As a player, Rick Tocchet is most closely associated with the other Pennsylvania hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers, and he should consider that he spent four times longer there than he did with the Penguins.

Rick Tocchet began and ended his playing career with the Philadelphia Flyers.   He spent seasons in Pittsburgh (where he won the Stanley Cup), Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, and Phoenix, but scored 508 of his 952 Points in the National Hockey League with the Flyers.  Tocchet was a bruising power forward who, despite having great individual seasons elsewhere, was synonymous with the ethos of Philadelphia.  Notably, the only season that he would finish in the top ten in Hart Trophy voting was as a Flyer (1990-91).  He was chosen for the Flyers Hall of Fame in 2021.

When Rick Tocchet entered the National Hockey League, he seemed to do so with the strength of his fighting skills. Tocchet still fought, but by his fourth season, he emerged as an effective scorer as well. Tocchet was as hard-nosed as they came and was the quintessential power forward of the game. The popular winger won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh, and though he played for six different teams throughout his career, he was always among the more popular. Tocchet did score a lot of points, but it may not have been enough to gain entry. Let’s hope that Rick Tocchet isn’t betting on his chances.