Rick Tocchet is no stranger to the Philadelphia media scene, having navigated it as a player and an analyst himself. On Tuesday, he joined the popular morning radio show “The Preston & Steve Show” in their 93.3 WMMR studios to reconnect and discuss a variety of topics around the Orange & Black.
“I remember being here 20 years ago and I think you guys were number one,” Tocchet said. “And you’re still number one. See, that’s what we’re trying to do. We’ve got to try to be sustainable like you guys.”
Here are some notable quotes from Tocc’s morning on WMMR:
On why Tocchet chose Philadelphia over other opportunities:
“I love their plan. That’s really what sold me. They don’t really want to deviate too much…This year, you’ve got a good bunch of young players. I think John Tortorella did a really nice job here. These guys are a close group, and they work hard.
“Now, we’ve got to get to the next level. We’ve got to make a stand here and get back to Flyers hockey.”
On how you get to that next level with this group:
“Those last six weeks of the season, this is when the really good teams turn up the heat. And you’ve got to turn your heat up too. You can’t stay status quo. And we’ve got a lot of young guys. I’ve got to play these guys in pressure situations. There might be times when you want to put Michkov in for the last few minutes, even in a defensive situation. I want to see them in that situation, not always just offense. Can he defend the puck for us to win the game? That’s what all the great players do.
“So, we’ve talked about that. I had a Zoom call with all the players. I’ve talked to all the players. Everybody’s excited, don’t get me wrong. But we’ve got a lot of work to do here.”
On what it takes to play winning hockey consistently:
“Can you have everybody making the right play at the right time and sacrificing yourself? Are you trying to get points or are you playing winning hockey? Every day you have to think, eat, drink winning hockey. It’s the way you train. It’s your messaging with the players. And sometimes as a coach you have to back off.”
On working with former teammate Daniel Briere:
“He was a young kid when I played with him in Arizona. A couple of times I gave it to him because I think he took a couple of long shifts. And he reminded me. He goes, ‘Man, you scared the hell out of me.’
“He’s a great guy. Really methodical, really smart. And I looked at his plan and you can tell it’s a well-thought-out plan.”
On keeping players focused while allowing them to be themselves:
“We just acquired this Zegras kid – fun-loving kid. I want him smiling. With Michkov, they’re talking about doing the fancy Michigan around the net. I don’t mind that stuff, just as long as it doesn’t get in the way of winning hockey.”
On the importance of size and toughness in today’s NHL:
“It’s a skill game. But you still have to compete. Look at the Florida Panthers. They’re a tough team. They’ve been to the finals three times, they’ve won the finals back to back. If you look at their team, they’re tough. So, that’s the benchmark.”
On how to use information effectively without overwhelming players:
“If you over-coach, that’s the worst thing to do. I try to put myself as a player…It’s a fast game. If you don’t think fast enough, someone is by you. Sometimes we over-coach as coaches. And you’ve got to be told that. That’s why you have to hire good assistant coaches.”
On how he gives in-game adjustments and motivation:
“Sometimes coaches can talk too much. I try to be more organic. Whatever point it is, give it to them. They might not like it. And I’ve kicked some garbage cans around every once in a while.”
On being another former Flyer coming back to work with the Flyers:
“I’ve been gone for 25 years. I’ve gone somewhere else, and I’ve learned other stuff. I get it but, but my answer is also that I’m proud I’m an old Flyer. The old Flyers won.”
On what he’s most looking forward to as Flyers head coach:
“If you can win a Stanley Cup in this city, I’m going to say this [celebration] would be the Top 3 and could be the number one biggest celebration with the most people.
“I don’t think people understand outside of Philly: If you win a championship, the whole community comes together. I only dream of that, to have this fanbase and people around the Philly area and Jersey area celebrate if it could happen.”
