Jason Myrtetus’ message stayed with the Philadelphia Flyers long after he left the room Saturday morning. By night’s end, after the club’s first victory of the season, head coach Rick Tocchet handed the radio broadcaster the game puck from a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Myrtetus, who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, addressed the Flyers before the game at Tocchet’s request. The broadcaster was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2024 and learned during the summer that the disease had spread to his lungs and liver. He has said he was given a prognosis of six to 24 months.
Tocchet opened his postgame media availability by recognizing Myrtetus and the impact of his words on the dressing room.
“The game puck goes to Jason,” Tocchet said. “What a speech today. I told him he could replace me. His speech was unbelievable. Jason gave our team a tremendous talk today.”
The Flyers later brought Myrtetus into the locker room, where they presented him with Rocky gloves. He pulled them on as players gathered around and cheered.
Tocchet said the morning visit gave the team a necessary perspective before it took the ice against Ottawa. He had spoken with Myrtetus beforehand and felt there was a message the group needed to hear, even if the coach chose not to share the details publicly.
“It is on another level,” Tocchet said. “There was a little pause after he left. Guys were getting dressed, and you could tell it hit them. It was moving for the players. We should be grateful that we’re in the NHL and playing this game. We ask for effort, and here is someone dealing with things we can’t begin to understand.”
Philadelphia answered with the kind of effort Tocchet wanted, beating the Senators 3-1 to put its first win of the season on the board. But the postgame puck and the locker-room celebration made clear that Saturday carried meaning beyond the two points.
