Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has been on the job for less than two years, yet is now the tenth longest-tenured head coach in the NHL. Tocchet moved into the tenth spot after the Detroit Red Wings fired Derek Lalonde on Thursday. Lalonde was replaced in Detroit by Todd McLellan, who fans from Vancouver will remember from his days with the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers and L.A. Kings.
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The Red Wings are the fourth team this season to make a head coaching change, joining the Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks. Since Tocchet was hired on January 22, 2023, 22 teams have made coaching changes, including six of the other seven teams in the Pacific Division. The constant changes are a good reminder that a coach’s time behind the bench can be short, as Lalonde was only in his third season before being fired.
As for Tocchet, he continues to climb the Canucks all-time coaching wins list. The 2024 Jack Adams Trophy winner’s 87 wins rank ninth in franchise history, while his .638 points percentage ranks first. As for his entire career, Tocchet sits 64th all-time in wins with 265 and is one away from tying Eddie Johnston for 63rd.
Vancouver will not need to wait long to see McLellan as they welcome Detroit to Rogers Arena on February 2, 2025. McLellan has the 24th-most wins in NHL history and is two wins away from 600 for his career. This will be the second time McLellan, who also spent time coaching in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos, will be behind the bench for the Red Wings, as he was an assistant coach from 2005-08.
