Canucks’ Coach Rick Tocchet Says ‘I Feel Like Sean Payton’ after Blowout Preseason Loss

After a 10-0 blowout loss in a preseason game against Calgary Flames on Sunday, Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet cracked a candid joke to open his postgame press conference.

"I feel like Sean Payton," Tocchet quipped, according to Sportsnet's Dan Murphy.

Earlier on Sunday, Coach Payton's Denver Broncos lost to the Miami Dolphins in a 50-point blowout, with the Dolphins' 70 points butting up against an NFL record.

Although the Flames' 10 points didn't break any NHL records, double-digit losses in hockey are rare. Calgary scored four goals in the first period, then added three goals in the second period and three more in the third. Seven different players on the Flames scored, with forward Matt Coronato getting a hat trick.

"You've gotta learn. You've gotta learn from your mistakes," Tocchet said after the game. He commended his team for trying and not quitting.

Last year, the team ended with a 38-37-7 record, finishing 11th in the Western Conference. Tocchet was hired as the Canucks' coach in January, after the team fired Bruce Boudreau amid Vancouver's struggles.

Vancouver has not made the NHL Playoffs since the 2019-2020 season, where the Canucks lost in the second round.