<a href='https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rick-tocchet-turbulent-season-1.7522118' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Rick Tocchet left the Vancouver Canucks this off-season</a>, Jim Rutherford has opened up on the process, revealing why the two sides couldn't make a deal. After a promising 2023/24 campaign, many believed that <a href='https://www.nhl.com/canucks/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>the Vancouver Canucks</a> had what it took to push for a deep Stanley Cup run this past season, but unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the most disappointing years in franchise history. Not only that, but now, the team have parted ways with Head Coach Rick Tocchet, who reportedly turned down a deal worth $25 million over five years, a decision that changes the direction of the Canucks franchise. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1917309557912805409'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Now, President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford has opened up on the process of talking to Tocchet about a potential extension, and ultimately, he revealed that it was Tocchet's desire to return to the East Coast and be closer to family that led to his decision. I'll start off with what he started off, saying this is the toughest call I've ever had to make, and he's been a long time friend. He will be forever, and he did a terrific job here. It was really trending, in my opinion, towards him staying, because every conversation Patrik Allvin and I had with him was about what took place during the season. What he'd like to do different in the off season, and do different at camp, do different next year. Talked about different players. And of course, there was a period of time going through a negotiation, but at the end of the negotiation, that did not affect his decision. So he has some things going on that he's working through now. I believe he's sincere and saying that he wants to get back to the east, closer to his family, and we'll see where that takes him. But we're thankful for what he did, and we wish him all the best. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Tocchet turned down Vancouver's offers, and with job openings in <a href='https://www.nhl.com/penguins/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Pittsburgh</a>, <a href='https://www.nhl.com/bruins/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Boston</a> and <a href='https://www.nhl.com/flyers/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Philadelphia</a>, there's plenty of opportunities for him to remain as a Head Coach in the NHL while being closer to family. Ultimately though, this will be a bitter pill to swallow for Canucks fans, as they moved on from Bruce Boudreau simply to bring Tocchet into the Head Coach role, and now, with major question marks over the roster, they've got another huge decision to make soon.