OverDrive - Tocchet on the becoming the Flyers head coach, the progression in Philadelphia and the departure from Vancouver

Episode Date: May 21, 2025

Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach Rick Tocchet joined OverDrive to discuss his hiring with the Flyers, leading the team as a coach, the landscape in Philadelphia on the roster, the departure from Vancouver and the experience in a Canadian market, the progression of the team and more.

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Tickets at Cirque du Soleil dot com. Here's that coach of the Flyers, Rick Tauke. Do you know the fight we're referencing here Rick? Yeah, I got to defend myself. Okay, because I get kind of ripped on that like how I can hit a guy with his down so Paul Baxter who was a Who's a tough player, but he was you know, he's pretty dirty guy and about a minute before that He's I honestly just missed me with a stick almost hit me in the eye Like it wasn't like a spear but it was close to be in a spear The wires crossed and then we squared off obviously the videos to show that and I hit him like I connected he went down

But I was still pissed right because it's like yeah, this goes took my ass. So I wanted another shot So that's I'm defending myself. Okay Totally reasonable where We totally understand. Do you have any fights in the playoffs? How many did you have in the playoffs? Well, you got to remember back then, like mid 80s, even like early 90s, there's more fights than there is now. maybe it's stupid or not. But you know, with, you know, when it's one teams up by three or four, the last last four minutes would probably take a half hour back then. And I think they've they've cleaned it up for the better. I mean,

you don't want just guys fighting it in. But you want to send messages and all that stuff. So yeah, there was there was a lot of fights back then 100%. Yeah, for sure. Well, you're back in Philly as the head coach and I'm curious, you know, as a you were a Flyers legend as a player. How does how does that translate into being a coach like the whole market knows you? They all love you. They all remember you as a player, you know, like is there a reintroduction? Do you feel like you've got a kind of in a way let the market know, okay, I'm this is a coach, even though I was that as a player. What's this transition going to be like for you?

Yeah, I mean, so, you know, obviously a big part of my career is in Philly, you know, as a kid. And back then, Mr. Snyder on the team was a family atmosphere. Really helped me shape my career, as a person too. But I've been gone for like 25, a lot of years. So I know the narrative, bringing old flyers back and they haven't done well the last bunch of years, but I've been gone.

Learned a lot of new things on my way, different people, different ideas. So to me it's a win-win. I know the area, I know the organization, where they want to go. Obviously when you have Comcast back in your team with the resources, I mean they got the state of the art stuff, the new, I mean the Prax facility and you know even being in the arena walking around they have all the tools. That's great. Love the plan by Danny and Jones here put in place place. I think it's a win-win

for me. They feel that the next couple years they still want to grow the team before they really swing the bat, I guess. They've got a ton of cab space the next couple years. I don't know, it's just the plan. I'm back on the East Coast, it's a good fit. Talk, there's been a lot of talk in the toronto market about the media the coverage fairness unfair just leaving vancouver yeah how did you view being in a canadian market do you think there was some stuff where you're like this isn't really necessary to cover a hockey team or is it

passion from the fan base passion from everyone caring about what's going on just your overall view of a Canadian market. Well, I was in Vancouver and it's like, you know, you're dealing with 25 guys a day. See, I think it's a positive, like, I'm sure other markets are craving, you know, they're craving for attention and media. Now listen, obviously, there comes with a price. You know, I had a really good relationship with the guys in Vancouver. I mean, you got the odd little tiff here and there. I think the one thing that we both appreciate each other,

respect, is I try to educate them on things I see and believe. I think when you educate the press, they give you, it's not they give you a break, they appreciate that. Now, if you're giving them one word answers and you're defending every decision, then they could be in trouble.

I thought Chief did a hell of a job in Toronto and I think he welcomes that pressure and dealing with those guys. Same thing with myself in Vancouver. But I remember, you gotta dig your line in the sand everyone, so I remember one of the couple your line in the sand everyone. So I remember one of the couple of guys were throwing crap on the wall where, I didn't give Vessar an assistant captain.

