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.
Rangers option rookie Jack Leiter 1 day after he allowed 7 runs in his major league debut
World awaits Chinese tourists' return
Upcoming Met Gala exhibit aims to be a multi
Upgraded farmhouses winning Jizhou more visits
'Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' review: Guy Ritchie amps up WWII heist
Key moments of the NBA season, from the championship rings to the postseason field being set
The WEF’s chairman is still alive and well, despite claims online
Rihanna showcases her impeccable style in a quirky fur coat as she secures front
Canton Fair sees surge in number of overseas purchasers: official
Fiorentina fights back to draw with Genoa as both suffer from VAR decisions