Rick Tocchet Sends a Message to Elias Pettersson Ahead of the Four Nations Faceoff
Elias Pettersson hasn't been at his best this season, and now Rick Tocchet has given him a clear message as he returns to play for Sweden at the Four Nations, a tournament that could completely turn his season around in Vancouver.
This season has been a mixed bag for Elias Pettersson in Vancouver, as he has struggled to get back to the 100-point form we saw in 2022/23, but with J.T. Miller now traded, all signs point hopefully towards a rejuvenation.
Now, he's got another opportunity to turn things around as he rejoins his fellow countrymen for the Four Nations Face Off, with the star studded Swedish team expected to be a strong candidate to win the tournament.
So, what message does Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet send to Pettersson ahead of the tournament? When asked he kept it incredibly simple:
Sure, Tocchet understands that this is a serious tournament with bragging rights ahead of the 2026 Olympic Games on the line, but this will be a chance for EP40 to get comfortable with his buddies, and it's a chance to wipe the slate clean in 2025.
At 26-years of age, the talent in Pettersson remains, as he has the ability to be one of the best players in the entire NHL when he's on his game, but clearly this season he's gotten in his own head, with no help from the media in Vancouver, so if he can have fun at this tournament and get back to playing a simple game, it could be the best possible outcome for the Canucks.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Tom Wilson | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Alexander Ovechkin | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Brendan Gallagher | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Josh Doan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Pierre-Luc Dubois | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Guenther | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Victor Hedman | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack McBain | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Strome | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Guentzel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Michael Carcone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Christian Dvorak | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zemgus Girgensons | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nick Paul | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden Point | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cam Atkinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| John Carlson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nick Desimone | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 56 | 39 | 14 | 3 | 81 | |
Capitals | 55 | 36 | 11 | 8 | 80 | |
Oilers | 55 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 72 | |
Stars | 55 | 35 | 18 | 2 | 72 | |
Golden Knights | 56 | 33 | 17 | 6 | 72 | |
Panthers | 57 | 34 | 20 | 3 | 71 | |
Hurricanes | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Wild | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Maple Leafs | 55 | 33 | 20 | 2 | 68 | |
Avalanche | 57 | 33 | 22 | 2 | 68 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||