- Elliotte Friedman said he would be surprised if the Flyers fire Rick Tocchet
- Fans chanted “Fire Tocchet” late in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Carolina, the Flyers’ seventh straight to open the year
- Read below for what Friedman thinks Danny Briere will try instead
Rick Tocchet looks safe in Philadelphia, at least for now.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast Monday that he would be surprised if the Flyers fired their head coach. Friedman said he isn’t convinced a coaching change is coming and believes GM Danny Briere wants to stay patient.
Friedman thinks Briere is looking for another way to “do something to light a match underneath” the group.
The question came up because of what happened in the building Sunday. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported that brief but very audible “Fire Tocchet” chants echoed late in the 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes. Philadelphia is 0-5-2 and has been outscored 28-8.
Fans also booed the team off the ice. Take a look at the scene:
That is the worst start in franchise history, and we broke down the whole skid in our losing streak recap.
Tocchet has not hidden from it. Before Sunday’s game he put the blame on himself, saying it is on him when the team does not give fans a better product. After the loss to Tampa Bay he called his group “way too comfortable.”
The job he did last season is a big reason the leash is longer. Tocchet took over a team most people picked to miss the playoffs, went 43-27-12, and beat rival Pittsburgh in the first round. That was the franchise’s first playoff series win since 2020.
The roster is a mess right now, too. Travis Konecny went on injured reserve Sunday. Matvei Michkov is still waiting on his first assist and has two points in seven games, which is somehow tied for second on the team.
The Flyers play the Kraken on Tuesday, still hunting for their first win.
