May 16, 2025
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Brad Shaw went 5-3-1 as the Flyers' interim coach to close out the season.
Rick Tocchet will fill out his staff as the Flyers' incoming head coach, but Brad Shaw won't be a part of it.
Shaw, who finished this past season as the team's interim coach and was in the mix for the full-time gig, has elected not to return to Philadelphia, as AllPHLY's Charlie O'Connor was first to report on Thursday night.
"With Brad, you all know. He was in the running, he was strongly considered all the way to the end, and it was tough," general manager Danny Brière said Friday morning following Tocchet's introduction. "He did a good job...We had the chance to get Rick Tocchet, and it's nothing against Brad Shaw. It's just we felt that Rick Tocchet kind of checked all the boxes for us."
Shaw was given the interim reins with nine games left this past season after Brière fired former bench boss John Tortorella.
Under Shaw, the Flyers finished the year 5-3-1 and appeared to play a much more relaxed game following a 1-10-1 spiral through March that led to Tortorella's firing. However, they did end the schedule on a low note of three consecutive losses with an 0-2-1 stretch.
Shaw was brought in to be a part of Tortorella's staff three years ago as an assistant coach tasked with overseeing the defense and the penalty kill.
His guidance was pivotal in the career rebounds of Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen, Nick Seeler, and – before he was dealt away at last year's trade deadline – Sean Walker, while Shaw also helped to get young blueliners such as Cam York, Emil Andrae, and Jamie Drysdale more established as NHL regulars.
The 61-year-old grew into a highly respected figure within the locker room and among the organization, and when the season ended, Brière said Shaw would have a chance to interview for the full-time label back when the Flyers were only at the outset of their coaching search.
Tocchet ended up choosing to leave his post in Vancouver, though, which made the former Flyer available, and made for the route the organization ultimately took.
Shaw has said on multiple occasions, especially late into this past season, that he's enjoyed his run in Philadelphia but didn't appear interested in staying on as an assistant under Tocchet after the Flyers made their decision.
It'll be one of Tocchet's first orders of business to fill in that significant blank.
"We're really appreciative of what Brad has done," Brière said. "He's helped a lot of our young guys on defense, especially, and he was considered.
"He called me yesterday and said he didn't feel like he could fully invest himself in going through the process again to see if he would be a part of the staff moving forward. I totally understand and respect that. We wish him the best, and if teams reach out to us, he's gonna get a really positive review from our end."
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