Tocchet Game Puck: Flyers Coach Honors Jason Myrtetus

The Flyers’ first win of the season came with a moment that had nothing to do with the standings.

Rick Tocchet gave the game puck to Flyers radio broadcaster Jason Myrtetus after Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Senators at Xfinity Mobile Arena, NHL.com reported. Myrtetus is battling Stage 4 cancer, and Tocchet had asked him to speak to the team earlier in the day.

Tocchet started his postgame press conference by talking about that speech.

“Before I start, game puck to Jason, by the way. What a speech today,” Tocchet said. “Told him you can replace me. Your speech today was unreal. Thank you.”

The Flyers coach was asked if the message changed the mood in the room. He said it did.

“Guys were getting dressed, and you could tell it was a moving message to the guys,” Tocchet said. “You know, like, hey, you should be happy we’re in the NHL, we’re playing a game. We’re asking for effort. This guy’s going through stuff that (we) can’t imagine what he’s going through.”

Tocchet kept the details of the speech private. “I’m not going to tell the story,” he said, but he called it a “cool story.”

The team had its own tribute in the locker room. Captain Sean Couturier presented Myrtetus with Rocky gloves, and the broadcaster put them on while the players cheered. Here’s the team’s post:

Myrtetus has hosted the Flyers’ pregame, intermission and postgame radio shows since 2008. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2024 and learned this summer that it had spread to his lungs and liver. He told The Athletic he was given a prognosis of 6-24 months, per NHL.com.

The win ended a franchise-record nine-game losing streak to open the year. We covered how Philadelphia finally got it done after the ninth straight loss, but on this night the puck went to the guy in the radio booth.