Jets’ Bowness, Canucks’ Tocchet add Canadian flavour behind all-star benches in Toronto

Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets and Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks will join Boston’s Jim Montgomery and Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers as head coaches at the NHL all-star game in Toronto.

The league issued a news release Sunday saying the head coaches of teams with the highest points percentage in each of the four divisions through Saturday’s games will guide the four all-star rosters.

The Central Division-leading Jets (28-10-4) have the best points percentage in the NHL at .714.

The Pacific Division-leading Canucks (29-11-3) are next at .709 ahead of the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins (.702, 25-8-9) and the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers (.659, 26-13-2).

Tocchet will be making his second career trip to the all-star game as head coach (2020) to go along with four appearances during an 18-year NHL playing career.

Bowness will make his all-star head coaching debut at the Feb. 3 game at Scotiabank Arena.

For Laviolette, this will be his fourth appearance as a head coach (2011, 2015, 2018), which is the most among active coaches.