Feb 4, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet on the bench against the Colorado Avalanche in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Top Contenders Emerge for Former Canucks Coach

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Nick Horwat | Last updated May 13, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Rick Tocchet recently dusted off his analyst chops after leaving his post as Vancouver Canucks head coach, but he may not be on TV for too much longer. About two weeks after leaving the Canucks, Tocchet might be closing in on joining a new team.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, a few teams have emerged as front-runners for Tocchet who quickly became the most coveted free agent head coach in the league. Dreger reports that the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Seattle Kraken are among the top contenders.

Strong indications this week Rick Tocchet will soon land another NHL head coaching job. Philly, Boston, Seattle believed to be among the top contenders. The Flyers want to be aggressive. Good fit.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 13, 2025

Dreger notes that the Flyers want to be aggressive in going after Tocchet, a team he is quite familiar with from his playing days.

Tocchet bookended his playing career with the Flyers, making his NHL debut in Philadelphia during the 1984-85 season. Tocchet would go on to be named Flyers captain in 1991 before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After bouncing around to a few teams for the next few years, Tocchet returned to the Flyers in 2000 to finish his career.

Tocchet played 1,144 games in his NHL career, with 621 coming with the Flyers. During his time in Philadelphia, Tocchet scored 232 goals and 276 assists for 508 total points.

As a head coach, Tocchet has been one of the top coaches in the league. He won the Jack Adams Award following the 2023-24 season, leading the Canucks to a 50-23-9 record that year.

With nine season of head coaching experience under his belt, Tocchet has a career record of 286-265-87.

Tocchet won the Stanley Cup as a player with the Penguins in 1992 then twice as an assistant coach in Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017. The Penguins are on their own search for a new head coach, but Tocchet does not appear to be in their sights.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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