Flyers add John Torchetti to coaching staff

Torchetti, 56, has been out of hockey a year removed from a stint with the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. There, he was the clubs head coach and director of hockey operations

He was let go from his role there on Dec. 14, 2019 with the team citing “a decision was made for internal reasons that the change was required.”

An NHL head coach at three points in his career on an interim basis, Torchetti has had stints with six NHL teams as an assistant coach as well as various stints in the ECHL, ACHL, CHL, IHL, AHL and KHL.

The Flyers named Mike Yeo interim head coach on Dec. 6 after firing Alain Vigneault. The team started the season 8-11-4 that included a 10-game losing streak under the latter.

Yeo hasn’t had much success of his own in Philadelphia. Since he took over, he’s coached the team to a 5-10-4 record.

It’s not the first time Torchetti's and Yeo’s names have been linked. Torchetti replaced Yeo as head coach with the Minnesota Wild in the 2015-16, with the team later making the playoffs.

Torchetti was also part of the Chicago Blackhawks between 2007-10, a time when the organization covered up sexual assault allegations against then-video coach Brad Aldrich. Last June, he confirmed to TSN’s Rick Westhead that the team had a management meeting during the 2010 NHL playoffs about the alleged sexual assaults that took place.

Torchetti was later individually cited and thanked by Kyle Beach as being someone who had been in the Blackhawks organization at the time who had supported him.

Torchetti declined interviews requests from Chicago-based law firm Jenner and Block, which conducted an investigation into the allegations.