Canucks HC Rick Tocchet finally addresses 'uncomfortable' Elias Pettersson–J.T. Miller rift - "Some stuff there even before I got here"

It was a difficult 2024-25 season for Rick Tocchet and the Vancouver Canucks. Issues off the ice led to struggles on the ice, and it took a toll on everyone involved.

It's well known that those off-ice problems stemmed from a rift between star players Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller. For the first several months of the season, speculation ran rampant about their relationship and the potential for either to be traded.

After all the drama and rumors, Miller was finally dealt back to the New York Rangers in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a first-round draft pick in late January. The hope was that the move would free up Elias Pettersson to find his game and help push the Canucks into the playoffs.

That didn’t happen, as Vancouver fell six points short of making the postseason.

On Friday afternoon, Tocchet was asked during his end-of-season media availability about the Pettersson-Miller situation. Sportsnet shared a clip of his response on X (formerly Twitter).

"There was some stuff there even before I got here. What level was it at? I don't know. They had really good years the year before... Did it get uncomfortable? Yeah. Lot of meetings, lot of things," Tocchet said.

"It just didn't work out. And I know everyone's looking for a bad guy, I don't know if there's a bad guy in the thing. It just didn't work out."

It's become clear that change was needed for everyone involved. It will be interesting to see whether Elias Pettersson, who still has seven years left on the eight-year, $92.8 million contract extension signed with the Canucks in 2024, remains a part of the team’s future plans.

Rick Tocchet's future in Vancouver is uncertain

It remains to be seen whether Rick Tocchet will be coaching the Vancouver Canucks next season.

The former NHLer’s contract expires this summer, and while the Canucks have said they want to keep him, no new contract has been signed. It’s fair to wonder if the drama from the 2024-25 campaign has worn Tocchet down to the point where he’d prefer a change of scenery.

Should Tocchet become available, teams would be lining up for his services. The Philadelphia Flyers have long been speculated to be a potential fit, given that he began his NHL career with the team.

More news about his coaching future should come within the next several weeks as Vancouver looks to reshape its organization heading into 2025-26.