(photo: NHL, https://www.nhl.com/)
Let’s talk about the Canucks. This season was supposed to be different. After topping the Pacific Division last year, most fans thought the Canucks were finally gonna make it. Instead, the 2024–25 season ended up being one to forget.
They wrapped the season with a 38–30–14 record — not terrible on paper, but not enough to make the playoffs. Injuries didn’t help, but that wasn’t the whole story. Elias Pettersson didn’t quite look like himself. He even admitted, “I know I can play better. I need to be better for the team.” That pretty much sums up the vibe for the year — potential, but too many missed steps.
Middle of the season with the trade of J.T. Miller, that didn’t help at all, or basically ruined the team chemistry once and for all. He was one of the few guys who always wore his heart on his sleeve. “Not any part of me ever wanted to go somewhere else,” he said earlier this year. “Why would I want to leave something that I’ve always been looking for?” Still, he was gone — and the team never quite looked the same after that.
Flashing back. Quinn Hughes led with 76 points and played like a true captain, even through all the chaos. And he gave full credit to coach Rick Tocchet: “He’s an amazing coach… he’s been amazing for me — amazing for a lot of guys.”
(photo: NHL, https://www.nhl.com/)
So when Tocchet announced he was stepping down after the season, that hurt. He said, “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes the opportune time.” You can respect that. And still feel the sting. Jim Rutherford put it best: “We did everything in our power to keep him, but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change.”
The final game — a 4–1 loss to Vegas — felt like the season in a nutshell. Some fight, some flashes, but just not enough. Hughes summed it up after the game: “It’s such a disappointing year, I’m not even going to look ahead to anything. Just go home, enjoy myself, and probably put my phone away and see what happens.”
For Canucks fans, it’s another chapter in a long story that still doesn’t have a happy ending. For now, let’s enjoy the break and focus when we are back for the new season.