Tocchet comes home to be new head coach of Flyers' rebuild originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Danny Briere and Keith Jones have their guy.

The Flyers tabbed Rick Tocchet as their new head coach Wednesday. Tocchet, a Flyers Hall of Famer revered by the organization, will lead a team that has been in transition for a while now, trying to take the next step.

For Briere, the Flyers’ general manager, and Jones, the president of hockey operations, this was their first head coaching hire. It’s one that could define their rebuild.

“I am very happy to welcome Rick Tocchet as our head coach,” Briere said in a statement released by the team. “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, 61, has always adored the organization, despite winning three Stanley Cups with the rival Penguins — one as a player and two as an assistant coach. His accomplished playing career was bookended by the Flyers. He started (1984-85) and finished (2001-02) in Philadelphia, spending parts of 11 seasons with the Flyers.

He referred to the Flyers as a family ahead of his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“That’s why I’ll always have Flyer blood in me,” Tocchet said in October 2021. “I don’t care if you go other places, you win Cups other places … the relationships, the people that I’ve met over the years being in the organization, it has just been incredible. The Flyers helped me become a man, which I’ll always be grateful for.”

The Tocchet hire comes just about four weeks after the Flyers’ 2024-25 season ended at 33-39-10. The team undeniably regressed in its rebuild, finishing tied with the Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s worst record. The step backward resulted in John Tortorella being fired with nine games left in the season.

“That’s the toughest part of the rebuild, is going through this,” Briere said after the coaching change. “I really hope that this is the bottom, this is rock bottom for us, today, and this is the turnaround.”

What likely drew the Flyers to Tocchet were his connections to the front office and his coaching style. Briere and Jones know what they’re getting in Tocchet as a person and communicator. Both were teammates with Tocchet, so the relationship is already strong.

“We are thrilled to have Rick lead our team into the future,” Jones said in a statement released by the team. “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.”

Tocchet gives the Flyers their desired blend of demanding but also lenient. While he likes the game to be played hard, he’ll also provide his players some leash. Quinn Hughes, a talented puck-mover on the back end, won the Norris Trophy (top defenseman) at 24 years old in Tocchet’s first full season as the Canucks’ head coach.

That 2023-24 campaign in Vancouver has been the best of Tocchet’s coaching career. He won the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year), leading the Canucks to 50 wins and 109 points. Vancouver took the eventual Western Conference champion Oilers to seven games in the second round.

This season, the Canucks had a drama-filled year and finished with 90 points (38-30-14) to miss the playoffs. Tocchet and Vancouver split a little over two weeks ago. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said Tocchet wanted to be closer to his family on the Eastern part of the United States.

Tocchet’s head coaching résumé may be a bit skewed from his four seasons with the Coyotes, one of the NHL’s most challenging markets at the time. But Tocchet is not rich with playoff success. Over his three stops, he has been to the postseason twice and his 11 victories are tied with former Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol.

The Flyers would love to see him change that narrative in Philadelphia. They’ve missed the playoffs in five straight seasons, matching the franchise’s longest drought. Their last trip was in 2020 and that came in the Toronto bubble because of COVID-19. So the Flyers haven’t had a postseason game in Philadelphia since 2018.

The club has a critical summer ahead with many assets. Since May 2023, Briere has done good work putting the rebuild in position to potentially take the necessary steps. The Flyers won’t be a top contender next season, but they want to better. They need to have more answers moving forward.

They hope Tocchet is a big one.

Now they’ll need to build Tocchet’s staff. Will Brad Shaw be back? Who will be the power play coach?

The Flyers’ offseason has begun.

Sources: Flyers in process of hiring Tocchet as new head coach of their rebuild originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Danny Briere and Keith Jones have their guy.

The Flyers are in the process of tabbing Rick Tocchet as their new head coach, sources confirmed Wednesday. The team is working to finalize the steps to get it done. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported the news.

Tocchet, a Flyers Hall of Famer revered by the organization, will lead a team that has been in transition for a while now, trying to take the next step.

For Briere, the Flyers’ general manager, and Jones, the president of hockey operations, this was their first head coaching hire. It’s one that could define their rebuild.

Tocchet, 61, has always adored the organization, despite winning three Stanley Cups with the rival Penguins — one as a player and two as an assistant coach. His accomplished playing career was bookended by the Flyers. He started (1984-85) and finished (2001-02) in Philadelphia, spending parts of 11 seasons with the Flyers.

