Rick Tocchet barely had a chance to get accustomed to the Pacific time zone when the newly hired Canucks coach wondered what exactly he had just gotten himself into in late January 2023.
Four days and two games into his tenure, Tocchet recalled the feeling of dread he experienced standing on a Vancouver street corner at 3 a.m. after the team returned home from Seattle following a 6-1 loss, in which the coach referred to the Canucks being “soft.”
“I felt like I got hit by a bus,” Tocchet told The Associated Press this week. “And actually, my assistant coach, Sergei Gonchar, pulled me aside and said, `Listen, we just got here. You just got to relax.’”
The memory stands as a moment of validation for Tocchet, who at the time was second-guessing his decision to leave what he called “a nice comfy job” in broadcasting to take on a Canucks team on its third coach in three seasons.
Don't call them 'sanitary' products! World
Commentary: U.S. needs to honor commitments with actions to improve ties with China
Senior Chinese leaders attend deliberations at annual legislative session
'The Full English will never die out!' Greasy spoon fans speak up for the Great British Fry
COVID origins tracing is on US’ ‘anti
Village in E China's Shandong thrives on Spring Festival couplets industry
Commentary: Honduras made the right decision on ties with Beijing
PSG loanee Ekitiké scores winner as Eintracht Frankfurt beats Augsburg
Village in E China's Shandong thrives on Spring Festival couplets industry
WNBA moving date of its preseason game in Canada to avoid potential conflict with NHL playoffs
China's rural vitalization breathes new life into agriculture, villages