Rick Tocchet sparks backlash with bizarre Flyers joke as fans lose patience
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rick Tocchet cracked a joke about his defensemen while the Flyers sit at 0-5-3, the worst start in franchise history, and fans on X are not laughing.
Rick Tocchet got social media talking after Wednesday's practice, and the timing could not be worse for a Philadelphia Flyers team sitting at 0-5-3 with no wins yet this season.
A reporter asked about the scooter skating term Trevor Zegras brought up after Tuesday's shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken.
Tocchet hesitated, admitted the word he had in mind might not be appropriate, and then used it anyway while describing his defensemen.
What Tocchet was really getting at
Behind the awkward moment was a real coaching point.
Tocchet believes his defensemen are attacking too aggressively instead of letting plays develop.
Against Seattle, they kept joining the rush without much patience, and shots got blocked.
In his view, waiting two extra seconds would create better scoring chances.
It is a fair point, but explanations only go so far when a team keeps losing.
The Flyers opened with a 7-0 loss to Pittsburgh, and Sunday's 4-1 defeat to Carolina ended with the crowd booing the team off the ice.
Fans are running out of patience
Some fans in the building chanted for Tocchet to be fired, which stings for a coach who played parts of 11 seasons with the franchise across two stints.
Zegras said afterward that the group still backs him.
The social media reaction has been brutal.
The viral clip landed as fans were already fuming over the worst start in franchise history, and many on X see a coach cracking wise while the losses pile up.
The Flyers were outscored 28-8 through their first seven games.
Tocchet is not wrong about patience, but patience is exactly what Philadelphia fans are out of.
The next chance to get a win comes Thursday night against the Detroit Red Wings, and the pressure on the bench boss is getting heavier.
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