The Philadelphia Flyers made it official on Wednesday, May 14, 2025: Rick Tocchet has returned "home" to Philadelphia as the 25th head coach in Flyers franchise history. He will be formally introduced at a press conference on Friday at Wells Fargo Center.
Tocchet, of course, had two memorable Flyers' stints as a player. A fan favorite power forward who worked his way up the lineup and became a 40-plus goal scorer and 200-plus penalty minute player, Tocchet came up through the organization from 1984-85 to the latter part of the 1992-93 season. He served as team captain after Ron Sutter was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
As an older power forward, the Flyers Hall of Fame member finished his career back in the Orange and Black from March 2000 until his retirement in 2001-02. He was inducted in the Flyers Hall of Fame in 2021.
Following the end of his playing days, Tocchet spent 23 years outside of the Flyers' organization. He periodically worked as a part-time or full-time studio broadcast commentator. Primarily, however, Tocchet worked in coaching. He had assistant coaching stints with the Avalanche, Coyotes, Lightning and Penguins. He also had head coaching tenures with Tampa Bay, Arizona and Vancouver for the last three years.
Tocchet, now 61, has seen his career come full circle.
"I’ve always been a Flyer at heart and have taken that passion and energy that embodies this city and organization with me throughout my career,” Tocchet said.
“I want to thank Danny Briere, Keith Jones and Dan Hilferty for this honor and opportunity. I couldn’t be more excited to lead this team back among the NHL elite where we belong. We have a lot of work to do and much to accomplish, but I am confident in the direction we are heading and determined to get us there.”
According to Briere, Jones and Tocchet alike, "Tocc's" ascension to the head coach job is not geared towards evoking nostalgia or sentiment. The focus, they say, is on the team's future and not the past.
First and foremost, the General Manager and President of Hockey Operations cite the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award winner's reputation for having solid communications with his players.
“What is impressive about Rick is that players gravitate towards him and develop a strong relationship in the process. There is a genuine trust that he will do everything he can to bring success to the team," Jones said.
Briere added, "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.”
Players who have played under Tocchet say that he is straightforward and honest with players -- blunt as needed -- but is not one to embarrass players in front of teammates or to the media. Having been a player himself under a wide array of coaches (ranging from the likes of Mike Keenan to Roger Neilson and Scotty Bowman to Jim Schoenfeld), Tocchet absorbed lessons on what worked --- or failed to resonate.
Likewise, when he turned to coaching, Tocchet picked up elements from the various coaches with whom he worked or opposed. He synthesized these elements with his own ideas and beliefs.
"It's funny," Tocchet said on Nov. 16, 2021, the night of his Flyers Hall of Fame induction.
"There were definitely times when I played when our coach did something where I'd agree or disagree, but I didn't always get the reasoning at that moment. Then, when I started coaching, sometimes I'd think, 'Oh, THAT'S why Keenan or Bowman or whoever did what he did that time.' But you don't try to copy. You learn and try to find what works for you,"
In terms of systems, Tocchet stresses a box-plus-one own zone coverage style. He wants bodies and sticks taking away passing lanes and minimizing chances from the middle of the ice. Weak side coverages are not optional for the high forward in the defensive zone.
On breakouts, Tocchet wants "north" play with pace. As with mostly every coach, he wants his team moving up the ice as "connected" five-man units. Contrary to some evaluations, Tocchet does not want to play old-fashioned dump-and-chase hockey. He does want a hard forecheck in both the offensive and neutral zones.
Tocchet's systems are relatively straightforward. Most players have experienced similar elements. Every coach has some variations and preferences, but the majority of his players understand where they're expected to be and what's being asked of them to do.
Tocchet is not generally a yeller. If he raises his voice, it's usually geared at the entire team and not to single out one or two players. He'll correct and repeat things within a reasonable limit. It's when things become too frequent in the coach's mind that a player may sit.
A former NHL player familiar with Tocchet from either side of the bench said of him in 2022, "Tocc isn't a mystery to his players. Everyone knows of his toughness as a player but his coaching style isn't to try to intimidate. He'll get tough if he has to, but most players understand he's the boss."
Flyers Governor Dan Hilferty said that Tocchet's leadership style is precisely why the entire front office feels that he's the right man to lead the team through the crucial next few seasons.
"Rick’s track record speaks for itself. He has not only been successful at different stages of his career, but he has a way of connecting with his players and staff," Hilfert said.
" I strongly believe that he is the ideal person to unite and lead us towards our ultimate goal of building this team into a perennial contender again.”
