Rick Tocchet addresses why he deleted his Twitter account before becoming head coach in Vancouver

The worst kept secret in hockey finally got its official reveal Sunday when the Vancouver Canucks fired coach Bruce Boudreau, to be replaced immediately by Rick Tocchet. Tocchet, a former player and coach, had been working with the NHL on TNT as an analyst before getting hired by Vancouver. The broadcast is known for its more relaxed atmosphere and, as part of it, Tocchet had created a verified Twitter account that he used fairly often. That account was deleted on the day he was officially hired by the Canucks. Tocchet was asked about it during his first news conference in Vancouver Sunday, and said things are different now.

"I had it when I was on your side, prompting TNT," said Tocchet when answering reportering. "Now as a head coach, it was time to get rid of it."

There were some screenshots floating around Twitter of things Tocchet had purportedly liked. This included a tweet from TMZ regarding Miley Cyrus and adult entertainment.

Tocchet's relationship with TNT is what led to what must be one of the most awkward head coach firings in NHL history. As part of his contract with the broadcast, Tocchet had to wait at least a month after resigning before working anywhere else. Word that he's been hired by Vancouver was leaked around three weeks ago, meaning Boudreau knew he'd been replaced long before he was fired.

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