Flyers Hire Todd Reirden; Tocchet’s Staff is Complete

The Philadelphia Flyers’ coaching staff for the 2025/26 season is complete! After hiring Jaroslav Svejkovsky and Jay Varady earlier in the offseason, Rick Tocchet completes his staff with the hires of Todd Reirden and Dylan Crawford.

The hires of Reirden and Crawford round out the staff with a similar theme: experience and familiarity. Tocchet has experience coaching with Svejkovsky, Crawford, and a little with Varady, while Reirden brings 14 years of NHL experience, and Varady brings his own extensive background.

Of the group, Reiden is the most experienced and is likely to take over the “Brad Shaw” role as the coach of the defensemen and associate head coach. Svejkovsky is set to be the power play coach, with Varady being an assistant, and Crawford joining the video staff.

Let’s take a look at the Flyers’ new assistants.

Read More: What is Going On With Cam York?

Todd Reirden

Reirden has been coaching in the NHL for 14 years. Most notably, he spent 2014-2020 behind the bench with the Washington Capitals. He started as an assistant for two years, then from 2016-2018, he served as the associate head coach to Barry Trotz, including the 2018 cup-winning season.

He was then promoted to head coach following Trotz’s resignation, a position he held until 2020.

Following his Capitals tenure, Reirden returned to Pittsburgh, the place he began his NHL coaching career in 2010. During his 2020-2024 stint in the Steel City, Reirden serves as the associate head coach, overseeing the defensemen and the power play.

He made the postseason in each of his first 10 seasons as an NHL coach, and twice more during that second stint with the Pens.

Todd Reirden brings experience and a history of winning to Tocchet’s staff.

Read More: 2025 NHL Draft: Prospects To Watch For in the Mid Rounds (+)

Jaroslav Svejkovsky

Jaroslav Svejkovksy is an assistant that Rick Tocchet knows well. Svejkovsky was a Canucks assistant for just one season, but has been with the organization since 2022.

Hired in 2022, Svejkovsky was the skills coach for the Canucks through 2024, when he was promoted to an assistant position. Apart of Svejkovsky’s duties last season: oversee the canucks power play.

Vancouver was ranked 15th in the NHL last season with the man-advantage, ending the year with a success rate of 22.5%. While 15th is not too special, it is a big jump from the basement that the Flyers are used to.

Svejkovsky will assume the same role in Philadelphia as he and Tocchet look to turn things around.

He also has experience as a successful WHL assistant. Before coaching the NHL, Svejkovsky was also the skills coach for the Abbotsford Canucks (AHL).

Jay Varady

The other assistant likely to be on the bench with Rick Tocchet and his staff is Jay Varady.

Varady and Tocchet go back to the bench boss’s last year with the Coyotes, where Varady was an assistant. He was the head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate, but joined Tocchet’s staff during the COVID season.

Since then, Varady has spent three years as an assistant in Detroit. There was no specific title, other than assistant. Varady will now rejoin Tocchet’s coaching staff, this time, in Philadelphia.

Aside from the AHL, Varady has experience coaching juniors in the OHL and the USHL, as well as helping out with various Team USA teams.

With the Flyers being such a young team, Varady’s experience coaching younger players will undoubtedly be beneficial.

Read More: PhHN Daily: Mid-Round of the Draft; Trade Target Gone

Dylan Crawford

The last new addition to Tocchet’s staff is Dylan Crawford, the new video coach.

Crawford spent the last three seasons serving as the Canucks video coach, working under Tocchet. Before that, Crawford was in Chicago, where he served as the assistant video coach from 2018 to 2021, and was then promoted to video coach for the 2021-22 season.

Crawford boasts seven years of NHL video coach experience. His time working under Tocchet will help for a smooth transition. Tocchet would not have brought Crawford with him if they had not worked well together.

Now that the coaching staff is complete, the Flyers can fully shift their focus to offseason acquisitions.

Read More: Flyers Draft: Takeaways From Briere & Flahr’s Pre-Draft Availability

For more Flyers news and up-to-date coverage, visit Philly Hockey Now and like our Facebook page.
Follow us on 𝕏:
@wmjsports
@PhillyHockeyNow