Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Ice hockey player
Richard Tocchet
(
TAW
-k?t
; born April 9, 1964) is a Canadian professional
ice hockey
coach and former player who is the
head coach
for the
Vancouver Canucks
of the
National Hockey League
(NHL). He was selected in the sixth round, 121st overall, by the
Philadelphia Flyers
in the
1983 NHL Entry Draft
. Tocchet has also played for the
Pittsburgh Penguins
,
Los Angeles Kings
,
Boston Bruins
,
Washington Capitals
, and
Phoenix Coyotes
. He formerly served as the head coach for the
Tampa Bay Lightning
and Arizona Coyotes, and has experience as an
analyst
for both
Comcast SportsNet
and
NHL on TNT
.
Playing career
[
edit
]
Tocchet was born in the
Toronto
suburb of
Scarborough, Ontario
.
[1]
As a youth, Tocchet played in the 1977
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
with a
minor ice hockey
team from Toronto.
[2]
After being drafted in the sixth round (121st overall) by the
Philadelphia Flyers
in the
1983 NHL Entry Draft
, Tocchet returned to the
OHL
's
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
for another year of junior hockey. After registering 108 points with Sault Ste. Marie, Tocchet came to the Flyers for the
1984?85 season
, scoring 39 points and helping the team to the
Stanley Cup Finals
. He was mainly known as a
fighter
in his early career but soon developed his skills enough to become a respected
power forward
, a team leader, and a four-time NHL All-Star. He had memorable fights with other power forwards such as
Wendel Clark
and
Cam Neely
. He had 18
Gordie Howe hat tricks
during his career, which is the most in NHL history.
[3]
In 1992, Tocchet was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins
, along with
Kjell Samuelsson
and
Ken Wregget
, in exchange for
Mark Recchi
. In 14 playoff games, he scored 19 points, helping the Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Tocchet became a well-travelled veteran in the league after his stint with the Penguins, taking roles with the
Los Angeles Kings
,
Boston Bruins
,
Washington Capitals
, and Phoenix Coyotes. He was dealt along with
Adam Oates
and
Bill Ranford
from the Bruins to the Capitals for
Anson Carter
,
Jason Allison
,
Jim Carey
, a third-round selection in the
1997 draft
(63rd overall–
Lee Goren
) and a conditional second-round pick in the
1998 draft
in a blockbuster deal on March 1, 1997.
[4]
Both Tocchet and Carter would work together as studio analysts with the
NHL on TNT
nearly a quarter of a century later beginning in 2021.
[5]
Tocchet became an unrestricted free agent on June 15, 1997 and signed a three-year contract with the
Phoenix Coyotes
23 days later on July 8.
[6]
[7]
After returning to the Flyers in a trade that sent
Mikael Renberg
to the Coyotes on March 8, 2000,
[8]
he added 11 points en route to an Eastern Conference Finals berth. Tocchet retired after the
2001?02 season
, being one of several players in NHL history to collect 400 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes including
Brendan Shanahan
and
Gary Roberts
.
Coaching career
[
edit
]
Tocchet became an assistant coach for the
Colorado Avalanche
in
2002?03
. In the summer of 2005, he became an assistant coach with the
Phoenix Coyotes
. On December 17, 2005, Tocchet took over as interim head coach for Phoenix, stepping in while head coach
Wayne Gretzky
was out on an indefinite leave of absence due to his mother's illness (and subsequent death). The team went 2?3?0 under Tocchet. Gretzky eventually resumed his duties on December 28.
Tocchet was named as the associate coach of the
Tampa Bay Lightning
on July 9, 2008.
[9]
On November 14, he was named the interim head coach of the Lightning, replacing
Barry Melrose
who was fired two days earlier after compiling a 5?7?4 record.
[10]
Tocchet lost his first game to the
Carolina Hurricanes
in a shootout.
[11]
Tocchet's first win came two games later on November 21 against the
Nashville Predators
.
[12]
However, he would go on to lose his next nine games, and twelve of the next thirteen.
[
citation needed
]
On May 11, 2009 Tocchet had the interim tag removed and was signed to a two-year deal by the Lightning.
[13]
On April 12, 2010 he was relieved of his coaching duties by the new ownership of the Tampa Bay Lightning. On June 25, 2014, he was hired by the
Pittsburgh Penguins
to be an assistant coach. On June 12, 2016, Tocchet won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins. He won his second Stanley Cup as a coach on June 11, 2017, when the Penguins defeated the Nashville Predators in six games.
On July 11, 2017, Tocchet was named head coach for the
Arizona Coyotes
.
