Former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet refused a contract offer that was deemed lucrative, and the full details of how much he would have been paid leaked. The Vancouver Canucks made it official on Tuesday: Rick Tocchet will <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/rick-tocchet-will-not-be-returning-as-canucks-head-coach-per-elliotte-friedman' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>not return as head coach next season.</a> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/NHLNetwork/status/1917670291733373097'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Despite speculation of his potential departure swirling for weeks, many were holding out hope the two sides could reach an agreement on a new contract. Afterward, there was speculation about why Tocchet chose to depart. Some wondered if the organization lowballed him, but that speculation doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Multiple reports indicate the Canucks made a serious offer: a five-year deal for $25 million, or $5 million annually. That would have placed Tocchet among the NHL's highest-paid coaches. VAN reportedly offered Tocchet a 5x$5M, and he still walked. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/spittinpicklets/status/1917627867808293183'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> To provide some perspective, Mike Sullivan, who was the Pittsburgh Penguins' coach until his recent dismissal, was the league's highest-paid at $5.5 million per year. He was followed by Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper ($5.3M), New York's Peter Laviolette and Colorado's Jared Bednar (both at $4.9M), and Vegas' Bruce Cassidy ($4.5M). Clearly, Vancouver's offer was competitive. <h3>Tocchet wanted a fresh start and a change of scenery</h3> So if it wasn't the money, what was it? All signs point to Tocchet simply wanting a change of scenery. With a number of coaching vacancies around the league, it looks like he's wanting to explore some new possibilities, ones that may offer a fresh challenge or a better personal fit. Though losing Tocchet is a setback, the willingness of the Canucks to offer that type of cash says everything: they're <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/nhl-analysts-reveal-potential-canucks-head-coach-replacements-for-rick-tocchet' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>serious about obtaining and paying for the proper leadership</a>. The search is on now for a new bench boss, one on the same page as the organization and able to take this team to the next level.