VANCOUVER — There have been days this season when walking into the office was a bit like walking into a minefield for Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.
The Canucks have experienced a string of unexpected absences early in the campaign — and Tocchet has been greeted with bad news more than once.
"Sometimes you walk in the morning and it's ‘Hey, this guy can't play, this is happening,'" the coach said Wednesday.
"I can't go in there and start like, ‘Oh my god, what am I to do?’ The players need to see that I’ve got a next-man-up mentality. That's really what it comes up to. And then you deal with the other situations as they come.”
Vancouver's all-star goalie Thatcher Demko missed the first two months of the season recovering from a knee injury. Winger Dakota Joshua didn't get into the lineup until mid-November as he worked his way back from treatment following an off-season cancer diagnosis.
Sniper Brock Boeser was sidelined for nearly three weeks and missed seven games with a concussion in November. Star centre J.T. Miller is still on an indefinite leave for personal reasons.
“There's a lot of stuff that's hit us, with injuries and Demmer out — you go down the list," Tocchet said. "Sometimes it's a good thing. Builds scar tissue, it builds character, and it builds fight in your team.”
Vancouver got a key piece back Tuesday night when Demko made his first start of the season in the Canucks' 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Other players appear poised for a return soon, too, including Derek Forbort, who could be back in the lineup Thursday when Vancouver hosts the Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers.
The 32-year-old defenceman has played just four games since signing with the Canucks as a free agent July 1.
He stepped away from the team in mid-October to deal with the death of his father, then returned for a road match against the San Jose Sharks in California on Nov. 2. He was hurt in the next practice and hasn't suited up for a game since.
"It sucked. It was just kind of a freak kind of collision kind of thing on a pretty harmless kind of drill," Forbort said. "But that stuff happens in hockey. And you’ve just got to keep grinding.”
Despite the absences, the Canucks remain above the playoff bar with a 14-8-5 record. The club has points in five of its last six outings.
The team's tight-knit nature has helped, Forbort said.
“It’s just a close group in here. We’ve had so many call-ups and those kids come up and they’ve kind of integrated themselves into the culture pretty well and they played good hockey. And it’s been fun to see them," he said.
“Hopefully we can kind of get all those pieces back and get everyone accustomed to each other again. And really get rolling.”
The Canucks may have another vital piece coming soon as Miller nears his return. The 31-year-old forward took morning skate Tuesday and practised with his teammates on Wednesday.
Miller had a career-high 103 points last season and put up six goals and 10 assists in 17 games before taking a leave from the team last month. His last game was Nov. 17.
Getting him back will mean a lot to the Canucks, said winger Conor Garland.
“He's a big presence. And I think he's a big presence on and off the ice. Obviously, he's one of the best players in the league," he said.
"So we're lucky to have him. And any time a guy like him . . . Demmer, guys like that, miss time, it hurts. But just to get him back in the fold, that’ll be good for us.”
While a healthier roster gives Tocchet fresh options out on the ice, he's found that patching holes has brought lessons, too.
This season's difficulties have taught the coach — winner of last season's Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top bench boss — to step back and try to look at situations differently. He's also trying to prioritize relationships and communication to help both his team and individual players weather the adversity.
"It's important that it's not always about x and o's and hockey and where you fit on the team," Tocchet said. "It's really about life sometimes.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press