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Rick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet (/tɔːkət/ TAW-kət; born April 9, 1964) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the sixth round, 121st overall, by the Flyers in the 1983 NHL entry draft and also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. He formerly served as the head coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes, and Vancouver Canucks. Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year in 2024.
Tocchet was born in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. As a youth, Tocchet played in the 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Toronto.
After being drafted in the sixth round (121st overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1983 NHL entry draft, Tocchet returned to the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for another year of junior hockey. After registering 108 points with Sault Ste. Marie, Tocchet came to the Flyers for the 1984–85 season, scoring 39 points and helping the team to the 1985 Stanley Cup Final. He was mainly known as a fighter in his early career but soon developed his skills enough to become a respected power forward, a team leader, and a four-time NHL All-Star. He had memorable fights with other power forwards such as Wendel Clark and Cam Neely. He had 18 Gordie Howe hat tricks during his career, which is the most in NHL history.
In 1992, Tocchet was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget, in exchange for Mark Recchi. In 14 playoff games, he scored 19 points, helping the Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Tocchet became a well-travelled veteran in the league after his stint with the Penguins, taking roles with the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. He was dealt along with Adam Oates and Bill Ranford from the Bruins to the Capitals for Anson Carter, Jason Allison, Jim Carey, a third-round selection in the 1997 draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 1998 draft in a blockbuster deal on March 1, 1997. Both Tocchet and Carter would work together as studio analysts with the NHL on TNT nearly a quarter of a century later beginning in 2021. Tocchet became an unrestricted free agent on June 15, 1997 and signed a three-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes 23 days later on July 8. After returning to the Flyers in a trade that sent Mikael Renberg to the Coyotes on March 8, 2000, he added 11 points en route to an Eastern Conference final berth. Tocchet retired after the 2001–02 season, being one of several players in NHL history to collect 400 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes including Brendan Shanahan and Gary Roberts.
Tocchet became an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche in 2002–03. In the summer of 2005, he became an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes. On December 17, 2005, Tocchet took over as interim head coach for Phoenix, stepping in while head coach Wayne Gretzky was out on an indefinite leave of absence due to his mother's illness (and subsequent death). The team went 2–3–0 under Tocchet. Gretzky eventually resumed his duties on December 28.
Tocchet was named as the associate coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 9, 2008. On November 14, he was named the interim head coach of the Lightning, replacing Barry Melrose who was fired two days earlier after compiling a 5–7–4 record. Tocchet lost his first game to the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout. Tocchet's first win came two games later on November 21, against the Nashville Predators. However, he would go on to lose his next nine games, and twelve of the next thirteen.[citation needed] On May 11, 2009, Tocchet had the interim tag removed and was named Lightning Head Coach. On April 12, 2010 he was relieved of his coaching duties by the new ownership of the Tampa Bay Lightning. On June 25, 2014, he was hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins to be an assistant coach. On June 12, 2016, Tocchet won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins. He won his second Stanley Cup as an assistant coach on June 11, 2017, when the Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators in six games.
On July 11, 2017, Tocchet was named head coach for the Arizona Coyotes. On February 29, 2020, Tocchet earned his 100th win as head coach of the Coyotes in a 5–2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. After the 2020–21 season, Tocchet and the Coyotes mutually agreed to part ways.
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Rick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet (/tɔːkət/ TAW-kət; born April 9, 1964) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the sixth round, 121st overall, by the Flyers in the 1983 NHL entry draft and also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. He formerly served as the head coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes, and Vancouver Canucks. Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year in 2024.
Tocchet was born in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. As a youth, Tocchet played in the 1977 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Toronto.
After being drafted in the sixth round (121st overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1983 NHL entry draft, Tocchet returned to the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for another year of junior hockey. After registering 108 points with Sault Ste. Marie, Tocchet came to the Flyers for the 1984–85 season, scoring 39 points and helping the team to the 1985 Stanley Cup Final. He was mainly known as a fighter in his early career but soon developed his skills enough to become a respected power forward, a team leader, and a four-time NHL All-Star. He had memorable fights with other power forwards such as Wendel Clark and Cam Neely. He had 18 Gordie Howe hat tricks during his career, which is the most in NHL history.
In 1992, Tocchet was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget, in exchange for Mark Recchi. In 14 playoff games, he scored 19 points, helping the Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Tocchet became a well-travelled veteran in the league after his stint with the Penguins, taking roles with the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. He was dealt along with Adam Oates and Bill Ranford from the Bruins to the Capitals for Anson Carter, Jason Allison, Jim Carey, a third-round selection in the 1997 draft and a conditional second-round pick in the 1998 draft in a blockbuster deal on March 1, 1997. Both Tocchet and Carter would work together as studio analysts with the NHL on TNT nearly a quarter of a century later beginning in 2021. Tocchet became an unrestricted free agent on June 15, 1997 and signed a three-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes 23 days later on July 8. After returning to the Flyers in a trade that sent Mikael Renberg to the Coyotes on March 8, 2000, he added 11 points en route to an Eastern Conference final berth. Tocchet retired after the 2001–02 season, being one of several players in NHL history to collect 400 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes including Brendan Shanahan and Gary Roberts.
Tocchet became an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche in 2002–03. In the summer of 2005, he became an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes. On December 17, 2005, Tocchet took over as interim head coach for Phoenix, stepping in while head coach Wayne Gretzky was out on an indefinite leave of absence due to his mother's illness (and subsequent death). The team went 2–3–0 under Tocchet. Gretzky eventually resumed his duties on December 28.
Tocchet was named as the associate coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 9, 2008. On November 14, he was named the interim head coach of the Lightning, replacing Barry Melrose who was fired two days earlier after compiling a 5–7–4 record. Tocchet lost his first game to the Carolina Hurricanes in a shootout. Tocchet's first win came two games later on November 21, against the Nashville Predators. However, he would go on to lose his next nine games, and twelve of the next thirteen.[citation needed] On May 11, 2009, Tocchet had the interim tag removed and was named Lightning Head Coach. On April 12, 2010 he was relieved of his coaching duties by the new ownership of the Tampa Bay Lightning. On June 25, 2014, he was hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins to be an assistant coach. On June 12, 2016, Tocchet won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins. He won his second Stanley Cup as an assistant coach on June 11, 2017, when the Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators in six games.
On July 11, 2017, Tocchet was named head coach for the Arizona Coyotes. On February 29, 2020, Tocchet earned his 100th win as head coach of the Coyotes in a 5–2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. After the 2020–21 season, Tocchet and the Coyotes mutually agreed to part ways.
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