Playing Career
After being drafted in the 6th round (121st overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, Tocchet returned to the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for another year of junior hockey. After registering 108 points with Sault Ste. Marie, Tocchet came to the Flyers for the 1984–85 season, scoring 39 points and helping the team to the Stanley Cup Finals. He was mainly known as a fighter in his early career, but soon developed his skills enough to become a respected power forward, team leader and a four-time NHL All-Star. He had memorable fights with other power forwards such as Wendel Clark and Cam Neely.
In 1992, Tocchet was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Kjell Samuelsson and Ken Wregget, in exchange for Mark Recchi. In 14 playoff games, he scored 19 points, helping the Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
Tocchet became a well-travelled veteran in the league after his stint with the Penguins, taking roles with the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. Rick returned to the Flyers in 2000, adding 11 points en route to an Eastern Conference Finals berth. Tocchet retired after 2001–02 season, being one of several players in NHL history to collect 400 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes including Brendan Shanahan and Gary Roberts.
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