Flyers Leading Race for Rick Tocchet

The Philadelphia Flyers are on the verge of hiring Rick Tocchet as their next head coach.

Nov 19, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet on the bench against the New York Rangers during the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

It wasn’t long after the Vancouver Canucks announced head coach Rick Tocchet would not return as head coach that he became the most coveted free agent bench boss in the league. Quite a few teams expressed interest and conducted interviews with the former Canucks coach, but one team appears on the verge of making an official hiring.

Numerous reports have indicated the Philadelphia Flyers have emerged as front runners after making an aggressive push. According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, a source within the league reached out to him about an initial hunch he had a few weeks ago.

“I doubted Philly… Someone who’s really a good person in the league,” Friedman said. “He called me and said ‘What was the first thing that you talked about when Tocchet left Vancouver?’ I said Philly. He said ‘Never go against your instincts. Stay with your instincts.’”

With new reports indicating that the Flyers are closing in on a deal with Tocchet, Friedman believes that match is sure to be made official soon.

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“I think it was his way of telling me Philly,” Friedman said. “I’m hearing it’s coming.”

Friedman added that the Flyers interviewed other big-name coaching free agents like former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft. Options like Brad Shaw and Jay McKee were also part of the Flyer’s search, but it’s hard to beat the connection between Philadelphia and Tocchet.

During his time as a player, Tocchet spent two stints with the Flyers and was briefly their captain during the 1991-92 season. He played 621 games with the Flyers over the course of his 18-year NHL career, scoring 508 of his 952 career points with the orange and black.

Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach following the 2023-24 season thanks to leading the Canucks to a 50-23-9 record in his first full season in Vancouver.

It seems like only a matter of time before the Flyers officially end their coaching search with Tocchet as their newest bench boss.

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