Pat Egan
December 8th, 2021
The Philadelphia Flyers are looking for its NEXT head coach. The team fired Alain Vigneualt on December 5th and placed the interim tag on Mike Yeo. Yeo is certainly a candidate, but here are 10 more names to look out for.
John Tortorella is probably the most established coach on the market. Hes got a Stanley Cup ring on his resume and is known as a hard ass coach. John Tortorella wins EVERYWHERE he goe, minus that one year in Vancouver. Which is ironic because in Vancouver he was replacing Alain Vigneualt. But if you want to shake things up and hold players accountable, look no further than Torts.
What has RIck Tocchet done to deserve the job? Well he used to play for the Flyers of course! Hes had two head coaching stints (Arizona and Tampa Bay) and has a record of 178-200. To his credit, he has been an assistant on some Stanley Cup winning teams. But this hire would be SO Flyers
Mike is currently the interim coach as Chuck Fletcher looks for a replacement. But if Yeo could right the ship, then the job could be his. He has had 2 head coaching stints with Minnesota and St Louis with minimal success. Maybe the third time can be the charm?
Dan Bylsma hasnt coached in the NHL since 2017 after two lack luster seasons in Buffalo. In retrospect, Buffalo didnt know how good they had it because they havent been as competitive since. But the key thing to remember with Bylsma is the Chuck Fletcher connection. Fletcher was an assistant GM in Pittsburgh when Bylsma was winning Stanley Cups. Hes currently the head coach of the AHL's Charlotte Checkers.
Mike Babcock built a winning culture in Detroit but couldnt find similar success in Toronto. THEN the stories started coming out that Mike Babcock is a jerk. And thats being kind. Babcock was kind of banished by the NHL over negative PR. He is currently the head coach of the University of Saskatchewan but riding on a plane is better than riding on a bus.
Claude Julien has won EVERYWHERE he goes. Hes got a Stanley Cup on his resume. Hes been coach of the year. His last stint with Montreal didnt go as expected. He failed to have the success he had in Boston. But hes an established veteran coach with a winning track record
Jim Montgomery was a hot up and comer and got his shot with the Dallas Stars. But alcoholism derailed his promising career. His gone to rehab and is currently an assistant with St. Louis. Many believe hes the coach of the future with the Blues. Could the Flyers pry him away?
Kevin Dineen checks one box. Hes a former Flyer! He also has head coaching experience both in the NHL and on the international market. Hes currently the head coach of the AHLs Utica Comets and he broke the record for longest win streak to start a season
You want to fix your powerplay? Get Scott Arniel. His specialty is set plays off the draw and manning a good power play. He has head coaching experience but didn't fair well in Columbus. He is currently an assistant with one of the leagues best teams, the Washington Capitals.
Here me out....the Flyers have lost 9 straight....so what is there to lose?