He referred to the Flyers as a family ahead of his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“That’s why I’ll always have Flyer blood in me,” Tocchet said in October 2021. “I don’t care if you go other places, you win Cups other places … the relationships, the people that I’ve met over the years being in the organization, it has just been incredible. The Flyers helped me become a man, which I’ll always be grateful for.”

The Tocchet hire comes just about four weeks after the Flyers’ 2024-25 season ended at 33-39-10. The team undeniably regressed in its rebuild, finishing tied with the Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s worst record. The step backward resulted in John Tortorella being fired with nine games left in the season.

“That’s the toughest part of the rebuild, is going through this,” Briere said after the coaching change. “I really hope that this is the bottom, this is rock bottom for us, today, and this is the turnaround.”

What likely drew the Flyers to Tocchet were his connections to the front office and his coaching style. Briere and Jones know what they’re getting in Tocchet as a person and communicator. Both were teammates with Tocchet, so the relationship is already strong.

Tocchet gives the Flyers their desired blend of demanding but also lenient. While he likes the game to be played hard, he’ll also provide his players some leash. Quinn Hughes, a talented puck-mover on the back end, won the Norris Trophy (top defenseman) at 24 years old in Tocchet’s first full season as the Canucks’ head coach.

That 2023-24 campaign in Vancouver has been the best of Tocchet’s coaching career. He won the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year), leading the Canucks to 50 wins and 109 points. Vancouver took the eventual Western Conference champion Oilers to seven games in the second round.

This season, the Canucks had a drama-filled year and finished with 90 points (38-30-14) to miss the playoffs. Tocchet and Vancouver split a little over two weeks ago. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said Tocchet wanted to be closer to his family on the Eastern part of the United States.

Tocchet’s head coaching résumé may be a bit skewed from his four seasons with the Coyotes, one of the NHL’s most challenging markets at the time. But Tocchet is not rich with playoff success. Over his three stops, he has been to the postseason twice and his 11 victories are tied with former Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol.

The Flyers would love to see him change that narrative in Philadelphia. They’ve missed the playoffs in five straight seasons, matching the franchise’s longest drought. Their last trip was in 2020 and that came in the Toronto bubble because of COVID-19. So the Flyers haven’t had a postseason game in Philadelphia since 2018.

The club has a critical summer ahead with many assets. Since May 2023, Briere has done good work putting the rebuild in position to potentially take the necessary steps. The Flyers won’t be a top contender next season, but they want to better. They need to have more answers moving forward.

They hope Tocchet is a big one.

Now they’ll need to build Tocchet’s staff. Will Brad Shaw be back? Who will be the power play coach?

The Flyers’ offseason has begun.

Source: Flyers in process of hiring Tocchet as new head coach of their rebuild originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Danny Briere and Keith Jones have their guy.

The Flyers are in the process of tabbing Rick Tocchet as their new head coach, a source confirmed Wednesday. The team is working to finalize the steps to get it done. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported the news.

Tocchet, a Flyers Hall of Famer revered by the organization, will lead a team that has been in transition for a while now, trying to take the next step.

For Briere, the Flyers’ general manager, and Jones, the president of hockey operations, this was their first head coaching hire. It’s one that could define their rebuild.

Tocchet, 61, has always adored the organization, despite winning three Stanley Cups with the rival Penguins — one as a player and two as an assistant coach. His accomplished playing career was bookended by the Flyers. He started (1984-85) and finished (2001-02) in Philadelphia, spending parts of 11 seasons with the Flyers.

He referred to the Flyers as a family ahead of his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“That’s why I’ll always have Flyer blood in me,” Tocchet said in October 2021. “I don’t care if you go other places, you win Cups other places … the relationships, the people that I’ve met over the years being in the organization, it has just been incredible. The Flyers helped me become a man, which I’ll always be grateful for.”

The Tocchet hire comes just about four weeks after the Flyers’ 2024-25 season ended at 33-39-10. The team undeniably regressed in its rebuild, finishing tied with the Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s worst record. The step backward resulted in John Tortorella being fired with nine games left in the season.

“That’s the toughest part of the rebuild, is going through this,” Briere said after the coaching change. “I really hope that this is the bottom, this is rock bottom for us, today, and this is the turnaround.”

What likely drew the Flyers to Tocchet were his connections to the front office and his coaching style. Briere and Jones know what they’re getting in Tocchet as a person and communicator. Both were teammates with Tocchet, so the relationship is already strong.