[14]
On February 29, 2020, Tocchet earned his 100th win as head coach of the Coyotes in a 5?2 victory over the
Buffalo Sabres
.
[15]
After the
2020?21 season
, Tocchet and the Coyotes mutually agreed to part ways.
[16]
[17]
On January 22, 2023, Tocchet was named head coach of the
Vancouver Canucks
to replace
Bruce Boudreau
.
[18]
The
2023?24 season
, Tocchet's first full season in charge, was a major success for the team, who won the
Pacific Division
title in the regular season. The Canucks reached the second round of the
2024 playoffs
, losing to the
Edmonton Oilers
in seven games. Tocchet received the
Jack Adams Award
as the NHL coach of the year.
[19]
Analyst
[
edit
]
After leaving Tampa Bay, Tocchet served alongside
Michael Barkann
,
Al Morganti
,
Bill Clement
, and
Steve Coates
as a Flyers Postgame Live panelist on
Comcast SportsNet
.
He joined
TNT
's hockey coverage in 2021 as a studio analyst.
[20]
[21]
Gambling incident
[
edit
]
On February 6, 2006, Tocchet was served with a criminal complaint, accused of financing a nationwide sports gambling ring based in New Jersey in which several current NHL players wagered.
[22]
The ring was discovered by New Jersey state police, in the undercover investigation
Operation Slapshot
. "It's not a hockey-related issue, it's a football thing. And at this time I can't comment any further," Tocchet told
The Arizona Republic
after the Coyotes practiced on February 7.
[
citation needed
]
The following day, Tocchet requested a leave of absence from NHL Commissioner
Gary Bettman
, which was granted with a number of conditions including that Tocchet was to have no contact with NHL personnel, that the leave of absence would not end without Bettman's consent and that the Commissioner reserved the right to modify the terms of the leave of absence at any time.
[
citation needed
]
On May 8, attorneys for Tocchet and Gretzky's wife
Janet Jones
filed notices in
New Jersey
that they intended to sue the state for $50 million each for
defamation
. Both Tocchet and Jones claimed to have lost business opportunities in the wake of the state's investigation, which had sullied their reputations.
[23]
On August 3, former
New Jersey state trooper
James Harney pleaded guilty to conspiracy, promoting gambling, and official misconduct, and promised to help authorities with their case against Tocchet and others. Harney said that he and Tocchet were 50?50 partners in the betting ring.
[24]
On May 25, 2007, Tocchet pleaded guilty to conspiracy and promoting gambling.
New Jersey Attorney General
Anne Milgram
announced on August 17, that Tocchet had been sentenced to two years
probation
in exchange for his plea. He could have received up to five years in New Jersey state prison, but there was a presumption against incarceration for first-time offenders who plead guilty to such crimes.
[25]
The NHL subsequently stated
Gary Bettman
, but his spokesman would not answer questions, including if Tocchet had a future in ice hockey.
[26]
In late 2007, Bettman issued another statement indicating that Tocchet would not be eligible to return to the league until February 7, 2008. In addition to the initial criminal conduct, the Commissioner cited a number of aggravating factors including repeated illicit contact with NHL personnel and Tocchet's participation in the
World Series of Poker
to justify imposing a
de facto
two-year suspension.
[
citation needed
]
During a press conference on February 6, 2008, it was announced that Tocchet would be reinstated and would serve as assistant coach the next day, exactly two years after taking the leave of absence.
[27]
Among other conditions of his reinstatement, Tocchet was ordered by Bettman to abstain from all forms of gambling.
Career statistics
[
edit
]
Regular season and playoffs
[
edit
]
International
[
edit
]
Year
|
Team
|
Event
|
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
Pts
|
PIM
|
1987
|
Canada
|
CC
|
7
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
8
|
1990
|
Canada
|
WC
|
10
|
4
|
2
|
6
|
14
|
1991
|
Canada
|
CC
|
8
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
10
|
Senior totals
|
25
|
8
|
5
|
13
|
32
|
Head coaching record
[
edit
]
Team
|
Year
|
Regular season
|
Postseason
|
G
|
W
|
L
|
OTL
|
Pts
|
Finish
|
W
|
L
|
Win%
|
Result
|
TBL
|
2008?09
|
66
|
19
|
33
|
14
|
(52)
|
5th in
Southeast
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Missed playoffs
|
TBL
|
2009?10
|
82
|
34
|
36
|
12
|
80
|
4th in Southeast
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Missed playoffs
|
ARI
|
2017?18
|
82
|
29
|
41
|
12
|
70
|
8th in
Pacific
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Missed playoffs
|
ARI
|
2018?19
|
82
|
39
|
35
|
8
|
86
|
4th in Pacific
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Missed playoffs
|
ARI
|
2019?20
|
70*
|
33
|
29
|
8
|
74
|
5th in Pacific
|
4
|
5
|
.444
|
Lost in first round (
COL
)
|
ARI
|
2020?21
|
56
|
24
|
26
|
6
|
54
|
5th in
West
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Missed playoffs
|
VAN
|
2022?23
|
36
|
20
|
12
|
4
|
(44)
|
6th in Pacific
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Missed playoffs
|
VAN
|
2023?24
|
82
|
50
|
23
|
9
|
109
|
1st in Pacific
|
7
|
6
|
.538
|
Lost in second round (
EDM
)
|
Total
|
556
|
248
|
235
|
73
|
|
|
11
|
11
|
.500
|
2 playoff appearances
|
* Shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2019?20 season. Playoffs were played in August 2020 with a different format.