You know when you rotate the assistant captains and they made a big deal after you. Well I disrespect those trained deadline and talk in the organization disrespecting Mark Vessar. Well I think it's okay as a head coach to call a couple of guys out and say, that's not the truth. There's no disrespect. And we patched up these, I patch coach to call a couple of guys out and say, you know, that's not the truth.

There's no disrespect. And we patched up these, I patched up with a couple of guys, but I think it's important that coaches can call out the press if they're throwing stuff on the wall. So I don't know if I answered your question, I think it's a welcome thing because you're getting the attention and every organization wants the attention. So how hard was it to navigate last season compared to the season before where everything fell into place and then last year it just, you know, between injuries and then, you know, the Pedersen Miller stuff, there was just, it felt like, again, from the outside, and

this is us viewing from a long range away, that it felt like you were putting out fires left and right. You know, how difficult in contrast were the two seasons? Yeah, you're right, Nils. I think if you look here before, a lot of things went right. Not many injuries. I mean, what do you have? Seven guys went, six or seven guys went the All-Star game.

Yeah. Our road record was good. Our home record was really good. There's a lot of good things, positives going. And then, you know, last year we just couldn't, there's just no traction, you know, whether it was, yeah, and we don't, you know, coaches don't like to use excuses for injuries,

we, you know, couldn't get a full lineup in. Obviously the PD Miller thing was, you know, obviously a front page thing that we're dealing with. You know, you know, you assign different free agents. Like, you know, there's a lot of different moving parts and, you know, you assign different free agents. You know, there's a lot of different moving parts and, you know, I gotta take some responsibility where, you know, can I have done some different things?

Yeah, I mean, I take a deep dive every year. I think as a coach, you gotta evolve. Can't be the same guy. I mean, obviously, you are who you are, but there is certain part of you you gotta evolve as a coach and maybe you learn from sort of those things when you have like a tough year like that it but I will say I got to Give a lot of I'm gonna give a lot of those guys

kudos because I don't know what two or three points out of the playoffs for What we went through as a group I? Hang in there and almost get a shot at the layoff last week or two of the class I got I really commend the players but saying that you know we all have to take responsibility With Rick talk it um I found it interesting last week, Adam Foote, when he was announced as the head coach and he spoke with the media, he was talking about some of the things you and he had gone over. And obviously, he was with you in Vancouver, I'm sure he's a close friend of yours. I'm curious how often that happens, how rare that happens. I mean,

I understand this is a unique scenario because you and Adam are close, but do coaches help each other out? Like now that you're in Philly, would you reach out to John Tortorella and pick his brain on what he saw when he was there? Like how does that work in the coaching fraternity? Yeah, great question. I have a little bit of a roundtable guys that I call like coaches, NHL coaches. I mean I've really actually got to know Pete DeBoer. I knew Butcher before that, but the four nations, I've been close with Ku for a while now. So it kind of helps me to have those type of guys if you have to pick the brain obviously You know we're not sharing stuff because we're playing each other

But there's some stuff that we do help each other obviously Craig Borubey Probably talked the most him and Travis Green a lot this year. I've been over the years of picking brains So I'm a guy. I don't like to have a huge List of people you want to call because I think you get confused but there are some guys are when there's decisions to be made or Checking up on a guy or something or you're ready to hire a guy. There's certain guys you call because you really trust them So yeah, that's what that's what I try to do with Rick talk it So you mentioned that you really kind of liked the the vision of the Flyers brass down there with Danny Breyer and everyone down there and

what they're trying to do in the future you know you're walking into a scenario it was a tough year last year for the Flyers especially down the stretch so you know how I guess the the question that I'm sure everyone in that market is wondering and everyone outside of Philly is gonna is gonna ask you and we'll ask you right now is but how quickly can you turn this around and and will be difficult to to show patience because you know maybe it may be it a tough start

you know you're one anyway in terms of wins and losses yeah so you know to answer that the best of it you know i'm gonna probably use the most overworked the best and I'm going to probably use the most over word and probably you guys will puke as a process, right? So, um... Come on, Grant, give us something better. Do you guys have a different word? I got to come up with a different word.

