Not long ago, the Philadelphia Flyers looked poised to make the playoffs. With the third-best record in the Eastern Conference on Christmas Day, making the postseason for the first time since 2019–20 felt like a legitimate possibility.
In just a month, everything has changed. The Flyers are six points out of a spot, which may not seem like much, but getting back into the mix would require them to be a borderline top-five team until the end of the season. Realistically, that’s not going to happen.
This brings us to head coach Rick Tocchet. Many fans (well, at least the online portion) aren’t happy with the job he’s doing. They’re not wrong to think that.
Almost every player who was on the Flyers last season has regressed, roster deployment has been questionable, and the “culture” is withering away (from ‘Flyers’ much-ballyhooed culture is starting to show worrisome cracks,’ The Athletic – Jan. 28, 2026). That’s not even mentioning the incessant scapegoating of Matvei Michkov, whose play style is undermined in a Tocchet system.
Yes, the Flyers just signed the bench boss to a five-year, $26.25 million contract. But if the front office wants to put out the fire before it spreads even further, they’ll put an end to this saga by the end of the regular season.
To replace the 61-year-old, the Flyers should look to the American Hockey League (AHL). Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach John Snowden would be an ideal replacement.
The Tocchet Experiment Needs to End
For all the reasons mentioned above, it’s just not worth having Tocchet as a head coach. The team’s record is fine, but the lack of growth from individual players—minus Bobby Brink and Owen Tippett, pretty much—matters a lot more. Goaltender Dan Vladař’s excellence has hidden that from the naked eye.
It’s not just the lack of growth, either. We’re seeing the same storylines from Tocchet’s time with the Vancouver Canucks play out in Philadelphia.
Tocchet has not had a good history with slower, “non-complete” players. One notable victim was winger Andrei Kuzmenko, who played a huge role in Elias Pettersson recording 102 points in 2022–23. But the coach and player flat-out could not coexist, leading to a trade.
Unfortunately for Vancouver, the consequences have been severe. Ever since, Pettersson hasn’t been anywhere close to the same offensive contributor, lacking a presence like Kuzmenko’s on his line. The trade isn’t solely responsible for the 27-year-old’s decline, but it is a significant factor.
Then, you have the Michkov–Pettersson parallels. Tocchet has been hard on Michkov this season. He was hard on Pettersson last season. He got fed up with what he deemed to be too many Michkov questions from the media this season. He got fed up with what he deemed to be too many Pettersson questions from the media last season.
Related: Flyers’ Rick Tocchet’s “Petey” Quote Resurfaces After Matvei Michkov Frustration
Switching gears, Tocchet’s losing track record as a head coach is worth mentioning. In 690 games, he has a winning rate of just 44.93% and has never made it past the second round. Sure, he won championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an assistant, but when he’s steering the ship, he hasn’t had much success.
At the end of the day, the two most important players in the Flyers’ organization are Michkov and top prospect Porter Martone. But neither of them plays a style maximized by a Tocchet system. This experiment needs to end.
Snowden’s Inspiring Résumé
Why should a 44-year-old Snowden be the guy, you ask? Well, let’s explore his résumé.
After serving as a player and assistant coach simultaneously for the Central Hockey League’s Bloomington PrairieThunder in 2010–11, Snowden became a full-time assistant in 2015–16 for the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
In 2018–19, Snowden got an opportunity and seized it. He was promoted to a head-coaching role midseason for the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers after longtime NHL forward Ryane Clowe stepped down from the role due to concussion symptoms.
The Growlers went 20–10–6 under Snowden’s watch and became league champions, capturing the Kelly Cup. The team naturally ran it back with Snowden in 2019–20, going 42–17–1 before the season was suspended due to COVID-19.
Snowden pivoted to an AHL assistant role in 2021–22 with the Toronto Marlies, moved on to the Phantoms in 2023–24, and became the head coach this season.
Yes, his 20–16–2–2 record is right around league average. But when you consider that two first-liners have been plucked from the roster (Denver Barkey, Lane Pederson), another has been hurt (Alex Bump), and starting goaltender Aleksei Kolosov has had multiple call-ups, that’s not bad at all.
Plus, Snowden has done a fantastic job of getting the young guns prepared. Barkey and Bump took steps under the coach’s brief watch, and the team itself was playing great hockey when the lineup was at full strength.
Perhaps Snowden’s biggest strength is his communication. He’s a smart, transparent person who gets the most out of his best players and wins hockey games.
The Tocchet experiment has had middling to disastrous results so far. It’s hard to imagine things getting much better. Snowden could be the perfect replacement in 2026–27.
