Should Mark Recchi replace Flyers Ast. Coach Rocky Thompson?

Photo credit: The Philadelphia Inquirer

For the past two seasons, the Philadelphia Flyers power play unit (that finished statistically the worst in the league in each of the last two seasons) has been run by former tough guy Rocky Thompson—a guy who was drafted in the third round of the 1995 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames. And, despite playing 12 seasons as a professional only got to play in a whopping 25 NHL games. Now, in those 25 NHL games, Rocky managed to net a grand total of ZERO goals! However, to his credit he did amass an impressive 2,036 career penalty minutes as a professional!

To make this worse still, you’ll be happy to know that the Flyers thought it wise to hire this career knuckle dragger to run the power play of all things after he was let go by the San Jose Sharks for ripping off his shirt in a team meeting and challenging the then Shark’ Evander Kane to a fight. A real class act if I’ve ever heard one.

I need someone from the Flyers’ upper management to make this make sense for me because not only do I not understand the reason he was hired in the first place, but I don’t get why he is still employed given the team’s lack of production on the man advantage during his tenure. I mean, the Flyers were only effective 12.2% of the time on the power play last year, scoring just 31 power play goals on 254 attempts. Folks, that was 40 goals off the pace of the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. And the previous season was much of the same.

So, what’s the answer? Well, although maybe not the best option, one that would make more sense is firing Rocky Thompson and hiring a familiar face in Mark Recchi, who was just let go from his job with the Columbus Blue Jackets after joining their coaching staff in the middle of the season. Now, call it Nepotism if you want, but with the potential hiring of Mark Recchi, the Flyers would gain the knowledge of a former player whose career spanned 22 seasons in the NHL. Won three Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame for scoring 577 career goals (200 of which game on the power play) and totaled 1,533 points (569 of those coming while he was on the PP.).

Now, I know Mark’s recent efforts with Columbus did not go so well. But tell me, when was the last time Columbus had a successful season? I’ll tell you if you don’t know, it was back in 2019 when their Head Coach was John Tortorella, when they went to the Playoffs four years in a row.

So, I’m not willing to put the Blue Jackets’ ineffectiveness on the power play last season all on Recchi, especially since Mark won an additional two Stanley Cups as a coach when he was with the Penguins.

What it boils down to for me is, at the end of the day, who do you think this youthful core of players is actually going to listen to and or respect? Rocky Thompson, who was never even afforded the opportunity to be on the ice during a man advantage? Or the iconic Mark Recchi, who has more power-play points than the likes of Brett Hull, Sidney Crosby, and Gordie Howe.

With that being said, Thompson has had his chance and has failed miserably. The team’s power play unit, which was once feared, is now the laughingstock of the league. And I, for one, no longer wish for him to be the guy offering up the tutelage to our players. Hell, Michkov may be the best prospect we’ve had since Eric Lindros, and I’d much rather have a guy like Recchi, who has collected a fist full of Stanley Cup rings drawing up plays for him, than a guy who possibly inspired Adam Sandler to write Happy Gilmore.