Measuring Differences Between Rick Tocchet & John Tortorella
A new head coach will inevitably draw comparisons to his predecessor. However, following a coach like John Tortorella – who always somehow seemed to land at the top of the…
A new head coach will inevitably draw comparisons to his predecessor. However, following a coach like John Tortorella – who always somehow seemed to land at the top of the headlines – will spark more intense debates about a new bench boss’s impact.
Rick Tocchet has taken the helm for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2025-26 with the opportunity to magnify his incredible reputation as a player wearing the orange and black.
How will his alternative style change the course of the franchise’s rebuild? Which stylistic differences will benefit the Flyers on the ice? Will he build relationships with players differently or deliver messages in a more orthodox way?
Will his approach invoke revisionist history to fuel criticism for Tortorella, a polarizing coach who made his fair share of enemies in Philadelphia?
Is A Former NHL Player A Player's Coach?
The Flyers handed substantial influence in player personnel decisions and the overall direction of the rebuild to Tortorella, despite his volatile leadership style. The organization hoped his intangible impact on Flyers culture would instill better levels of accountability and eliminate the malaise that spread during the decade before he arrived in Philadelphia.
Tocchet’s glowing reputation for relationships with players contrasts the intended benefits of a stricter style of discipline. Tortorella drew criticism for leaning heavily on the healthy scratch as a method to challenge players, a narrative that isn't likely to continue.
Photo by Colin Newby | BBGI PhiladelphiaWhile Tocchet is no pushover with with 2970 NHL penalty minutes to his credit, the Flyers don’t expect the same combative atmosphere with constant intensity between players and their head coach.
Captain Sean Couturier admitted early in Tocchet’s first training camp that he was optimistic about a fresh start after what wasn’t an ideal relationship with Tortorella. Alternate captain Travis Konecny spoke with a different sentiment on Kincade & Salciunas, however, at the beginning of the regular season.
“I had a great relationship with Torts. I really enjoyed having him, for me personally. Toc, same thing. I think he actually has some of the same style to him as Torts, as far as you kind of know where you stand with Toc… He likes to hold guys accountable.”
Tortorella had a Stanley Cup and two Jack Adams Awards to his credit when he began with the Flyers, but he had played only at the NCAA and lower minor league levels.
Tocchet conversely played 1289 career NHL regular season and playoff games, including parts of 11 seasons in two stints with the Flyers.
“You kind of know where you stand with Toc and what to expect. He likes to hold guys accountable, but I think there’s a little bit more of a relationship there with Toc playing the game and maybe understanding a little bit more of the player’s side of things. He’s involved in a lot of the drills and stopping practice and wants guys to pay attention to detail. There’s some similarities (to Tortorella) and definitely some differences for sure.”
The background might benefit the Flyers in their own set of circumstances with the sharp contrast Rick Tocchet provides to a polarizing coach like John Tortorella, as Konecny emphasized. However, the Flyers should avoid slipping into a mindset suggesting playing experience is a necessary point of a successful head coach’s resume.
Jon Cooper, Jared Bednar, and Paul Maurice have collected five of the last six Stanley Cups without ever playing an NHL game.
Stylistic Hockey Differences
The Flyers finished second, second, and first in the NHL in blocked shots in Tortorella’s respective three seasons as head coach. However, their goaltending struggled mightily, finishing 31st in save percentage in 2022-23 and dead last in Tortorella’s final two seasons.
The Flyers played with respectable defensive structure under Tortorella, but Tocchet shared with Bill Colarulo and Ricky Bottalico on Unfiltered his plans to tweak the team’s approach in the defensive zone.
“The defensive system- it’s going to take some time, but we’re trying to give the shots outside. It’s always hard to do, but if the goalies can see the puck, we really want to box out this year. There’s a shot-blocking ability sometimes to do it, but then sometimes I’d rather see the D just box people out and let the goalie see the shot.”
Tortorella seemingly mastered the focus on internal player development as a key piece of the rebuild when the Flyers took major strikes into playoff contention in 2023-24.
Cam York, Tyson Foerster, and Owen Tippett broke out as contributors in the middle or top of an NHL lineup in their early 20s. However, all three players dipped during Tortorella’s 73 games behind the bench in 2024-25.
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesYork has the advantage of a clean slate after famously butting heads with Tortorella. Tocchet’s alternative leadership style could more appropriately benefit a player like Tippett, whose dynamic skill set should leave him unsatisfied with scoring only 20 goals in 77 games last season.
“I think that a lot of the on-ice instruction is going to be extremely beneficial to players like Owen. Toc will talk one-on-one with you on the ice, and that’s where the best conversations with coaches occur.”
Impact on Matvei Michkov
The Mad Russian will naturally draw the most attention in his involvement with any storyline surrounding the Flyers.
Matvei Michkov slowed down his offseason training because of an ankle injury, according to Tocchet, that impacted his conditioning early in the season. The first-year Philadelphia head coach has limited the ice time of his blossoming superstar.
Michkov sat the second half of third period of Philadelphia's overtime win against the Minnesota Wild.
“I know he’s the lightning rod for everybody around here. He’s got to relax. He’s got to get himself into shape. He’s got to be in positions that (benefit the team). You can’t just leave the zone and (think) it’s okay. I think he’s gotten better at it, but there’s times when you’ve just got to make (better) decisions.”
-Rick Tocchet
The new head coach has already noticed some of the same warts that pushed the old head coach to take action. Michkov developed respect for Tortorella despite their highly-publicized clashes.
The 20-year-old isn’t off to a great start with his second Flyers head coach. A focus of the rebuild is to challenge players to seize opportunity by developing their own games, which puts the onus on Michkov to improve some of his defensive shortcomings and conditioning limitations.
However, Tocchet’s relationship and impact on Michkov’s career will play a major factor in determining the head coach’s legacy in Philadelphia.
