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With the NHL offseason being in full swing for many teams, the coaching carousel continued to spin Tuesday with its eighth opening.
After the Vancouver Canucks chose not to pick up the option on Rick Tocchet’s contract for the 2025-26 season, they tried to get a new deal done, but that never materialized. Now the two sides are going their separate ways, and Tocchet released a statement on the split.
“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes the opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities in and around hockey.”
In his two-plus years with the Canucks, Tocchet led the team to an overall record of 108-65-27. In 2023-24, Vancouver won the Pacific Division and reached the second round of the playoffs with Tocchet at the helm.
In perhaps the biggest coaching move of the offseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they were parting ways with Mike Sullivan after 10 seasons. The Penguins qualified for the postseason in seven of those seasons, including winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. However, Pittsburgh failed to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the past three seasons, which prompted the organization to make a change behind the bench.
“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons.
“He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization. This was not a decision that was taken lightly, but as we continue to navigate the Penguins through this transitional period, we felt it was the best course forward for all involved.”
The Seattle Kraken, New York Rangers and Anaheim Ducks have also made coaching changes since the regular season ended. There are also three teams with interim head coaches conducting full searches this offseason.
As teams fill their vacancies, keep track of all the coaching movement right here at CBS Sports.
Team
Former coach
New coach
Anaheim Ducks
Greg Cronin
TBD
Joe Sacco (interim)
TBD
Anders Sorensen (interim)
TBD
New York Rangers
Peter Laviolette
TBD
Brad Shaw (interim)
TBD
Pittsburgh Penguins
Mike Sullivan
TBD
Seattle Kraken
TBD
Vancouver Canucks
Rick Tocchet
TBD
