I confess, when Rick Tocchet stepped down as Canucks coach a day after the Penguins parted ways with long-time coach Mike Sullivan, the wheels began to turn.
After all, it would be easy enough to connect the dots. A warrior winger renown for his ferocity during his playing days, Tocchet was a driving, two-fisted force behind the Pens’ second Cup triumph in 1992 and won two more Cups while serving as an assistant to Sullivan. An assignment that re-launched Tocchet’s head coaching career.
There was a time a couple of years ago when I would’ve swapped out Sully for Tocchet, and gladly.