Photo Credit: Rebecca McCormick
The Flyers have hired another Assistant Coach, and it is Rocky Thompson formerly of the San Jose Sharks. He will coach the offensive side of the puck, in particular the Power Play.
Thompson as stated above is the Power Play Coach. He maintains an aggressive style with the man advantage, and this will be different from year’s past with the Flyers with standing around waiting for something to happen, AKA puck watching, now the Flyers will cycle the puck more efficiently.
Finally, the Flyers will be able to enter the zone with ease and the defensemen will provide more puck support for the forwards, structure is the keyword here and that is what Thompson brings to the table. The Flyers Power Play will look competent for once, as opposed to looking like a disorganized mess.
“Rocky is an important addition to our staff and we are excited to start working with him,” John Tortorella said in a Flyers press release.
“He has a sharp mind and eye for the game but from the first time we sat down to speak it was clear that he brings enthusiasm and a high-level of energy needed for this job. His communication skills are going to be vital to our locker room.” – John Tortorella on Rocky Thompson
Just who is Thompson?
Well, Thompson is a Broad Street Bully, a former enforcer, he also tried to fight Evander Kane after a Power Play meeting, “We were just giving our opinions on what we can do better, and I gave my opinion at one point in time, and I think our assistant coach, he maybe didn’t agree with it,” Kane said to the Mercury News. “Anyway, the meeting was over, we’re all kind of getting ready, chatting afterward, and he comes back into the locker room with his shirt off, flexing and kind of being all hype and whatnot, and challenging me to a fight.”
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He was born April 8, 1977, and is a former Canadian hockey player. Hopefully, he will help the Flyers maintain a decent Power Play, that saw them finish dead last in the league this past season with a 12.55% efficiency rate. They can only go up from here right? Yes, personnel is a vital part to the overall success of the man advantage, however, the Flyers needed a good coach to help stabilize the unit.
Enter Rocky Thompson
Rocky Fkn Thompson..are you kidding me? A “former enforcer” who’s claim to fame is he once tried to fight Evander Kane. He played 25 career NHL games without a single point and he is somehow the answer to our terrible power play. I have the same point total and I’m a fat couch potato. This organization is becoming a bigger joke every week.