Flyers hire former player Rick Tocchet as coach

NHL: Washington Capitals at Vancouver Canucks

Jan 25, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet looks on from the bench against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Tocchet, 61, spent parts of 11 seasons with the Flyers during his playing career.

Now, he rejoins the franchise to effectively replace John Tortorella, who was fired in March with the team limping toward its fifth straight season without a playoff berth. Brad Shaw took over as the interim coach of the Flyers, who finished tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with a 33-39-10 record (76 points).

“I am very happy to welcome Rick Tocchet as our head coach,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said in a release. “During this process it became clear that Rick was the absolute right coach to lead our team. He has enjoyed the highest level of success both as a player and coach. 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.”

Tocchet parted ways with the Vancouver Canucks after his three-year contract expired at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

He was only one season removed from earning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year, when Vancouver won the Pacific Division and later lost to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Canucks failed to make the playoffs this season, going 38-30-14 (90 points) and finishing six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild-card berth.

Tocchet had previous head-coaching stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning (2008-10) and Arizona Coyotes (2017-21). He replaced Bruce Boudreau behind the Canucks’ bench in January 2023.

He has a career NHL coaching record of 286-265-87 in the regular season and 11-11 in the postseason. He was 108-65-27 in Vancouver, plus 7-6 in the playoffs.

Tocchet played 18 seasons from 1984-2002, tallying 952 points (440 goals, 512 assists) and 2,970 penalty minutes in 1,144 games with six teams. He made three of his four All-Star teams with the Flyers and won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992.

–Field Level Media