Well, there are no current internal candidates. The big name who may be out there is Mike Babcock but that's a stretch right now.
- bmeltzer

I read somewhere that he may be looking for a position where he'd have GM responsibilities as well.

i'd prefer a double-head-coach setup of Lavi and Hitch

best of both worlds

Well, there are no current internal candidates. The big name who may be out there is Mike Babcock but that's a stretch right now.
- bmeltzer

Should that happen, it'd be safe to suggest whomever they who look to at least interview have had previous NHL coaching experience.

Big if at the moment though.

i'd prefer a double-head-coach setup of Lavi and Hitch

best of both worlds
- Crimsoninja

No Torts?

i'd prefer a double-head-coach setup of Lavi and Hitch

best of both worlds
- Crimsoninja

Both were great! You saw an instant change in the team when both started here.

I was a Roger Neilson guy. He was head Coach when I first started watching the Flyers. Mike Keenan, Ken Hitchcock, Peter Laviolette come up a lot. I'm just shocked that that John Stevens and Bill Barber still come up more then Neilson does.

Should that happen, it'd be safe to suggest whomever they who look to at least interview have had previous NHL coaching experience.

Big if at the moment though.
- ob18

I think Mike Babcock would have the most impact here if he were to come on board. I think we'd see a brand new team here in Philadelphia. The Red Wings aren't even half of what they were 4 or 5 years ago and yet every player supports and handles the puck so fluently.

Both were great! You saw an instant change in the team when both started here.

I was a Roger Neilson guy. He was head Coach when I first started watching the Flyers. Mike Keenan, Ken Hitchcock, Peter Laviolette come up a lot. I'm just shocked that that John Stevens and Bill Barber still come up more then Neilson does.
- SuperSchennBros

i honestly have never seen a more media-savvy coach (in any sport) than Hitch.

I just remember that standing out to me as soon as he came to town. He was masterful at that aspect of the job

great stuff, bill
thanks for the real story.

i expect a big ovation for him Friday
- Crimsoninja

x2

i honestly have never seen a more media-savvy coach (in any sport) than Hitch.

I just remember that standing out to me as soon as he came to town. He was masterful at that aspect of the job
- Crimsoninja

Yes he was.

i honestly have never seen a more media-savvy coach (in any sport) than Hitch.

I just remember that standing out to me as soon as he came to town. He was masterful at that aspect of the job
- Crimsoninja

Absolutely. He knows very much how to get his message out there and also understands the value of building relationships with the reporters.

Think I have told this story before: Back when the Penguins were at the bottom of the league and putting out a bargain basement team, the Flyers shut them out 3-0 in a game where the shot disparity was something like 40-18 in Philly's favor. It was never even competitive. Roenick scored very early in the game and the Flyers just went to cruise from there.

After the game, Hitchcock talked about how unhappy he was with the team's effort that night; said they got away with a lot of low-percentage plays, lost their discipline at times and got "sleepy" in the third period.

When we talked afterwards to Roenick, he laughed and said, "If he couldn't female dog, he wouldn't be Hitch!"

The next day, there were various newspaper and talk show stories about how Hitchcock ripped his own team after a shutout win. No one was reading between the lines of what prompted Hitch's very calculated post-game press conference.

The game was the front end of a home-and-home with the Penguins. Hitchcock wanted to make sure the team didn't mail in the second game since the first win was so easy. Secondly, the Flyers were finishing up the stretch drive with a series of games against non-playoff teams and Hitchcock was already thinking about how he wanted the team to be playing when the postseason started.

It had nothing at all to do with being "unhappy" with that particular game.

Absolutely. He knows very much how to get his message out there and also understands the value of building relationships with the reporters.

Think I have told this story before: Back when the Penguins were at the bottom of the league and putting out a bargain basement team, the Flyers shut them out 3-0 in a game where the shot disparity was something like 40-18 in Philly's favor. It was never even competitive. Roenick scored very early in the game and the Flyers just went to cruise from there.

