The Philadelphia Flyers have made some big decisions about the assistant coaches for the upcoming season.
During Rick Tocchet’s presser, he said he had no assistant coaches. General Manager Danny Briere claimed they have some guys in mind but need to begin interviewing. However, it was announced over the weekend that the Flyers had hired Jaroslav Svejkovsky and Jay Varady as assistant coaches.
Svejkovsky, 48, joins the Flyers after working behind the bench with the Vancouver Canucks under Rick Tocchet. After spending time as a skills coach with Vancouver and their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, he was promoted to assistant coach, helping develop talent across both levels.
Varady, 47, comes to the Flyers after spending the past few seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings. Before that, he was the head coach of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, where he played a key role in player development and helped guide the team to a division title. He also spent time behind the bench with the Arizona Coyotes during the shortened 2020–21 season, working under Rick Tocchet.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet commented on the hires: “I’m excited to bring Yogi and Jay on board with me. “I know both of them very well. They each provide a different skill set and, more importantly, a distinct voice, crucial in building a coaching staff and an entire team and how we grow together. I look forward to getting down to work with them again soon.”
The organization’s decision to hire former assistants of Tocchet was wise. Many Flyers fans can acknowledge how great of a job Brad Shaw did. The bench needs to reflect on the changes by hiring a head coach who will get the team through the rebuild. While the coaching staff is put together, the next crucial step is drafting correctly at 6th overall, coming up later this month.
Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
