The Boston Bruins search for a new head coach hit a snag when Rick Tocchet, one of their top targets, signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. Now the Bruins are back to the drawing board and wondering what went wrong.
Rick Tocchet Chooses Flyers Over Bruins
Rick Tocchet was the top candidate to lead the Bruins into the next chapter. After leaving the Vancouver Canucks, Tocchet was the hottest coaching commodity this offseason. His resume is 286-265-87 over nine seasons as an NHL head coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes and Canucks. He won the Jack Adams Award last season after leading Vancouver to a Pacific Division title and is one of the top coaches in the league.
The Bruins were one of the final three teams in the running for Tocchet, along with the Flyers and Seattle Kraken. But Tocchet chose Philly and the Bruins got zip.
“Tocchet would have been a good coach for the Bruins,” said one source. “His experience, leadership and Stanley Cup pedigree would have been perfect for a team looking to stay competitive while transitioning into a new era.”
Oh well, back to the drawing board for the Bruins.
Why Did Tocchet Choose Philadelphia Over Boston?
While we don’t know for sure why Tocchet chose Philly, here are a few reasons that likely played a role:
1. Tocchet’s History with Philadelphia
Tocchet played most of his career with the Flyers, 621 games over 11 seasons. That’s a deep connection to the franchise.
2. Flyers’ Aggressive Pursuit
The Flyers were reportedly very aggressive in their pursuit of Tocchet and made it clear he was their guy. A big contract—over $6 million per year—may have been the deciding factor.
3. Bruins’ Uncertainty
While the Bruins are a good team, there’s still a lot of uncertainty with the organization. With key players aging and salary cap issues looming, Tocchet may have wanted a clearer path to success in Philly.
What’s Next for the Bruins?
Now that Tocchet is off the board, the Bruins will have to look elsewhere. One name that keeps popping up is former Bruins forward Marco Sturm, who has been linked to the team recently.
Sturm, an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings, has ties to the organization and is a good player developer. According to sources, he has a “real shot” at the job.
Other possibilities:
- Jay Woodcroft: Former Edmonton Oilers head coach who took them to the Western Conference Finals in 2022.
- Misha Donskov: Assistant coach with the Dallas Stars, works well with young players.
- Mitch Love: Assistant coach with the Washington Capitals, defensive specialist.
Lessons Learned from Missing Tocchet
Missing out on Tocchet shows how tough it is to navigate the NHL coaching market. In a competitive world, teams have to act fast and sell their vision to get top candidates.
For the Bruins, this is a wake up call. While they’re a storied franchise, they couldn’t get Tocchet, so they need to get clear on their organizational direction. Going forward, they’ll have to sell their vision to their next head coach if they don’t want to go through this again.
A New Chapter for the Bruins
Missing out on Tocchet hurts, but it’s not the end of the world for the Bruins. Their next hire will be huge, whether they go with a veteran like Sturm or a younger voice like Donskov or Love.
For now, we’ll just have to wait and see who gets behind the bench. But one thing is for sure: the pressure is on to get this right.
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