While the Philadelphia Flyers fired head coach John Tortorella on Thursday, the rumors of their next leader are already ramping up, and a former Flyers legend is among the list of names.
Despite the Vancouver Canucks' desire to keep their current head coach Rick Tocchet, TSN insider Pierre LeBrun notes that he is the only NHL coach currently on an expiring contract, giving him flexibly to entertain options, such as the Flyers position, after the season.
Tocchet recently noted that he is not thinking about his current contract while the Canucks find themselves in a playoff race and would be interested in contract negotiations only after the season concludes for Vancouver. In three seasons with the Canucks, Tocchet has amassed a 104-61-25 record and took home the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award after guiding the club to a 50-23-9 mark.
LeBrun said he can see Tocchet’s future going in several different directions, including throwing his hat in the ring for coaching opportunities outside of Vancouver. Given his history in Philadelphia, Lebrun adds that speculation will rightly ramp up surrounding mutual interest between the coach and organization.
In 11 seasons as a player in Philly, the fiery power forward recorded 508 points to go along with a hefty 1,815 penalty minutes. Already a fan favorite from his first stint with the team, Tocchet’s return to Philly for his final two-and-a-half seasons secured his legacy as one of the organization’s most beloved players. Following his playing career, Tocchet also served as a post-game analyst in Philly for several seasons.
With the season winding down, LeBrun added that the Flyers will rightly wait until after the season to begin their coaching search. LeBrun speculated on a few additional names, including Joel Quenneville (who is eligible to return to coaching), University of Denver coach David Carle, and current interim coach Brad Shaw.
This is the second interim head coaching position for Shaw, who experienced a similar situation with the New York Islanders during the 2005-06 season when head coach Steve Stirling was fired. Shaw guided the Isles to an 18-18-4 record and was not retained. He has since bounced around the league in various assistant coaching roles.
