The Flyers officially hired Jaroslav “Yogi” Svejkovsky and Jay Varady as Assistant Coaches to join Head Coach Rick Tocchet’s staff. Both coaches have prior experience working with Tocchet, bringing familiarity and complementary skill sets to the team.
Jaroslav “Yogi” Svejkovsky was previously an Assistant Coach with the Vancouver Canucks in the 2024-25 season under Tocchet, where the team recorded a 38-30-14 record. Svejkovsky transitioned from a skills coach role with the Canucks (2022-24) and their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. He is expected to focus on improving the Flyers’ Power Play, which ranked 28th in the NHL last season at 15.0%, compared to Vancouver’s 15th-ranked 22.5% under his guidance.
Jay Varady served as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings from 2022-25, contributing to a 115-104-27 record over 246 games. Varady previously worked with Tocchet as an Assistant Coach for the Arizona Coyotes in the 2020-21 season and was head coach of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, leading them to a Pacific Division title in 2019-20. He brings experience in player development and analytics, having coached in various leagues, including the AHL, OHL, and USHL, where he was named the 2016-17 USHL Coach of the Year.
Tocchet highlighted their diverse skill sets and voices as crucial for building the coaching staff and team cohesion, “I’m excited to bring Yogi and Jay on board with me,” Tocchet said in a Flyers Press Release. “I know both of them very well. They each provide a different skill set and more importantly, a different voice.”
The roles of each Assistant Coach is undetermined as of yet, Varady with Varady having analytics experience behind the bench. Svejkovsky, more than likely, will coach the Power Play, while Varady might slide into Darryl Williams role. The Flyers might very well hire a third Assistant Coach this offseason.
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