Former Canucks assistant coach Mike Yeo headed for new opportunity

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The Vancouver Canucks announced on Tuesday afternoon that the club has parted ways with assistant coach Mike Yeo.

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Yeo was part of the coaching staff for the last two seasons and was largely responsible for the team’s penalty kill.

Yeo was originally hired under former head coach Bruce Boudreau and was seen as a key part of Rick Tocchet’s coaching staff. When Yeo’s name would come up over the past two seasons, both head coaches were effusive in their praise of the veteran assistant, who had previous head coaching experience in both Minnesota and St. Louis.

A source said Yeo, 50, was headed to a new opportunity “closer to home.”

The Canucks offered a one-year contract extension to Yeo, but he decided to explore other opportunities.

Yeo’s departure was on positive terms, another source said. The move caught some in the organization by surprise; he was well-liked by players and coaches alike.

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