Last month saw the formal announcement that the Arizona Coyotes and head coach Rick Tocchet would be parting ways. The move was not at all unexpected, the Coyotes had made the post-season only once during Tocchet’s tenure, and it’s pretty common to see a new GM bring in their own coach.
But a change in coach can also lead to a change in players. We often see players not fitting into the new coach’s style, and there are plenty of instances of a player going to a team specifically for the coach. And if there was one player who thought he fit well under Tocchet, it is Phil Kessel.