A former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach is up for the NHL's Coach of the Year award.

PITTSBURGH – In his first full season as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Rick Tocchet has been named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award. Tocchet has helped the Canucks to one of their best seasons in recent memory with the best record in the Pacific Division.

The Canucks finished the season with a 50-23-9 record and are currently leading the Nasvhille Predators 3-2 in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canucks have been called “Penguins West” thanks to the number of former players, coaches, and executives that currently play in Vancouver.

With Tocchet leading the players, the Canucks entered the postseason as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders and sent six players to the 2024 All-Star Game. Tocchet joined the Canucks as one of the coaches at All- Star Weekend.

Tocchet spent three seasons as assistant coach of the Penguins and helped put together the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in 2016 and 2017.

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