Garland Proving His Worth & Tocchet's Coaching Genius Mirroring Ali's Rope-a-Dope
Taking a look at how Conor Garland is proving his worth this season, comparing Rick Tocchet's coaching to Muhammad Ali's rope-a-dope, and more!
Welcome to the THW Vancouver Canucks Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Canucks writers.
In today’s edition, we have Conor Garland proving his worth this season on the third line with Dakota Joshua and Teddy Blueger, comparing Rick Tocchet’s system to Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope, getting to know new Canuck Nick Cicek, and more.
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Now on to the good stuff!
Canucks’ Conor Garland Proving His Worth in 2023-24
December 18, 2023 by Scott Clarke
Conor Garland‘s time in Vancouver up to this season has been lackluster. Much has been made about his salary ($4.95 million per year), a potential trade request and how he has not produced enough since being a Canuck to warrant the money being given to him. This season, however, Garland has put together his best season in the blue and green despite scoring at a career-low rate.
Tocchet’s Canucks Coaching Genius Mirrors Ali’s Rope-a-Dope
December 17, 2023 by The Old Prof
So, what does the “rope-a-dope” boxing strategy employed by Ali in his bout against Foreman have to do with Vancouver Canucks hockey? The answer is that, in the ebb and flow of hockey games, Canucks’ Rick Tocchet has been coaching his team to assume a tactical approach that bears a surprising resemblance to Ali’s legendary boxing strategy.
In this post, I’ll take the opportunity to dissect Tocchet’s coaching methodology and draw what I believe are parallels with Ali’s iconic tactic.
Former WHLer Nick Cicek Brings Size, Toughness & Leadership To Canucks
December 16, 2023 by Matthew Zator
Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin has been a busy man this season in the trade department. Since the beginning of September, he has added Casey DeSmith, Sam Lafferty, Mark Friedman, Ty Glover, and Nikita Zadorov to his coffers. Apart from Glover, who is playing in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings, they have all made an impact on the current roster and have helped the Canucks to a historic 20-9-2 record.
The latest acquisition by Allvin will likely stay in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the time being but adds to the team's depth. That is 6-foot-3, 201-pound defenceman Nick Cicek. He isn’t a flashy addition by any means, but neither was Chris Tanev or Alex Burrows, and they turned out to be pretty significant pieces of contending teams.
Let’s dive in and find out more about the Canucks’ newest face.