New Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has done just about everything you can possibly do in his career. He won a Stanley Cup as a player in 1992. He played 1,144 NHL games with 440 goals and 952 points. He participated in the Canada Cup Tournament in 1988 and 1992. He played in the World Cup in 1990.
He’s been a head coach in three other spots: Tampa Bay, Arizona, and Vancouver. In 2023-24, Tocchet won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
Now, Tocchet can add a new event to his resume: the Olympics. Tocchet was named an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Jon Cooper will be the head coach. Tocchet joins Pete DeBoer, Bruce Cassidy, and Misha Donskov as assistant coaches on the staff.
“It was important to bring back our elite coaches and support staff from the 4 Nations Face-Off, as this is a group that provides familiarity to our team and brings a desire to help our athletes perform at their best,” GM Doug Armstrong said in a press release. “Each individual brings unique NHL and international experience to our team, and all staff members will play a key role in Team Canada’s preparation and performance. We know everyone is excited for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympic Winter Games and wear the Maple Leaf with pride in Italy.”
Tocchet was also an assistant coach on the same staff for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, where Canada won the tournament. The Olympics will be the second time Tocchet has represented Canada behind the bench.
“This group of coaches will provide consistency and a winning pedigree to our team, and I know our players will greatly benefit from this world-class coaching staff,” Cooper said in a press release. “I look forward to working alongside all seven as we look to replicate our 4 Nations success on the Olympic stage in February.”