Community maybe? I don't know. I can't keep using that because it's making me puke, but I will say, um, I, you know, from the plan with Dan and Jonesy and they know me like, you know, I gave him a game plan. Like when a player walks in the rink, you know, what is he getting? And I think that's what we got. You know, that's what I try to supply the player.

You know, is there trust? Am I maximizing his talent? Am I, you know, am I putting him in the right situation? Am I putting the team in the right situation? Are the departments that they have now, they have the science, they have the strength coach, is everyone saying the same message, the same messaging? That's what you're really going to be judged on and when you do those things right, the results will happen.

So how quickly, I don't know. I do know these guys have patience. I mean, even talking to Danny, you know, hey, what about this guy, this guy? And it's like, well, we're not ready for this guy yet. Maybe next year, that type of player, that kind of money. So I think they're preaching patience, but I think they're looking to see people develop. You know, like, you know, there's some really good hockey players, like an Owen Tipett, you know, is there another level for that guy? Big guy, strong, can shoot and skate, you know, where can you take him, things like that. We know the weaknesses of our team that we got addressed.

Let's say the community or whatever the word is, like I said, I got to find that word, but just the process to the end result of the wins and losses that everybody wants. Doc, you just mentioned all the things available, the sports science, the, like do you ever think organizations may look into just shrinking that? Because although they're all trying to help and a lot of them do help, it seems like it's almost the crutch for some guys where if something's going, like it just seems like the guys that get it

and know how to get to the deal which is playing great and consistent, they just do it. They're not like veering off going to that guy or this guy. They have a plan, they're very focused and they execute. Yeah, honestly, you're exactly right. You don't want people tripping on each other. You don't want excuses.

You don't want like something doesn't go right, it's right away, they abandoned that thought, they wanna go something else. You gotta be careful, and you gotta make sure that the departments are speaking the same way as you. And there's not, people trip on each other. You know, sometimes people think the more is better, that's not true.

I think you gotta just kinda find that sweet spot. I'm looking forward to meeting the staff in Philly. I know there's a lot of good people there and just making it a cohesive group. And make sure that we're taking care of the players, but we're not tripping on each other. So what do you make in watching the playoffs now and sitting back and seeing the teams

and how hard they battled to get to the final four and even the final eight there were some great teams, some cup contenders that ended up bowing out but what do you make of the playoffs so far and the entertainment factor and some of the guys who stepped forward? Well the hardest part for me is sitting on the sidelines. I do watch a lot of hockey games, I watch a lot of playoff games. Try to put your coach's hat on. Who's doing what?

The matchups. You almost try to be a coach from the sidelines. I think it helps me at least. But also, there's a burning desire to get in there. And then when I watch game seven know, game seven, you know, Winnipeg and St. Louis, what happens? Or you see, you know, the Leafs two up, I'll go against Florida.

I think they're up three to one in game three. Like things like that. I mean, that's just what playoff hockey is all about. You know, you can't count things out. You know, you see the different storylines of certain players, certain coaches, matchups. I think it's incredible. I think that's why as a coach and player you strive for that.

If you're a player that's not making the playoffs and you're in the Bahamas watching the playoffs, what are you doing to get in the playoffs? Are you trying to raise your level of getting better to be a piece of that puzzle to get you in. So yeah, I think it's important that everyone watches these things, especially the guys that are out watching it and get you motivated. It's terrific. I love watching playoff hockey. Yeah, it's going to be a great run, man. Western Conference finals starting tonight. And it's only the third round. We still have at least a month left of hockey.

So it's going to be a lot of fun. Congrats on the new gig down there in Philly Rick we'll be rooting for you we'll be tracking you and we'll chat again down the road thank you for this. Okay guys thanks man appreciate it. You got it. There's Rick Tuckett of the Philadelphia big thing. Baby, what was that? And your first place to hear it all. iHeart New Music. Your digital station for brand new drops, fresh finds, and tomorrow's bangers. Powered by North by Northeast. Taking place June 11th to 15th across Toronto. iHeart New Music.

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