Culture.

It乌鸦传媒檚 a word that is used extensively in sports and in business.

There are different interpretations of it but when you ask Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Rick Tocchet to come up with a definition, the response is a quick one.

乌鸦传媒淐ulture to me is doing the right things every day - earning every day. We乌鸦传媒檙e owed nothing and I feel the message that the players have bought into is that every day we have to earn our day. And that乌鸦传媒檚 how you build culture. There is no entitlement 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 about earning. I call it the two E乌鸦传媒檚. Either you乌鸦传媒檙e going to be a team that乌鸦传媒檚 entitled or team that earns it and I think we乌鸦传媒檙e a team that wants to earn it every day,乌鸦传媒� Tocchet explained after the game day skate prior to the contest against the St. Louis Blues at Rogers Arena on Friday night.

Building that culture is an ongoing process. Success, they say, is a journey and not a destination. It乌鸦传媒檚 about constantly trying to find ways to improve through the 乌鸦传媒榮taples乌鸦传媒� that Tocchet mentions on a regular basis - staples such as discipline, a consistent work ethic, attention to detail and holding one another accountable.

The good news is that the organization is trending in the right direction when it comes to building that culture.

Tocchet and his staff are holding players accountable to a level that wasn乌鸦传媒檛 seen with previous head coach Bruce Boudreau. As much as the players liked Boudreau, to a man they will agree that there is a different standard now.

乌鸦传媒淔or sure, yeah,乌鸦传媒� Brock Boeser replied when questioned about there being more accountability with Tocchet. 乌鸦传媒淚n general, he乌鸦传媒檚 not afraid of calling someone out if they乌鸦传媒檙e not doing their job. That乌鸦传媒檚 one of the things he said from the start is that there is going to be more accountability around here and he乌鸦传媒檚 been good with that.乌鸦传媒�

It乌鸦传媒檚 something that Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has also noticed.

乌鸦传媒淚 do (think there乌鸦传媒檚 more). He乌鸦传媒檚 so smart that he sees things that maybe other coaches would let slide. He乌鸦传媒檚 really on the details. He乌鸦传媒檚 not crazy about it and yelling at guys every meeting but he wants to work with the players. He doesn乌鸦传媒檛 want to embarrass anyone. He just wants to teach and help us get the best out of each individual,乌鸦传媒� Hughes stated.

Tocchet, however, will take more of a direct approach if needed to make sure his message is getting across.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 not afraid to call someone out if they乌鸦传媒檙e not doing their job. That乌鸦传媒檚 one of the things that he said from the start - that there乌鸦传媒檚 going to be more accountability around here. So he乌鸦传媒檚 been good with that,乌鸦传媒� said Boeser.

Better yet, Tocchet has communicated to his leadership group to hold the players accountable amongst themselves.

乌鸦传媒淲hen Rick came in last year, we started talking about that. Guys have become better with each other when it comes to communicating and talking about that aspect. I think we kind of set the standard and we want to continue to build on that,乌鸦传媒� noted Boeser.

For Tocchet, a positive sign in that regard was how the team responded to a lacklustre effort in a 2-0 loss in Philadelphia on their recent five-game road trip.

乌鸦传媒淲e stated the fact. The leadership group knew where we were at and they chipped away at it and I thought we got better each game (afterwards). To me that乌鸦传媒檚 a positive sign - that they乌鸦传媒檙e running the room and not the coaches. Obviously, we have to guide the team and do our thing but I really like it when there乌鸦传媒檚 a little bit of a brush fire and the players can put it out. It doesn乌鸦传媒檛 always have to be the coach. If you don乌鸦传媒檛 put out those little fires, they become forest fires and I think our leadership group has done a nice job of getting to the problems before they get to me,乌鸦传媒� said Tocchet

But building that culture doesn乌鸦传媒檛 stop in Vancouver, it乌鸦传媒檚 a focal point with the AHL farm team in Abbotsford and down the line according to Tocchet.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檒l actually take it a step further for you. I think that乌鸦传媒檚 important that you know what is a Vancouver Canuck? What are our values? How do we practice? How do we play? What乌鸦传媒檚 important to us? I think that乌鸦传媒檚 really what it comes down to. It乌鸦传媒檚 the (Mike) Komisareks, the (Chris) Higgins乌鸦传媒� and the (Mikael) Samuelssons that are running our player development. They乌鸦传媒檙e preaching what we乌鸦传媒檙e talking about. And then all of a sudden, it乌鸦传媒檚 a conveyor belt. Now they go to Abbotsford where Jeremy Colliton, who is a great coach, takes it. So now they get to us. You don乌鸦传媒檛 have a finished product, but at least you got some parts to work whereas sometimes you have an 18-year-old player that really hasn乌鸦传媒檛 been taught and now you get him at 23 and you have to re-teach him things,乌鸦传媒� explained Tocchet.

Tocchet and his staff have a lot of currency with the players for a couple of reasons.

It乌鸦传媒檚 easier to get players to buy in to your program when you乌鸦传媒檙e winning 乌鸦传媒� which is what the Canucks are doing now 乌鸦传媒� because winning reinforces the process.

Then throw in the fact that Tocchet has three Stanley Cup rings to his credit and knows what it takes to win in the NHL, which is something that hasn乌鸦传媒檛 gone unnoticed by his players.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 a guy that乌鸦传媒檚 been there and done it. He understands how the players might feel. He乌鸦传媒檚 done everything we乌鸦传媒檙e trying to do. He loves the game and has a lot of passion for it and understands at a high level. He has a high compete level and just wants to win. He乌鸦传媒檚 going to give the players the best opportunity to perform at their best,乌鸦传媒� said Hughes.

Despite the Canucks solid start to the season which saw the team improve to 5-2-0-0 after knocking off the Blues by a score of 5-0, life in the NHL is only going to get tougher according to Tocchet.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 great (the start). We all wanted it. I was just worried that guys would be too tight but I felt they were sticking with the process. The mental toughness乌鸦传媒�it乌鸦传媒檚 going to get harder. If guys think it乌鸦传媒檚 not going to get hard, well it乌鸦传媒檚 going to get really hard. So we have to embrace that it乌鸦传媒檚 going to get harder,乌鸦传媒� said Tocchet.

The good sign for the hockey club is that it appears to be better-equipped to handle the grind of an 82-game NHL season given what they乌鸦传媒檙e building in that dressing room.

Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 乌鸦传媒渢he Moj乌鸦传媒� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.