The Philadelphia Flyers hired Rick Tocchet as their coach Wednesday, hoping his return to the franchise will push them out of an extended rebuild and into playoff contention.
Tocchet spent 2 1/2 seasons in Vancouver and won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2023-24 for guiding the Canucks to a 50-win season and first place in the Pacific Division. He did not have a contract moving forward and decided not to sign another with the Canucks two weeks after they missed the playoffs.
Now 61, Tocchet won the Stanley Cup as an assistant with Pittsburgh in 2016 and '17 and played more than a decade with Philadelphia in separate stints at the start and end of his career. This is his fourth head-coaching job after time with Tampa Bay, Arizona and Vancouver.
"I couldn't be more excited to lead this team back among the NHL elite where we belong," Tocchet said. "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."
Tocchet takes over less than two months after the Flyers fired John Tortorella with nine games left in another losing season for a franchise that hasn't reached the playoffs since 2020. Brad Shaw finished out the string as interim coach and was considered for the full-time role.