NHL Fans Left Divided as Rick Tocchet Returns to His NHL Roots With Philadelphia Flyers: ‘This Is Ridiculous’

The Philadelphia Flyers failed to take off again this season; they couldn’t make the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year. They finished the season 33-39-10, and John Tortorella made it clear as day that he was not the man for the job. “This falls on me. I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now,” Tortorella said in a surprisingly bold statement in late March.

“When you’re in this type of situation, and you’re losing all the time, and there’s nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there’s certainly going to be some frustration,” the former head coach added after his team lost game after game, falling out of the wildcard race. Naturally, the Flyers needed a reset, and now, after over a month after relieving Tortorella of his head coach duties, they’ve hired a Flyers veteran, Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet is a true Flyer in every sense of the word, as the now 61-year-old coach was once a power forward for the team. In fact, Rick Tocchet started his NHL journey with the Philadelphia Flyers when they drafted him in 1983. Now, decades later, Tocchet will coach the team that helped him launch his hockey career. Unfortunately, the entire fan base doesn’t see the return of the Flyers’ veteran as a cause for celebration.

While many are on board, others aren’t. “This hiring is ridiculous,” said one fan. “Lavvy (Peter Laviolette) should’ve been the man that was re-hired. He’s a proven winner in the NHL as head coach, and Rick Tocchet hasn’t won anything as an NHL head coach. Signing a former Flyers player as head coach was not the correct way to go,” argued the fan.

Back where Tocc belongs. pic.twitter.com/pJFRC5QMOg

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) May 14, 2025

This story is developing…

The post NHL Fans Left Divided as Rick Tocchet Returns to His NHL Roots With Philadelphia Flyers: ‘This Is Ridiculous’ appeared first on EssentiallySports.