Below is an excerpt from the ESPN article:
“Paul Coffey left me a message. ‘Make sure you do what you believe in. Don’t compromise,’ ”
Tocchet said. “I’m a pretty easy-going guy, a fair guy, but I believe in a certain way to play.”
Tocchet takes over a team that is 5-7-4; he was named interim coach when Barry Melrose was fired on Friday.
Tocchet’s coaching debut will be Sunday at Carolina, and the 45-minute practice session left more than one player gasping for air.
“The tempo is going to be driven harder,” Tocchet said. “We have to increase the energy level in some players. We’ve got to start getting these guys cranking on the ice, playing a high-tempo game.”
Tampa Bay goalie Olaf Kolzig has gone through coaching changes. He played for Washington last year when Bruce Boudreau took over the struggling Capitals on an interim basis early in the season and led them to the Southeast Division title.
“I think the guys are really going to respond well to Toc,” Kolzig said. “A straight-forward guy. A lot of structure. The year I played with Toc, he was a competitor. I think you’re going to see the same thing in his coaching style.”