The Unlikeliest Connection Between Casey Boy & Rick Tocchet
Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet joined The Preston & Steve Show to discuss hopes for his first season, embarrassing stories to hold over the heads of Danny Briere and…
Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet joined The Preston & Steve Show to discuss hopes for his first season, embarrassing stories to hold over the heads of Danny Briere and Keith Jones, and some clever jokes about taking on the Florida Panthers next season.
Tocchet was most surprised, however, by some old footage of Casey Boy at the Spectrum shown on the studio cameras.
Rick Tocchet Drops The Gloves
The all-time leader in penalty minutes in Flyers history dropped the gloves with Neil Sheehy of the Washington Capitals multiple times through their NHL careers. One was in front of a young kid from Delco rocking a #69 Our Lady of Fatima football jersey.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you had at least three teeth in your fists.”
-Casey Boy
Tocchet built a reputation as a fearless fighter during his 18 NHL seasons. His attitude made him a highly respected teammate on top of his skill as a top-line goal scorer. He talked about how dropping the gloves has become less common in the modern NHL and which fights he remembers from his playing career.
“Not every one, but the memorable ones or situational ones, where a guy took advantage of one of our players, you go after him... Somehow, you just try to turn the momentum around. Those are the ones I remember.”
-Rick Tocchet
Flyers Past & Present
The legends of the Flyers maintain a close-knit bond that unites them beyond their playing careers. It’s a hallmark of an organization that Flyers founder Ed Snider worked to build during his lifetime.
Tocchet spoke about meeting up with Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, Bobby Clarke, Dave Brown, and Brad Marsh in recent months.
“We got together at the draft, had some beers, (told) old stories. Listen, everybody wants to make money. I get it, but really the memories are something that when you get back with these guys – the funny stories, the winning stories – that’s the one thing you play for, these memories.”
-Rick Tocchet
The unique bond carries into the Philadelphia community with annual traditions like their upcoming caravan events and important initiatives through Flyers Charities.
The Flyers will open the 2025-26 season on October 9 with a tough draw. The recently released schedule sends them to face the Florida Panthers coming off two consecutive Stanley Cups. Tocchet isn’t afraid of the challenge, and he has a sense of humor about it too.
“Here’s the thing – and, listen, they’re a hell of a team – I think we’ve got them twice in the first week. That's when you want them. I hope all that champagne they've been drinking – they’re still hungover. These guys – they’ve partied pretty hard, the Panthers in the past year or so. Hopefully, they’re hungover.”
-Rick Tocchet
