Rick Tocchet: three teams to watch for (potentially) imminent hiring

Yesterday, on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman talked about the Rick Tocchet file.

The pilot, who left the Canucks, shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a job. He’s been collecting interviews, and in reality, he’s not really the one being interviewed.

He’s in such high demand that it’s really the teams who are interviewing him.

Friedman on 32TP says it seems like Rick Tocchet is interviewing teams rather than teams interviewing him, he has a certain standard for which market he wants to coach in, but EF is unsure if Boston is a fit, Vancouver offered $4M, Bruins don’t usually go that high for a HC.

– NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) May 12, 2025

But now, Darren Dreger has clarified which three teams are currently in the running for his services. That’s not to say there are only three, by the way.

Dreger named the Bruins, the Kraken and the Flyers.

He says we shouldn’t expect him to be out of work for too long, and these three teams would be among the most likely to welcome him, the way he sees it.

It’s all very interesting.

Strong indications this week Rick Tocchet will soon land another NHL head coaching job. Philly, Boston, Seattle believed to be among the top contenders. The Flyers want to be aggressive. Good fit.

– Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 13, 2025

Dreger mentions that the Bruins historically don’t like to put too much money on a coach. And it’s hard for me to believe that he dreams of coaching the Seattle Kraken.

Vancouver fans certainly won’t want to see him manage the rival club, anyway.

Because Dreger sees the Flyers as being aggressive, because he sees the fit with the club and because Tocchet has been strongly linked to the Flyers since the start of the off-season in Philly, I see Daniel Brière’s club as the favorite, right now.

We’ll have to keep an eye on the situation, but I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long to sort things out. And since Tocchet played there for years…

overtime

– The Maple Leafs goalie is getting better.

Craig Berube on Stolarz: “He’s doing much better.”
But adds he doesn’t know when he can return yet.

– Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 13, 2025

– Intéressant.

And yes, you have to use your own picks, not others you have acquired.

If you’ve traded one, you can re-acquire it, as St. Louis did last summer

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 13, 2025

– It starts tomorrow.

It starts Wednesday in Rochester. https://t.co/S6Ver7bCxl

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) May 13, 2025

– Of note.

Good news for the Canadiens: several excellent players have slipped all the way to #16 in the draft in recent years!!!

New episode of Processus available! https://t.co/T3DEcyXMIo pic.twitter.com/Q4kogxZ2bH

– commissionathletique (@Commissionathl) May 13, 2025

– Indeed.

It pisses me off so much to see so many battles at hockey games. I used to see them mostly at NFL games. So stupid. https://t.co/bpTMakZB7i

– JT (@jeantrudel83) May 13, 2025