Coyotes: Busy summer continuing for new Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet.
New coach prepares for future, celebrates the past
Rick Tocchet has yet to run a practice, let alone coach a game, but the Coyotes’ newest bench boss has already generated plenty of buzz for the impression he’s made in less than three weeks on the job.
He’s advertised a fast, aggressive and creative style of play while conveying an open-door policy to help young players learn and grow.
And after naming John MacLean and Scott Allen as assistants Wednesday to finalize his coaching staff, Tocchet has made it clear what to expect from the team’s next regime.
But the rest of the offseason should still be busy for Tocchet as he continues to prep for his future with the Coyotes, but also celebrates what he accomplished this past season as an assistant coach with the Penguins.
“I’m honestly anxious to meet these guys and get training camp started,” Tocchet said.
Since getting hired July 11, Tocchet has reached out to every player. He’s touched base with everyone via text and is likely to have talked to each player soon. The response has been the same: Players are excited about how Tocchet wants to play and are eager to improve.
“They want to have better years,” he said. “I talked to a couple guys. They feel they can have a better year. I like hearing that. They’re owning their game. I like guys that own their game. There’s no excuses and it seems like a tight-knit group, which I like.”
Not only do players want to know more about how the team’s going to be structured on-ice, but they’re also curious how Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby handles certain situations – insight Tocchet picked up while coaching one of the sport’s top players.
“I just tell them to slow down,” Tocchet said. “It’s a process, inch by inch by day. This isn’t an overnight thing, so I think you gotta enjoy the process. It’s gonna hurt. Most of my text messages to most guys are, ‘Winning hurts. It’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna hurt. But at the end of the day, there’s no better feeling.’ So that’s kind of my motto I try to preach to these kids.”
Communication has been regarded as one of Tocchet’s strengths; he feels he can connect with any type of personality and realizes a quick chat on the ice can be just as effective as a sit-down in the coach’s office. And Tocchet, who’s noticed he’s become more decisive during his coaching tenure, believes he can pick up on what each individual needs.
“He can just relate to players,” General Manager John Chayka said. “I think he’s very firm. He can motivate. He can be aggressive in his approach, but he can also be that big brother kind of approach with our young players, and that’s going to be helpful moving forward.”
His rapport is built on a sense of understanding since he’s been a player, toiling in the league from 1984-2002, including parts of three seasons with the Coyotes. Tocchet wants players to be “self-starters.” He doesn’t expect to be a constant presence in the dressing room, but he takes the responsibility of impacting careers seriously.
“There’s a partnership in today’s game with the player,” he said. “Obviously, I’m not going to be out partying with the players – don’t get me wrong. But there’s gotta be a relationship with the player, and you’ll get respect back if you give them respect.”
Tocchet’s heard players tend to migrate back to the Valley a few weeks before training camp opens, which encourages him since teams he’s been on seemed to have strong seasons after players worked out together before camp.
“I told them it’s imperative that they come into camp in great shape because the style we’re going to play, you’re going to have to be able to skate and gotta be relentless and you’re going to have to be on top of the puck,” Tocchet said. “So that’s going to take work.”
He also believes players should be ready to train when they hit the ice for practice; stretching and warm-ups need to be conducted beforehand.
“I can’t waste time because we don’t have a lot of practice time,” Tocchet said.
Practice plans and an outline for training camp will be addressed during Day 1 of a three-day coaching symposium Tocchet is holding in mid-August. On the second day, each coach will report on the tendencies of the top-five defensive teams in the league after studying film. And on Day 3, the staff will game plan.
Later that month, Tocchet will have his day with the Stanley Cup (Aug. 27) and plans to hold a public viewing at the Jersey Shore.
This will be the third time he’s had the Cup. Tocchet was also with the Penguins when they won in 2016, and he hoisted the trophy as a player in 1992 – a legacy that’s hard to ignore as he returns to Arizona trying to spark much-anticipated progress.
“Hopefully, one day we can lift the Stanley Cup because there’s no better feeling,” Tocchet said. “Trust me. It’s the best feeling in the world.”