He played Tocchet often in the 1984 preseason, and then, just before the start of regular season, promptly challenged him as to whether one vital aspect of his game was good enough to make it in the NHL.

The Philadelphia Flyers introduced Rick Tocchet as the 25th head coach in franchise history on Friday, bringing home a fan favorite and one of the NHL’s most respected hockey minds to guide the team through its critical next phase.

At his introductory press conference Friday, Tocchet said, “These are the things you want as a coach," before also mentioning his excitement to learn from and work with Matvei Michkov.