The Philadelphia Flyers announced Wednesday that Rick Tocchet will serve as the 25th head coach in franchise history, and he was easily the best candidate available for the job. Given his track record as a successful assistant and head coach, Tocchet could be an intergral part of the Flyers rebuild going forward.
After skating 11 seasons in Philadelphia, the former Flyers captain is familiar with the city and the team's brand of hockey. He actually holds the franchise record for most penalty minutes by a player and is a member of the Flyers Hall of Fame.
Tocchet joins Philadelphia after choosing not to renew his contract with the Vancouver Canucks at the end of the season. He was one of the top candidates for coaching vacancies across the league, and has the potential to bring the Flyers back to the winning ways of the past.
What went wrong in Vancouver?
It's not that Tocchet failed with the Canucks. Quite the opposite, in fact -- Tocchet led the Canucks to a 50-win season in 2023-24. After finishing as Pacific Division champions that year, Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach.
But during the 2024-25 season, the Canucks entered a downward trajectory due to a number of factors. Key players like Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson were not performing in the way Vancouver needed, and an injury to starting goalie Thatcher Demko put a real damper on the team's success.
Even Canucks G.M. Jim Rutherford recognized that Tocchet may have been dealt "a totally different hand this year", compared to Vancouver's previous stellar season.
"We believe that -- and I believe that -- Toc and his coaching staff did as good a job coaching this team this year as they did the year before when he was coach of the year," Rutherford told reporters at the end of the season.
That's not to mention the behind-the-scenes issues, like the locker room tension which directly led to the trade of J.T. Miller. The Canucks lost a player who finished with 103 points in 2023-24 and were unable to replace that offense. Given the holes in Vancouver's roster, Tocchet decided to explore the coaching market and found a great fit in Philadelphia.
How Tocchet can elevate the Flyers
Tocchet is stepping into his new role with a team that's in the middle of a retool, a situation he's familiar with. He coached the Arizona Coyotes for parts of four seasons, bringing that team from last place in the Pacific in 2017-18 to a playoff appearance in 2019-20.
The Flyers have some good pieces to shape a team around that include proven 30 goal-scorer Travis Konecny, who's tearing it up at the World Championships for Team Canada. Matvei Michkov is coming off a strong rookie season with 26 goals and 63 points through 80 games.
Philadelphia also has plenty of room to grow. With the salary cap increasing in 2025-26, the Flyers are projected to have over $24 million in cap space to play around with per Puckpedia. Add seven picks in the first two rounds of this year's draft, and all of the pieces are there to make some aggressive moves as early as draft day.
With a deep free agent market that includes Boeser, Panthers forward Sam Bennett, and reliable defensemen like Aaron Ekblad and Neal Pionk, there's no shortage of talent to bring on board and bolster the young Flyers roster.
Some people speculate that Tocchet has the potential to become a Rod Brind'Amour type leader -- someone who played for the team he now coaches, understands the system, and can maximize the potential in the roster he's given.
He's developed into what people consider to be a "players' coach" -- one that communicates well and the players can rely on. Tocchet has worn many hats over his hockey career, playing up and down the lineup as an NHLer and serving on coaching staffs in multiple different roles. This gives him the ability to connect with his players on a deeper level.
"Rick's ability to teach and understand his players, combined with his passion for winning, brings out the best in young players at different stages of their development and has earned the respect and confidence of highly talented All-Stars and veteran players alike."GM Daniel Briere, in a press release
Tocchet also has experience as an assistant coach, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins as a member of their staff.
Current GM Daniel Briere actually spent time playing alongside Tocchet in Arizona from 1997 to 2000, and had nothing but good things to say back in 2017 when Tocchet was named head coach of the Coyotes.
"He has a strong presence, commands a lot of respect and for me as a young guy who spent a summer working out with him, you have no choice but to follow suit,” Briere told Arizona Sports at the time. “He’s a natural leader."
Now, Briere will see that in action again and will need to provide Tocchet with the best roster possible in order for him to flourish once more.