Tocchet gives the Flyers their desired blend of demanding but also lenient. While he likes the game to be played hard, he’ll also provide his players some leash. Quinn Hughes, a talented puck-mover on the back end, won the Norris Trophy (top defenseman) at 24 years old in Tocchet’s first full season as the Canucks’ head coach.

That 2023-24 campaign in Vancouver has been the best of Tocchet’s coaching career. He won the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year), leading the Canucks to 50 wins and 109 points. Vancouver took the eventual Western Conference champion Oilers to seven games in the second round.

This season, the Canucks had a drama-filled year and finished with 90 points (38-30-14) to miss the playoffs. Tocchet and Vancouver split a little over two weeks ago. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said Tocchet wanted to be closer to his family on the Eastern part of the United States.

Tocchet’s head coaching résumé may be a bit skewed from his four seasons with the Coyotes, one of the NHL’s most challenging markets at the time. But Tocchet is not rich with playoff success. Over his three stops, he has been to the postseason twice and his 11 victories are tied with former Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol.

The Flyers would love to see him change that narrative in Philadelphia. They’ve missed the playoffs in five straight seasons, matching the franchise’s longest drought. Their last trip was in 2020 and that came in the Toronto bubble because of COVID-19. So the Flyers haven’t had a postseason game in Philadelphia since 2018.

The club has a critical summer ahead with many assets. Since May 2023, Briere has done good work putting the rebuild in position to potentially take the necessary steps. The Flyers won’t be a top contender next season, but they want to better. They need to have more answers moving forward.

They hope Tocchet is a big one.

Now they’ll need to build Tocchet’s staff. Will Brad Shaw be back? Who will be the power play coach?

The Flyers’ offseason has begun.

Reports: Tocchet coming home to be new head coach of Flyers' rebuild originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Danny Briere and Keith Jones have their guy.

The Flyers are tabbing Rick Tocchet as the club’s new head coach, according to multiple reports. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported the news.

Tocchet, a Flyers Hall of Famer revered by the organization, will lead a team that has been in transition for a while now, trying to take the next step.

For Briere, the Flyers’ general manager, and Jones, the president of hockey operations, this was their first head coaching hire. It’s one that could define their rebuild.

Tocchet, 61, has always adored the organization, despite winning three Stanley Cups with the rival Penguins — one as a player and two as an assistant coach. His accomplished playing career was bookended by the Flyers. He started (1984-85) and finished (2001-02) in Philadelphia, spending parts of 11 seasons with the Flyers.

He referred to the Flyers as a family ahead of his induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“That’s why I’ll always have Flyer blood in me,” Tocchet said in October 2021. “I don’t care if you go other places, you win Cups other places … the relationships, the people that I’ve met over the years being in the organization, it has just been incredible. The Flyers helped me become a man, which I’ll always be grateful for.”

The Tocchet hire comes just about four weeks after the Flyers’ 2024-25 season ended at 33-39-10. The team undeniably regressed in its rebuild, finishing tied with the Bruins for the Eastern Conference’s worst record. The step backward resulted in John Tortorella being fired with nine games left in the season.

“That’s the toughest part of the rebuild, is going through this,” Briere said after the coaching change. “I really hope that this is the bottom, this is rock bottom for us, today, and this is the turnaround.”

What likely drew the Flyers to Tocchet were his connections to the front office and his coaching style. Briere and Jones know what they’re getting in Tocchet as a person and communicator. Both were teammates with Tocchet, so the relationship is already strong.

Tocchet gives the Flyers their desired blend of demanding but also lenient. While he likes the game to be played hard, he’ll also provide his players some leash. Quinn Hughes, a talented puck-mover on the back end, won the Norris Trophy (top defenseman) at 24 years old in Tocchet’s first full season as the Canucks’ head coach.

That 2023-24 campaign in Vancouver has been the best of Tocchet’s coaching career. He won the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year), leading the Canucks to 50 wins and 109 points. Vancouver took the eventual Western Conference champion Oilers to seven games in the second round.

This season, the Canucks had a drama-filled year and finished with 90 points (38-30-14) to miss the playoffs. Tocchet and Vancouver split a little over two weeks ago. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said Tocchet wanted to be closer to his family on the Eastern part of the United States.

Tocchet’s head coaching résumé may be a bit skewed from his four seasons with the Coyotes, one of the NHL’s most challenging markets at the time. But Tocchet is not rich with playoff success. Over his three stops, he has been to the postseason twice and his 11 victories are tied with former Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol.

