Rick Tocchet Compares Flyers Forward’s Speed to Connor McDavid

Vibes are high in Philadelphia after the Flyers finished off their bitter rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, with a 1–0 overtime win in Game 6 on Wednesday night.

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From Dan Vladar, to Travis Sanheim, to Cam York—the overtime hero—it was a full group effort from a Philadelphia team that was largely seen as an underdog heading into the series. Instead, they proved from the start that they more than belong, and another player that stood out in particular for many around the hockey world was Owen Tippett.

The skilled winger’s speed and physicality were on full display throughout the Battle of Pennsylvania, and his head coach, Rick Tocchet, was thrilled to see Tippett getting some recognition, even comparing his speed to that of the world’s best player, Connor McDavid.

Tocchet said:

“Tip wasn’t on the radar last year, this year he’s put himself on the radar. Listen, I coached Connor McDavid with Canada—he’s almost got that kind of speed. Like you saw it, you just mentioned some of the games where he had the speed through the neutral zone. I think he had 11 hits one game—I mean that’s tough to do. So he’s a power forward,”

The 27-year-old Tippett tallied two points (one goal, one assist) and delivered 29 hits across the six-game first-round series. He’s coming off a 51-point (28 goals, 23 assists) 2025–26 regular season.

While Tippett is certainly not close to the player McDavid is, his speed is absolutely at that level, and when he’s able to put it all together, he is a force to handle, as the Penguins saw firsthand.

The Flyers will need much of the same—and a bit more offensively—from Tippett moving forward if they hope to pull off another upset in Round 2 against the top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes.

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