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 two weeks after they missed the playoffs.
Now 61, Tocchet won the Stanley Cup as an assistant with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 鈥�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.
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AP NHL:
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
