Around a week after reports that Vancouver Canucks Quinn Hughes and Thatcher Demko would not be joining Team USA for the IIHF Men’s World Championships, Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet explained that he would not be joining Team Canada’s coaching staff. 

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“It’s a hell of an honor to represent Canada. I’m a Canada guy. You know, with hockey, it’s been a long year. I don’t know if I’m gonna give you the best version of me, so I think it’s better I just sit in the sidelines. It’s a tough one, but that’s how I feel,” Tocchet said during his end of season media availability. 

Tocchet was one of four Assistant Coaches on Team Canada’s bench during the 4 Nations Faceoff in February. This, as well as the Canucks’ regular season, totals to 86 games coached this season. While Team Canada ultimately won the entire tournament, the Canucks’ season fell off the rails pretty quickly. 

“Obviously it’s not the season you want. You know, you hear different words on what a disaster, and things like that. Then you look, probably only two, three, whatever points from the playoffs, but that doesn’t curtail that we didn’t make the playoffs. So we have to look at each other, what could have been different. And that’s for longer conversations.”

The Canucks’ Head Coach is currently awaiting a contract extension that would see him return to the team in the 2025–26 regular season. While it may be easier for Tocchet to want to get this settled right away, he knows that at the end of the day, it’s a process. 

“I do have to take a breath and go through that. I think, out of respect for both sides, you have to go through the process,” he said of finalizing his contract. “Obviously, there’s a time frame, but right now for me, there’s a process I’ve got to go through with, with Jim and Patrick, and that’s really where it's at.” 

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