Confirmed with Link: Tocchet to Arizona | Recchi named Penguins assistant coach | Gonchar, too

[Burgs]

Recchi re-signed with the Pens only a few months after his 2006 deadline trade to Carolina so how bad could that alleged rift have been? I'm sure everyone involved has long put those times behind them. I'm more concerned about Recchi's actual coaching qualifications but at least he's been working with our prospects previously. And as a player he was never the biggest or fastest or most talented guy. He became a Hall of Famer through hard work and learning, hopefully he can translate it to teaching others.

 

[Dying Alive]

Didn't Recchi have a really good relationship with Jordan Staal? IIRC Staal lived with him for a while and continued to rent his house once Recchi moved on. His rift with the young players couldn't have been all that serious.

 

[66-30-33]

Hopefully Recchi is good for us, wish it was Gonchar to help with the PP but ohwell. As long as we keep helping dmen reach their potential.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Hopefully Recchi is good for us, wish it was Gonchar to help with the PP but ohwell. As long as we keep helping dmen reach their potential.

Well I mean the positive thing is that we haven't seen a Recchi run powerplay. So we can't really judge him based on that yet. What if the powerplay is a beast next year?

Gotta give this one time.

 

[66-30-33]

Well I mean the positive thing is that we haven't seen a Recchi run powerplay. So we can't really judge him based on that yet. What if the powerplay is a beast next year?

Gotta give this one time.

Yeah that's the reason why i'm not mad or anything, i'm more curious how things will shape up.

 

[shureshot66]

 

[turd]

absolutely 100% i blame him. you want to talk about immaturity? which one was the adult?

Umm...both of them...

 

[Dying Alive]

Oh thank goodness someone will be able to handle Phil when he trashes the locker room and starts throwing feces like an angry baboon.

 

[shureshot66]

And now, of course, the real reason he was hired:

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Job position: Phil Whisperer

 

[DegenX]

Phil Kessel, our problem child

 

[Speaking Moistly]

TIL that Recchi knows how to make Kessel's hot dogs the way he likes them. By the truckload and deep-fried.

 

[The Gobfather*]

TIL that Recchi knows how to make Kessel's hot dogs the way he likes them. By the truckload and deep-fried.

Thanks now all I'm thinking about is Kessel eating deep fried hot dogs by the bucket in the locker room

 

[Ugene Magic]

Something about a blind squirrel and a nut, yadda, yadda, yadda.

All this worry about Phil is hilarious. Not the first rodeo that had to stroke ego's.

 

[SEALBound]

Well no kidding they would keep their 19 year old superstar over an aging veteran. That doesn't mean that Crosby wasn't an immature kid that Recchi, at that stage in his career, didn't want to deal with. And could you blame him if that were the case?

Yes. By that time he's been around long enough to know how things work.

I agree, no one wins. You forgot to add that Tocchet goes to work for a crappy organization with a kid for GM.

That's not fair. The team doesn't have control over the market and popularity in desert. Ownership is unstable sure but I think all in all, the organization itself is just fine. Not to mention, that "kid" has done a hell of a job since being hired.

Oh thank goodness someone will be able to handle Phil when he trashes the locker room and starts throwing feces like an angry baboon.

I laughed at this harder than I should have. Now I feel shame.

Phil Kessel, our problem child

What a great problem to have.

 

[Bishop7979]

I was hoping to add Mullen as an assistant strictly for his work with Philly's power play over the past few years. I liked the style they played with the man advantage, it was aggressive and tough to defend. I would liked to have seen the pens go with Mullen over Recchi, but i'll give him a chance.

 

[wgknestrick]

Does anyone actually win in this scenario? We lose what seems to be an effective assistant and Arizona gets a head coach who is not an up and comer and if anything leans towards not being head coach material.

Same thing could've been said about Sully and just about every other head coach at some point in their careers.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Recchi has a pretty vast history in the player development area at this point, so I think he probably has developed a good eye for hockey. It's just a question of whether he can become a good coach with that and no experience. I'm not too concerned with him.

 

[JTG]

Recchi will do just fine. He's a guy that's seen it all...he knows the organization. It will be seamless.

 

[Malkinstheman]

So does this leave the door open for Gonch to eventually take over the Director of Player development role?

 

[BrookswasHere44]

Maybe Gonchar? Would like us to get some new blood into the organisation though.

I agree! Everyone we've had around here lately has just been atrocious. NEW BLOOD!!!

 

[td_ice]

Didn't Recchi have a really good relationship with Jordan Staal? IIRC Staal lived with him for a while and continued to rent his house once Recchi moved on. His rift with the young players couldn't have been all that serious.

Heard an interview with Recchi that Roenick did, and he said the problem, (for him) was Therrien. That MT was bullying the young guys. Mentioned that Staal was throwing up before most games. That he tried to stick up for the kids and when he did, that caused a big problem between him and the coach.

Roenick chimed him that he despises Therrien, and that one time me when playing the Pens with MT behind the bench, there was a scrum near the bench. So he decides to lay into Therrien, calling him every name in the book. He said that not one Penguin said a word to him in defense of Therrien. He said he knew right then that the Pens player hated him too.

So Recchi said he was the one standing up for young guys vs. Therrien.

 

[madinsomniac]

How hard can dealing with kessel really be? A couple hot digs and beers in the locker room and absolving him of anything to do with the media and he is a happy camper right?

 

[mrwirez]

Too bad GMJR couldn't have "traded" Tocchet to Arizona for maybe a young, cheap 3C, like say Christian Dvorak.

It would have made our lives easier..

 

[Coastal Kev]

Huge fan of Tocchet and I'm sad to see him go. I will be pulling for AZ in the West