After the game, Hitchcock talked about how unhappy he was with the team's effort that night; said they got away with a lot of low-percentage plays, lost their discipline at times and got "sleepy" in the third period.

When we talked afterwards to Roenick, he laughed and said, "If he couldn't female dog, he wouldn't be Hitch!"

The next day, there were various newspaper and talk show stories about how Hitchcock ripped his own team after a shutout win. No one was reading between the line of what prompted Hitch's very calculated post-game press conference.

The game was the front end of a home-and-home with the Penguins. Hitchcock wanted to make sure the team didn't mail in the second game since the first win was so easy. Secondly, the Flyers were finishing up the stretch drive with a series of games against non-playoff teams and Hitchcock was already thinking about how he wanted the team to be playing when the postseason started.

It had nothing at all to do with being "unhappy" with that particular game.
- bmeltzer

i loved the "candlelight dinner" comment to ruff during all those power outages in buffalo

i loved the "candlelight dinner" comment to ruff during all those power outages in buffalo
- -davies-

They really didn't like each other

i honestly have never seen a more media-savvy coach (in any sport) than Hitch.

I just remember that standing out to me as soon as he came to town. He was masterful at that aspect of the job
- Crimsoninja

Do you remember the Hitch vs. Lindy Ruff war during the playoffs. I want to say the playoffs after the lockout?

Do you remember the Hitch vs. Lindy Ruff war during the playoffs. I want to say the playoffs after the lockout?
- SuperSchennBros

"tell Lindy to go (frank) himself"

Ken Hitchcock always reminded me of a penguin.

That said, he's my favorite Flyers coach in my active fandom career.

"tell Lindy to go (frank) himself"
- Crimsoninja

Yep!

Just finished the Habs/Bruins game. I do not want to lose to Montreal on Saturday! !!

i loved the "candlelight dinner" comment to ruff during all those power outages in buffalo
- -davies-

Oops, I didn't even read this Davies

Senators GM Bryan Murray says he has Stage 4 cancer. It's spread to his lungs and liver. Murray says, "there's no cure for me".

Such awful news

Has anyone noticed that Mike Green has been really playing up his value?

Senators GM Bryan Murray says he has Stage 4 cancer. It's spread to his lungs and liver. Murray says, "there's no cure for me".

Such awful news
- Jsaquella

What a bummer...jaw dropping...

Senators GM Bryan Murray says he has Stage 4 cancer. It's spread to his lungs and liver. Murray says, "there's no cure for me".

Such awful news
- Jsaquella

That's a hell of a quote. Awful news indeed.

What a bummer...jaw dropping...
- SuperSchennBros

x2

Senators GM Bryan Murray says he has Stage 4 cancer. It's spread to his lungs and liver. Murray says, "there's no cure for me".

Such awful news
- Jsaquella

It's not. He's probably a bit miffed an angry, they've lost 9 straight and it never hurts to have extra motivation.
- Jsaquella

i fully expect the jackets to win tomorrow. perfect storm. team on a horrid losing streak, ex-player back for the first time, flyers off for 5 days. they're often the perfect antidote for a team or player needing to get out of funk. hope i'm wrong.

I wasn't there. It was at the season ticket holder town meeting. However, it wasn't a new statement.

From the Flyers perspective, there were things they wanted to install -- talking about both Berube and Hextall -- that they felt Hartnell didn't buy into enough (at least to their liking). If you have seen the new sign that has posted this season in the Flyers locker room at the Wells Fargo Center (which reads the way Hexy talks), I think you can read between the lines a bit: "If you can't do things our way, you're not getting time here AND WE DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE."

Hartnell has his own side to the story. Somewhere in the middle is the truth.
- bmeltzer

such a negative way to connote the concept of "team first". i get it, but i think it could be stated a little more on the encouraging side than "if you don't like it, get the (frank) out".