The final day of the round-robin portion of the 2025 IIHF World Championships saw all three Flyers representatives on Team Canada get on the score sheet. Back in North America, the Flyers continue their search for a forwards/power play coach. We’ll discuss those two stories and more in the May 21 edition of Flyers Quick Hits.
World Championships: Canada Wins Group A
Team Canada skated to 5-3 victory over Team Sweden in Stockholm on Tuesday. Consequently. Canada won Group A during the round-robin phase of the 2025 IIHF World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark. As a result, Canada will face Team Denmark on Thursday in a medal round quarterfinal game. Tre Kronor gets a tougher opponent, playing Czechia at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.
On Tuesday, Canada took a 3-1 lead to the first intermission. Just 18 seconds after the opening faceoff, Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim got Canada on the board. Nathan MacKinnon and Flyers winger Travis Konecny assisted. After Elias Lindholm tied the game unassisted at 3:47, Flyers winger Tyson Foerster restored the lead at 7:15 (assisted by Jaren Spurgeon and Sidney Crosby). Subsequently, at 13:01, Konecny and MacKinnon set up Ryan O’Reilly for a 3-1 edge.
After intermission, Marcus Johansson and Macklin Celebrini traded off second period tallies. Canada led, 4-2, after 40 minutes of play. In the third period, Konecny (third assist of the match) set up MacKinnon for a commanding, 5-2 lead. Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson got one goal back with 3:08 remaining in regualation. However, Tre Kronor drew no closer. Jordan Binnington earned the win in goal. Jacob Markström took the loss.
Wednesday is an off day for all teams at the World Championships. On Thursday, four quarterfinal games take place. In addition to Canada vs. Denmark and Sweden vs. Czechia in the quarterfinals, Team USA opposes Finland and Switzerland takes on Austria. Additionally, Konecny (3g, 9a, 12 points) enters the medal round fourth on the tournament scoring leaderboard. He trail Czechia’s David Pastrnak (6g, 8a, 14 points), Team Canada linemate MacKinnon (7g, 6a, 13 points) and Czechia’s Roman Cervenka (5g, 8a, 13 points).
Flyers Forwards/Power Play coach search
Last summer, during the Flyers Alumni’s annual Fantasy Camp, I chatted with Mark Recchi. I asked him if he had interest in getting back into coaching at the NHL level. He indicated that he wanted to take time away from coaching but might have interest if the Flyers approached him. He added than Philadelphia is just about the only team that might lure him back into the coaching side of the game.
Over the last year, “Recchs” has worked as Alumni ambassador in the community. Recently, after old Flyers teammate Rick Tocchet became head coach, Recchi’s name has come up in rumors about a potential assistant coaching role (forwards/power play coach) on Tocchet’s staff.
Contacted by Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Recchi said that he prefers to remain in the off-ice ambassador role. He does not immediately want to jump back into coaching. The Hockey Hall of Famer previously served as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins (2017-18 to 2019-20), New Jersey Devils (2021-22) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (2023-24). He also had stints in Hockey Operations with the Dallas Stars (senor advisor) and developmental coaching with the Penguins.
A host of names remain possible candidates for the power play role, including previous NHL head coaches. These are not based on any inside intel but are prominent names: John Gruden (Toronto Marlies head coach), Phil Housley, Todd Reirden, Sergei Gonchar (worked with Tocchet in Vancouver), Prior to the hiring of now-former power play coach, Bob Woods’ (then with Minnesota) name came up as someone of interest for a potential AC role. However, Woods is now an assistant with the Seattle Kraken.
2025 Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp
Speaking of the Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp, a very limited number of registration slots are still available for 2025: the 11th edition of the annual event created by Bob “The Hound” Kelly in 2014. For more information, click here.
Flyers Daily: Wednesday with William
Rather than running it’s usual Monday slot on Flyers Daily, the Flyers Broadcast Network features a special Wednesday edition instead. On Monday, Jason Myrtetus interviewed Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet. For this week only, let’s call my episode a “Wednesday with William” edition.
