Owen Tippett may have had a smile on his face when chatting in the locker room in Voorhees recently. But the big grin hid some of the anxiety he had heading into the Flyers’ home opener on Oct. 13.
It wasn’t about scoring. At that point, the winger already had his first goal of the season under his belt — a power-play one to boot.
No, this was a different kind of pressure.
Tippett is now in charge of setting the tone. He is the new vibes guy. So, after months of preparation, of picking the right songs, of sending them to the Flyers game presentation group for the proper mix, his warmup playlist was making its debut.
The Flyers’ aux cord now belongs to No. 74.
For years, the playlist had been closely guarded by Scott Laughton, with Joel Farabee assisting. But both were traded last season: Farabee at the end of January to the Calgary Flames, and Laughton in early March to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tippett took charge of the aux afterward, saying last season that he did it because he’s the “closest guy that kind of offered up for the Bluetooth not to cut out.” However, he didn’t really change much from the 105-song playlist he was handed in the group chat.
Until now.
“I’m always one who’s kind of looking for new music,” said Tippett, who ran the aux a handful of times playing for Mississauga and Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League.
“Obviously, there’s some staples that you can kind of keep in [the playlist] from years past, but I think anything that’s new, you kind of throw it in the playlist and hopefully guys catch on to it.”
Note: Some songs on the playlist embedded below may be offensive to certain audiences or contain explicit content. Use caution while enjoying this playlist by making sure you’re aware of your surroundings.
‘T.N.T.’ – AC/DC
Tippett hasn’t just set the mood in the locker room — there are several playlists, one has “slower songs” and “more of an easy vibe” for morning skates, and another before they get on the ice — but his on-ice presence has been setting the tone, too.
During game action, he’s been like song No. 2 in warmups, AC/DC’s “T.N.T.,” and playing “dynamite.” Just six games into the new season, Tippett has collected five goals. Last season, when he finished with 20 tallies, it took him 25 games to hit that mark.
The dip in production came after two consecutive seasons with at least 27 goals — it took him 15 games in 2023-24 and 13 in 2022-23 to score No. 5 on the season — and expectations that he would crack the 30-goal mark in his third full season with the Flyers.
“I think it’s just getting reset and looking back onto those years and what worked and what made me kind of more successful than I was last year,” he told The Inquirer on Oct. 6. “End of the day, everyone has those years; it’s going to happen and not get too frustrated with the dips and just trying to regroup as quick as you can.”
And he is using it all as motivation.
“I think it’s just take that next step,” he said about his ambitions during training camp. “Obviously, a bit older now, and more games played, and I think it’s time that I kind of take that step and take on that bigger role. … That comes with little things within the game, but as a player, just kind of round out my game.”
Tippett sounds like a grizzled veteran, but the 26-year-old winger has only 353 regular-season games under his belt — 94 with the Florida Panthers and 259 with the Flyers after being acquired in the Claude Giroux trade.
And this year, he has taken on a bigger role, averaging 16 minutes, 31 seconds a night, while being put into more situations by the new coaching staff led by Rick Tocchet.
‘Because You Move Me’ – Helsloot & Tinlicker
Tippett has always played on the power play, but this season he has been moved into a rotating spot between the net-front and the bumper. It’s different than his previous spot on the flank, but he likes that it “gives you more options.”
His one power-play goal came from being atop the crease — he was screening Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen — when he pounced on a shot that caromed off the glass behind the net.
Tippett has become an all-around special teams threat. In his first 253 games with Philly, he was on the ice killing penalties for an average of nine seconds per game (36 minutes, 3 seconds total). This season, he’s up to 24 seconds per game for a total of 2:24. Former coach John Tortorella always said Tippett played better with more ice time, and it’s showing.
And the additional responsibilities play into what the Flyers wanted to see from Tippett this season. The winger is in Year 2 of an eight-year, $49.6 million extension that he signed in January 2024, and before the season, Flyers general manager Danny Brière said he wanted to see Tippett take the next step and work on “developing his all-around game.”
“He is becoming even more of a true threat. … We hope he becomes a 30-, 35-goal scorer,” Brière said on Oct. 2. “That’s what we hope from him. I mean, what he brings is more than just goals, too. The size, the speed, the powerful explosiveness that he has is tough to find.
“So that’s what we want to keep seeing from him. Evolving, finding ways to take advantage of the best time to use those assets that he has that not a lot of players have.”
‘Walk It Talk It’ – Migos (feat. Drake)
Recently given the title of “the fastest skater I’ve ever seen” by new teammate Trevor Zegras, Tippett is a dynamic, speedy winger packed into a 6-foot-1, 210-pound power forward’s body. He crunches guys with ease — as noted by his big hit on Seattle Kraken forward Tye Kartye on Monday — and also keeps defenses on their heels because they cannot predict when he will turn on the jets.
He is known for highlight-reel goals, but when he mixes his speed, shiftiness, and big shot, Tippett can resemble a freight train. According to NHL Edge, Tippett’s max speed last season was 23.89 mph — Miles Wood’s 24.82-mph burst was the NHL’s fastest last season — and he recorded 38 bursts of 22 mph, ranking fourth in the NHL. Two seasons ago, he was clocked as the fastest skater in the NHL — yes, faster than Connor McDavid — by hitting a max of 24.21 mph, and was ranked fourth in the league with 46 trips at 22-plus mph.
This season, his max speed is 22.89, with Bobby Brink the fastest Flyer at 23.30. But Tippett has hit at least 22 mph seven times already, putting him right behind McDavid’s 11.
Just because he has dropped a little speed doesn’t mean anything. It’s actually a good sign because, while “it’s obviously exciting when you look up and see no one in front of you … and you start turning the legs,” he also has realized that he doesn’t need to be going 100 miles an hour all the time.
“I know my speed’s always going to be there,” he said. “So it’s focusing on the other little things and then letting my game take over from there. There’s definitely going to be times where it fits in, and we’re still trying to figure that out. … It’s just a matter of finding times, and then letting the game kind of open up and not force things.”
‘Can’t Stop’ – Red Hot Chili Peppers
After he was hired as the Flyers’ coach in May, Tocchet told The Inquirer, “I think Owen Tippett is a guy who I feel has another level in him. I think he’s a prototypical big, fast winger. Can we unleash him?”
Well, it looks like the collar is off.
The bench boss noticed early on that the winger had a habit of exposing the puck; Tippett has been working on it. Tocchet mentioned his “incredible” speed and how he is a “great off-the-rush guy,” but wanted to see him go to the inside more. One of his two goals Monday came because he positioned himself in the slot, and he combined his newfound inside game with his trademark speed to beat two-time defending Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck on Oct. 16.
“In the short time I’ve been here, [and] this coaching staff, he’s been a pleasure to coach,” Tocchet said. “He’s been in the room. He’s asking questions. He’s in the video room. He’s taking the information. He’s really taken ahold of the game like a leader-type of role. That’s what I see. I don’t know what happened in the past, but he looks like a guy who’s dialed in.”
Indeed.
Like the music he listens to — EDM (electronic dance music) to house to rap to remixes — Tippett is adding variety to his game while burying five goals on 19 shots. For someone notoriously criticized for missing the net, Tippet is ranked sixth in the NHL with an eye-popping 26.3% shooting percentage (minimum 15 shots).
Of course, Tippett’s taste in music isn’t for everyone, but as Cam York said, “It’s been good. If he keeps scoring like that, keep going.”
