Coyotes hire Pens assistant Tocchet as head coach

PHOENIX » The Arizona Coyotes have hired Rick Tocchet as head coach, turning the team over to a man who helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the past two Stanley Cup titles.

The 53-year-old Tocchet, who spent the past three seasons as a Pittsburgh assistant, played 18 seasons in the NHL and helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 1992.

Tocchet spent one season as an assistant to Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky in 2005-06 and played parts of three seasons with the team from 1997 to 2000.

Tocchet’s controversial departure from his Coyotes coaching job did not figure into the decision to hire him, general manager John Chayka said.

“Rick was the best candidate by a wide margin,” Chayka said.

Tocchet was on a leave of absence from his Coyotes job in 2007 when he pleaded guilty in New Jersey to conspiracy to promote gambling and promoting gambling. He was sentenced to two years’ probation. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said an investigation showed Tocchet’s involvement in gambling was not as serious as first thought and he was suspended for three months.

There was no evidence Tocchet ever bet on hockey games.

“He’s a man of character and integrity,” Chayka said. “Any issues in the past are in the past. It didn’t raise any red flags for us whatsoever.”

Tocchet briefly returned to the Coyotes in 2008 before being hired as an assistant at Tampa Bay. He became interim head coach of the Lightning that November and was head coach at Tampa Bay the next two seasons.

But it was his work with the Penguins that elevated him to the clear favorite to replace Dave Tippett, who parted ways with the Coyotes after eight years as the franchise’s head coach.

Pens hire Recchi as assistant

PITTSBURGH » The Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t look very far for assistant coach Rick Tocchet’s replacement after he left to take the head coaching job with Arizona.

The Stanley Cup champions hired newly elected Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Recchi to take over Tocchet’s position on Tuesday just moments after the Coyotes made Tocchet’s hiring official.

The 49-year-old Recchi is the 12th-leading scorer in NHL history.