If this were a dream scenario, the most logical choice for next head coach of the Flyers would not currently be in the midst of a playoff chase with another team. Alas, that is not the case with Rick Tocchet, one of the most multi-skilled players in team history, who still has some business to take care of as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. At the moment, the Canucks happen to be sitting on the outside of the postseason chart looking in, but they are close enough to playoff positioning to make it very interesting. Since the Flyers fired John Tortorella on Thursday, elevating assistant coach Brad Shaw to interim head coach, there’s been plenty of speculation about possible candidates for the job next season. Tocchet’s name is at or near the top of everyone’s list in these parts, even if he hasn’t enjoyed all that much success as a head coach in places such as Tampa Bay and Arizona. That might have had something to do with the personnel he had to work with. He did take the Canucks to the playoffs in 2023-24 and won a round against Nashville before bowing out to Edmonton in the conference semifinals. That result was disappointing because Vancouver had already finished ahead of the Oilers in the regular season with 109 points to win the Pacific Division over Edmonton’s 104. Truth be told, Tocchet has done a remarkable job but the Canucks haven’t exactly rushed to re-sign him to a new deal. His contract is about to expire. As for wanting to come back to Philadelphia where it all began for him in 1984, Tocchet can’t say anything because he belongs to another team. And the Flyers have to be equally mum because any public statements about wanting No. 22 back would be tampering. The Philadelphia fans? All you have to do is see and hear the reception Tocchet received when he and former Flyers great Paul Holmgren were inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame back in Nov. 2021. From what we’ve read about Tocchet in recent years, he’s a players’ coach and maybe that’s what the Flyers need now after nearly three years under the heavy hand of Tortorella. You can say what you want about the Flyers’ much chronicled rebuild. It’s a process where a team evaluates its roster and tries to figure out which of its players have the right stuff to be consistent winners. Here we are, a couple years into this project and there’s not much progress to show for it. Maybe it isn’t the players so much as it is the people (as in coaches) leading the operation. Tortorella tried his best but his old-school approach didn’t go over too well with the younger crowd. A perfect example is the “incident” involving defenseman Cam York and Tortorella in Toronto. York was benched in the first period of a 7-2 loss on Tuesday night, the two had a heated exchange and Tortorella was shown the door two days later. Over the past few seasons, there were plenty of arguments just like that one. Maybe in a different time, a different place with a different team, these tactics might have worked. But clearly they weren’t here. There are plenty of worthy candidates out there to replace Tortorella. None, however, have Tocchet’s connection to Philadelphia. In fact, he learned from another Tortorella-type taskmaster by the name of Mike Keenan. Back in the 1980s, Tocchet picked up a lot from Keenan, especially during those two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1985 and 1987 against the juggernaut Oilers. Say what you want about “Iron Mike,” his cerebral approach (learned at the knee of nine-time champion Scotty Bowman) pretty much worked. He took three different teams to the Stanley Cup Finals and won the ultimate prize with the 1994 New York Rangers. That’s the kind of coach you want to spend the first four years of your career working under, as Tocchet did in Philadelphia. A lot has to happen for Tocchet to return to the Wells Fargo Center, the place where his illustrious 18-year career came to a close with an injury spoiled 2001-02 season after a short second-tenure with the Flyers. Keep in mind, Tocchet played for six NHL teams. The Flyers top the list with 11 seasons – no other team had more than three. Right now, the Flyers are in the midst of one of their lowest points in team history. Their rebuild continues at a snail’s pace. The fan excitement level is low. If he’s available, and that’s a big if, Tocchet should be at the very top of the contenders list for Flyers coach. The connection to the city, the players and, most of all, the fans would be a natural. ...read more read less