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Tocchet isn’t Tortorella-lite, but perhaps for Flyers, he’s Tortorella without all the parts they didn’t want

Charlie O'Connor Avatar
May 16, 2025
Jersey Presentation Keith Jones Danny Briere Rick Tocchet and Dan Hilferty

PHILADELPHIA -- In the lead-up to and immediate aftermath of the Philadelphia Flyers' hiring of Rick Tocchet to be the club's 25th head coach, a simplistic and somewhat derisive narrative emerged from certain corners of the hockey ecosystem: that in Tocchet, the Flyers were functionally hiring John Tortorella-lite.
It's an understandable leap to make. Tortorella, of course, still casts a shadow over the Flyers as Tocchet's immediate predecessor. And the two do share similarities: they're both unapologetically old-school hockey lifers who stress the importance of grit and defensive play. They're also both, in their own ways, a bit on the intimidating side.
But that's not what was presented on...

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