How can the Canucks improve on a surprising and successful 2023-24 season and become a true Stanley Cup contender? We ask the coach.
Q: Last season went about as well as can be expected short of winning the Cup. How can you match or even exceed last year’s success?
Well, I have an analogy: You’re driving the ship, you know, it’s going to go off course a little now and then — when I got here it was, you know, like this (Tocchet turns his hands sideways) — but I don’t feel I have to grab this wheel. If I’m using that wheel too much, I think I’m over-coaching. I’ve got to be careful. So right now, I’ve got to let the other people help steer. I’ve got to stay out of certain things. I’m very conscious of coaches’ voices. I hate saying, “being around” a lot, but always being in people’s faces, you’ve got to be very careful.
I’m going into this year conscious of that. I’m not going to change who I am, but I have to allow guys to take control of the steering wheel.
Q: You had success with last year, which is nice, but your presence still has to be felt …
Correct. You know, we climbed, we climbed, and obviously hit the plateau there, and we lost. So don’t get me wrong, we have to get on the path of winning, and that’s where the high expectations are. And I’m going to have to pick and choose how I deal with the players. The one thing I’ll never change is the communication part. I’ll probably be even more in communication with individuals and more smaller groups, which, I think for me, is better.
Q: What is the thing you most took away from last season as the biggest lesson?
You have to peel back the onion. I tell the players that all the time. What do I have to do? There’s certain things I have to do a little different. We talked about offence: Can I open up the playbook a little bit? I’ve got to look at myself the way I handle the bench. Or certain individuals’ meeting times. Do we do smaller meetings? I have to dive into everything. I don’t want to change too much, but I’d be an idiot to say, “You know, I won an award, so I’m gonna sit back on my ass.” I mean, I’ll be out of this league in two seconds, if you think that way. I’m always conscious of that, because as a player I thought the same way.
Q: When as a player did you first realize that there were guys coming for you, that you might get bumped back?
Near the end of my career. The last three, four years. When I was in Philly, Justin Williams was there. And Simon Gagne. And they were pushing for my job. And I took the approach that they’re gonna have to wrestle me to get my job, but I’m going to help them. There’s some veterans, they’re awful to their young guys. I really respect the older players, when they help the young guys, even if they might take their job. I think that’s the best way to live.
Q: What was your advice to GM Patrik Allvin about how he should approach building the roster this summer?
Obviously, I like play without the puck. I think if you play well without the puck you’ll stay in most games. You can be most successful.
I thought the proof was in the pudding. We’re strong down the middle, and it’s a bigger defence. For the most part, we defended really well (last year). Saying that you acquire a Daniel Sprong, you acquire Jake DeBrusk, some guys that are high-event guys if they get the puck. That’s where I say, “Open up the playbook.” You might have to be a little more risky, but the reward … it has to be high.
Q: Winning the Jack Adams, did you allow yourself a moment to say, “You know, this really is pretty cool”?
Honestly, this is not a cheesy bit: It’s an organizational award. Everybody’s got to help you. That’s how things go right.
Q: You’ve said before you look at all kinds of places for ideas. So when you cast yourself outside of hockey, to think about coaching, to think about new things, what catches your eye? How do you find something you think that’s useful?
Oh, I’m definitely on the Internet. I’m looking at Instagram for the inspirational stuff. Or on coaching. Like (American sports commentator) Nick Saban.
Or I was listening to Mike Tomlin a while ago talking about, “Yeah, everybody’s capable, but what are you willing to do?” That resonated for me, to say to some of the players, “Yeah, you’re capable of this and this and that, but what are you willing to do?” And we didn’t go for it verbatim what he said, but one day, one of our messages was pretty much that.
You look at other coaches. Or I’ve talked to some other athletes. I’ve talked to Ray Lewis before, or Wayne Gretzky, about stuff. You pick other guys brains. Charles Barkley, he’s a buddy of mine. You pick their brains. How do star players get along? What if this guy doesn’t like that guy? You ask those questions. My philosophy is you try to find that message, whether it’s the day or the month or the year.
If I see something one night, the first thing I do in the morning is I bring it to a coach and say, “Hey, I have an idea. What about this?” And you ask this coach, “You’re going to see these three players today. Can you somehow get that message to those three guys?”
I don’t know if you can always do that in team meetings. I think you have to sometimes plant the seed to three or four guys, because now what do they do? They go in there and they start talking about it to a fifth guy, sixth guy, and all of a sudden that seed turns into a plant. Just like that.
I like that. I think coaching has to do more of that. I think that team meetings … heavy team meetings … we’re not going to do that as much anymore. Sure you have to have some. But I think this year, to me, is more about smaller groups or individual talks.