I was thinking: Man, I want to go back to TV. I’m joking. I love trying to make people better. Like, we’ve got a couple of college free agents and they’re in the office and we’re talking to them, and we’re on the ice teaching them stuff … I love that. The hard part is when your team doesn’t play the way you want them to play and you see maybe a little bit of a slide. But that’s part of the process, right? Coaches are addicted to that stuff. So now that that’s happened, how do I get this team off the slide?