Awards and honours
[
edit
]
Records
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Rick Tocchet Stats and News"
.
NHL.com
. Retrieved
May 20,
2024
.
- ^
"Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA"
(PDF)
.
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
. 2018
. Retrieved
January 13,
2019
.
- ^
a
b
The Gordie Howe Hat Trick
, The Hockey Writers
- ^
"Bruins deal disgrunted Oates and two others in blockbuster deal"
.
AP News
. March 2, 1997
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
Clarke, Mary (September 30, 2021).
"TNT's NHL broadcast is already more fun than NBC's ever was, growing pains and all"
.
For The Win
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
Alex, Rachel (June 17, 1997).
"With Tocchet gone, Capitals go forward"
.
Washington Post
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Coyotes Pick Up Tocchet"
.
The New York Times
. July 9, 1997
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Flyers, Coyotes work trade"
.
UPI
. March 8, 2000
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Lightning Name Tocchet, Walz, Raeder Assistant Coaches"
.
NHL.com
. July 9, 2008
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Barry Melrose Relieved Of His Duties"
.
NHL.com
. November 14, 2008
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Tocchet loses debut as Ruutu, Brind'Amour goals down Lightning in SO"
.
ESPN
. November 16, 2023
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Lecavalier's two goals help Lightning snap five-game losing streak"
.
ESPN
. November 21, 2023
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Lightning signs Tocchet to multi-year deal"
.
NHL.com
. May 11, 2009
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
Vest, Dave (July 11, 2017).
"Tocchet Likes Fit with Coyotes"
.
NHL.com
. Retrieved
July 11,
2017
.
- ^
"Keller scores twice in Coyotes' 5-2 win over Sabres"
.
ESPN
. February 29, 2020
. Retrieved
March 10,
2020
.
- ^
"Arizona Coyotes and Head Coach Rick Tocchet Agree to Part Ways"
.
NHL.com
. May 9, 2021
. Retrieved
May 10,
2021
.
- ^
"Arizona Coyotes to part ways with head coach Rick Tocchet"
.
Arizona Sports
. May 9, 2021
. Retrieved
May 9,
2021
.
- ^
"Canucks Announce Changes to Coaching Staff"
.
NHL.com
. January 22, 2023
. Retrieved
January 22,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"Tocchet wins Jack Adams Award as coach of year"
.
NHL.com
. May 22, 2024
. Retrieved
May 22,
2024
.
- ^
"Turner Sports Bolsters NHL Game and Studio Commentator Team | Pressroom"
.
pressroom.warnermedia.com
. Retrieved
September 14,
2021
.
- ^
"Rick Tocchet on taking on his new role with TNT, bringing out an entertainment factor in hockey - Sportsnet.ca"
.
www.sportsnet.ca
. Retrieved
September 10,
2021
.
- ^
"Gretzky's wife allegedly placed bets in gambling ring"
.
ESPN.com
. February 7, 2006
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Gretzky's wife, Tocchet eye lawsuits"
.
CBC.ca
. May 25, 2006
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
Archived
September 29, 2007, at the
Wayback Machine
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Tocchet Gets Probation, Not Jail, For His Role in Gambling Ring"
.
Washington Post
.
- ^
"Tocchet avoids jail, gets two years probation"
.
ESPN.com
. August 17, 2007
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
Duhatschek, Eric (February 6, 2008).
"Tocchet eager to move on from 'tough time'
"
.
The Globe and Mail
. Archived from
the original
on March 18, 2008
. Retrieved
June 2,
2023
.
- ^
"Newest Flyers Hall of Famers: Rick Tocchet and Paul Holmgren"
. October 7, 2021.
- ^
"Flyers History ? Gordie Howe Hattricks"
. Retrieved
August 10,
2014
.
External links
[
edit
]
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