New Canucks coach Rick Tocchet just ‘blocks out’ noise, wants to ‘create safe place’ in locker room for players

Welcome to Vancouver.

Please delete your Twitter account, and if you haven’t, do not go to your mentions.

Amid a myriad of problems plaguing the plunging Vancouver Canucks — National Hockey League-worst penalty kill, second most goals allowed, coughing up five or more goals on 20 occasions, blowing multiple-goal leads and in a contract-extension impasse with highly-productive captain Bo Horvat — new head coach Rick Tocchet was warned Sunday of a rabid and highly-responsive fan base.

It’s intelligent, irrational and instantly present on Twitter with takes that are often highly critical.

“I’ve been in this league for 30-plus years as a player and coach and there has been a lot of noise,” said Tocchet. “You just block it out. That’s why I like to create a locker room that’s a safe place because we live in a world of distractions — they’re everywhere.