Rick Tocchet is among a handful of NHL coaches currently behind the bench who have had significant success in the NHL. That might be a key to elevating the great playing career he had to help him get enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
It seems crazy to think that, doesn't it? Rick Tocchet, the Hall of Fame?
It actually might be closer than you imagine, considering all of the circumstances.
Rick Tocchet has a rather strong case to make the Hall of Fame
Tocchet has a lot more points than you'd imagine. He has 952 career points across 1,144 games over an 18-year career. That's more than Pavel Datsyuk and Bill Barber, both Hall of Famers. It puts Tocchet at 118th all-time.
That's right in line with Hall of Fame minimums, but Tocchet was more than just a consistent offensive threat.
He's 10th all-time in career penalty minutes. His 2,970 penalty minutes are absurd. That's more than two full days in the box.
Now combine those stats. Tocchet is one of only five players with more than 400 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes. The others are Pat Verbeek, Gary Roberts, Brendan Shanahan, and Keith Tkachuk. The last two are Hall of Famers who haven't won any major individual awards.
Now Tocchet has fewer points than all but Roberts, but he's certainly the best fighter among them, has a Stanley Cup victory as a player, and he has post-career extras.
He may not have won any awards as a player, but in 2024, Tocchet won a Jack Adams Award as the league's best coach with Vancouver. That goes along with his two Stanley Cup victories as an assistant coach. If Tocchet wins anything else, he'll be one of the most decorated men in hockey.
Guess what else he's done? Television. Tocchet has appeared on Philadelphia TV and national broadcasts as a member of the TNT team, and frankly, was pretty good in the role.
When you add all of. this up, Tocchet is a head coaching win away from one of the most unique, varied, and successful careers of anyone in NHL history.
The case against Tocchet as a Hall of Famer
Not having any major individual awards or any All-Star appearances does hurt his case in the long run, despite his raw numbers being good enough on their own. This will be the same argument that holds back a player like Claude Giroux. Also, Rod Brind'Amour hasn't gotten in yet. If and when he does, it paves the way for Tocchet, or at least bridges the gap.
There is one controversial aspect to Tocchet that may keep him out despite everything. Back in 2007, Tocchet pleaded guilty to conspiracy and promoting gambling and was sentenced to two years' probation in exchange for his plea. This also led to an NHL suspension.
Tocchet stood accused of helping fund and run an illegal gambling ring centered around betting on football. Now, laws and feelings towards sports gambling have changed drastically, but at the time it was a major story, and Tocchet was damaged goods.
Rick Tocchet has already done more in his NHL career than most players, coaches, and broadcasters. If he's able to add another Stanley Cup victory, this time as a head coach bringing the Flyers back to glory, it might cement his legacy in bronze.
Add us as a preferred source on Google