The Flyers would love to see him change that narrative in Philadelphia. They’ve missed the playoffs in five straight seasons, matching the franchise’s longest drought. Their last trip was in 2020 and that came in the Toronto bubble because of COVID-19. So the Flyers haven’t had a postseason game in Philadelphia since 2018.

The club has a critical summer ahead with many assets. Since May 2023, Briere has done good work putting the rebuild in position to potentially take the necessary steps. The Flyers won’t be a top contender next season, but they want to better. They need to have more answers moving forward.

They hope Tocchet is a big one.

Now they’ll need to build Tocchet’s staff. Will Brad Shaw be back? Who will be the power play coach?

The Flyers offseason has begun.

According to PuckPedia, the Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed center Rodrigo Abols to a one-year, one-way contract worth $800k, bringing some continuity to the organization's forward depth for the 2025-26 season.

Abols, 29, made his NHL debut nearly nine full years after being drafted, suiting up for the Flyers in a 2-1 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 21.

The Riga, Latvia, native was solid in limited minutes, scoring two goals, three assists, and five points in 22 games while quietly posting an elite 58.4 faceoff win percentage.

Abols' ability to play center and wing certainly played a part in the Flyers' decision to keep him around, as did his overall solid season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

In 47 regular season games with the Phantoms, Abols potted 15 goals, 17 assists, and 32 points while playing in North America competitively for the first time since March 8, 2020.

You may recall that the Flyers took a swing on the 6-foot-4 forward last summer, giving Abols a chance out of the SHL and signing him to a one-year contract worth league-minimum ($775k) on June 15.

And, in seven Calder Cup playoff games, Abols scored two goals.

Looking forward, Abols constitutes a group of depth Flyers forwards that also includes the likes of Anthony Richard, Jacob Gaucher, rookies Karsen Dorwart and Devin Kaplan, and Nick Deslauriers.

Abols will be 30 years old when his new Flyers contract expires on July 1, 2026.

The 1986 post-season will go down as another unforgettable run in Calgary Flames history.

For starters, it was a whirlwind of a regular season for the Flames, who went 23-12-6 after overcoming a then-franchise record eleven-game losing streak from Dec. 14, 1985 to Jan. 7 1986.

Their efforts resulted in a second-place finish in the Smythe Division, second only to provincial rivals, the titanic Oilers, led by Wayne Gretzky who scored 215 points that season, the MOST by any player in a regular season in NHL history (remember this).

Gary Suter won the Calder Memorial Trophy as best rookie of the season. 

The Flames swept the Winnipeg in the first round and then beat the Presidents' Trophy-winning Edmonton with the Hart Memorial Trophy winner Gretzky (yes, that 200+ point scoring guy) in seven games.

Rookie of the year Suter had a team-high five assists. His seven points were the second-highest in the series alongside teammates Hakan Loob, Joe Mullen and Oilers’ Glenn Anderson, trailing only The Great One’s 13 points.

This was a big moment in league history as this team, that came second to Edmonton in the Smythe Division by a mammoth 30 points, took down the big and mighty Oilers, and stopped them from potentially pulling off a historical Stanley Cup five-peat for the greatest player in hockey. Edmonton had won the Stanley Cup the two years before (1984, 1985), and would go on to win in the two years after (1987, 1988). 

Sadly, this is the only flex Flames fans can have over Oilers fans as Calgary has never beaten Edmonton in any playoff series since.

The Flames then beat St. Louis in seven games to win the franchise's first Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as conference champions and advance to the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals. Al MacInnis and Paul Reinhart led the series with 10 and eight points respectively.

The Flames became the first team from Calgary to reach the Finals since the Calgary Tigers of the WCHL in 1924.

Unfortunately, after winning their first game, Calgary got topped by the Prince of Wales Conference champions Montreal Canadiens in four consecutive games to lose the series 4-1.

While the Flames did not claim Lord Stanley’s Cup that season, they produced a memorable season that resonates with Flames fans, and be remembered for years as the squad that denied immortality status for Gretzky.

The only team in NHL history that has won the Stanley Cup five years in a row are the 1956-60 Montreal Canadiens.

Fortunately, Calgary would have to wait only three more years to finally reach the mountain top in 1989. Nine of the Flames’ players from the 1986 Finals' squad would go on to lift the cup.

These finals were also against the Canadiens that consisted a lot of the 1986 Finals' roster, so a bit of payback was rightfully due.