PHILADELPHIA — When Danny Briere was handed sole control of the Flyers’ front office two years ago, he was clear right from the start. The Flyers, he had said, were in the midst of a team rebuild. Still.

The Philadelphia Flyers introduced Rick Tocchet as the 25th head coach in franchise history, bringing home a fan favorite and one of the NHL’s most respected hockey minds to guide the team through its critical next phase.