NHL: Washington Capitals at Vancouver Canucks - Source: Imagn — NHL fans react to Rick Tocchet's $26,250,000 Flyers head coach contract - Source: Imagn

NHL fans react to Rick Tocchet's $26,250,000 Flyers head coach contract - "Thank God the Canucks walked away"

Modified May 15, 2025 05:41 GMT

NHL fans on social media reacted to Rick Tocchet's contract after he was named the coach of the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

Tocchet left the Vancouver Canucks after two and a half seasons as their coach. He guided the Canucks to a playoff berth in 2024, but the team regressed in 2025, failing to make the postseason.

According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Tocchet signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract with the Flyers, with an AAV of $5.25 million. Meanwhile, the Canucks replaced Tocchet with assistant Adam Foote as the team's new head coach.

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The Flyers hired Rick Tocchet to replace John Tortorella, who was fired as coach with nine games remaining in the regular season. Here's how fans on X (Twitter) reacted to Tocchet's contract with the Flyers.

One tweeted:

"Thank God the Canucks walked away."

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Another chimed in:

"$5.25m AAV for a guy who has made the playoffs twice in 9 years? Wth"

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"Flyers will be marginally better... and I was right about Torts not lasting more than 3 seasons in Philly!" a third fan posted.

"Amazing. This guy has the best PR team in the league, which is the collective hockey media. They do more to pump Tocchet up than anyone," one X user opined.

"That’s ridiculous:- he’s a good actor and on tv but he hasn’t won as coach," another tweeted.

"Wild that this one coaching contract will surpass his entire career earnings as a player. ... and he was a good player," another chimed in.

Rick Tocchet previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers

Rick Tocchet began his playing career with the Philadelphia Flyers after being drafted 121st overall in the 1983 NHL draft. Tocchet played as a winger, spending 11 seasons with the organization and accumulating 508 points through 232 goals and 276 assists.

He expressed a deep connection to the Flyers, noting that he always carried the passion and energy of the city and team throughout his career.

"I've always been a Flyer at heart and have taken that passion and energy that embodies this city and organization with me throughout my career," said Tocchet (via NHL). "I want to thank (general manager) Danny Briere, (president of hockey operations) Keith Jones and (governor) Dan Hilferty for this honor and opportunity."

Tocchet posted a 108-65-27 record as the coach of the Canucks for over two and a half seasons.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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