The Flyers' power play has been a sore subject for years. It is one of the biggest reasons that they missed the playoffs for a fifth straight year.
The unit finished 30th, a minor step from the 32nd they finished at the season prior. It's a baby step, but not good enough for a group that routinely finished toward the top of the league in years past.
Fans have been calling for Rocky Thompson to be fired even before this season. And they are finally getting their wish. Thompson, along with assistant coach Darryl Williams and skills coach Angelo Ricci, have been relieved of their duties.
"I would like to thank Darryl, Rocky, and Angelo for their dedication and all of their efforts over the last several years to the Flyers organization," Flyers general manager Danny Briere said in a press release. "After careful evaluation, I felt that this was best for the future direction of the team."
Williams had been with the team 2021-22. It's not known what his exact role with the team had been. Ricci was brought in during the 2019-20 season as the skills coach, but had worked his way onto the team's bench in recent years.
Flyers fire power play coach in an overdue move
The writing has been on the wall for Thompson. He had been on the Flyers' staff for the last three seasons, with a role that included handling the power play. The team finished 32nd, 32nd, and 30th during his time in Philadelphia. He was not the cause of the issues, as the Flyers finished with the league's worst group the season before. But the results speak for themselves.
The power play finished with a 15 percent success rate, up from 12.2 percent in 2023-24. A measly two percent increase. That was after a 15.6 percent rate in 2022-23. The unit was predictable and susceptible to giving up chances the other way. They were second in the league, allowing 10 shorthanded goals. Only the Bruins and Lightning were worse, though Tampa had a top-five unit overall.
Routinely, the Flyers' inability to score played a role in losses. That included a month of March where they scored three power play goals in 39 opportunities. Two of those goals came in one game. They went on a 0-for-28 stretch to start the month.
Thompson isn't the only one to blame for these issues. The Flyers lack the type of player needed to quarterback a successful group. They've tried numerous players on each unit, which provides a lack of cohesion. And maintaining possession to begin the power play has been a problem. Add all of these factors together, and you get what the Flyers have, or haven't, produced.
It was time for Thompson to go nonetheless. He provided plenty of insight when he spoke and was well respected by former head coach John Tortorella. But the lack of results on the power play, and the general lack of offense, are both reasons that the move needed to be made.