Vancouver, B.C. - The National Hockey League (NHL) announced today that Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet has been named the winner of the Jack Adams Award for the 2023.24 season as “the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.” Tocchet becomes the third Canucks head coach to win the Jack Adams award, joining Pat Quinn (1992) and Alain Vigneault (2007).
“Rick has done a great job bringing alignment and accountability to our group,” said Jim Rutherford, President, Hockey Operations. “From day one, he has delivered a clear message about how we want to play and what it means to be a member of the Vancouver Canucks. His leadership has really helped us take a step forward this season, and I look forward to seeing more progress next year.”
“Toc has created a true partnership between the players, coaches and staff,” said Patrik Allvin, General Manager. “He has held people accountable and worked very hard in putting a process in place for everyone to follow. Our staples and structure will help guide this group for years to come. I am very impressed with the job he has done this season and I am excited to see what lies ahead for this team under Toc’s direction.”
Tocchet, in his first full season as head coach, led the team to a 50-23-9 record, their best regular season record since 2011.12 and the team’s first division title since the 2012.13 season. The Canucks finished sixth in the league in goals for, up from 13th last season, and tied for fifth in goals against, a 20-spot improvement year over year, and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2014.15 season.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Aquilini family, Jim and Patrik for providing me this incredible opportunity,” said Tocchet. “This really is a team award, and I couldn’t have done any of this without the support of our staff and complete buy-in from the players. I am truly honoured and humbled by this achievement and look forward to getting back to work this summer as we continue to work on improving our hockey team. Vancouver is a passionate hockey market and our fans were a huge part of our success this season.”
Ten players had career-seasons under Tocchet in 2023.24, including captain Quinn Hughes, who recorded 92 points this season to lead all defencemen, set numerous franchise records, and was named a finalist for the Norris Trophy, while Thatcher Demko finished with a career-high 35 wins and .918 save percentage, and was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy.
In 556 career regular season games as a head coach split between Tampa Bay, Arizona and Vancouver, Tocchet has amassed a 248-235-73 record, along with two playoff appearances and two playoff series wins. He is also a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, having won as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015.16 and 2016.17.
The Scarborough, ON native was originally hired on January 22, 2023, as the 21st Head Coach in franchise history.
