Updated: The Reports are now confirmed. The Philadelphia Flyers have fired head coach Dave Hakstol.
CONFIRMED: Dave Hakstol has been fired as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.
— John Boruk (@johnborukNBCS) December 17, 2018
Assistant coach Kris Knoblauch was seen running the team’s Monday practice.
Flyers announce firing of Dave Hakstol. GM Chuck Fletcher in a statement says Scott Gordon will be the interim head coach.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 17, 2018
The team also announced that Scott Gordon will take over as interim coach. Gordon was coaching the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He went 64-94-23 as head coach of the New York Islanders over two seasons and a bit from 2008 to 2011.
Earlier, the team denied reports that Hakstolwas gone. A team spokesman told ESPN’s Emily Caplan that “Dave Hakstol is our coach.” On Sunday, Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post reported that the team had fired Hakstol. Philadelphia was also reportedly set to hire Joel Quenneville to replace him. Multiple other reporters also reported on the news. It is not yet clear who will replace Hakstol, but rumours around Quenneville continue to swirl.
Sources: #Flyers make the decision to fire Dave Hakstol, hire Joel Quenneville: https://t.co/YFEyzBiJW2
— Dave Isaac (@davegisaac) December 16, 2018
Report: Flyers Fire Coach Dave Hakstol
The Flyers have parted ways with Dave Hakstol. This season, the team has a record of 12 wins, 15 losses and four overtime-losses and sit in the last spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Hakstol has only coached the Philadelphia Flyers during his four-year NHL career. Overall he has 134 wins, 101 losses and 42 overtime losses. His greatest success was with the Flyers in the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons. The Flyers made the playoffs both seasons, but have not advanced out of the first round in either appearance.
Hakstol is best known for being the head coach of the University of North Dakota. He compiled a record of 289-141-43 in his time in Grand Forks. The 50-year-old led UND to the Frozen Four seven times, including runner-up in 2004-05.
He became the first coach to jump from the college ranks to the NHL since Bob Johnson went from the University of Wisconsin to the Calgary Flames in 1982. Hakstol was the first in a trend of collegiate coaches to become NHL bench bosses. The Drayton Valley, Alberta native paved the way for coaches like Jim Montgomery and David Quinn.
Quenneville Rumours Swirl
Quenneville has split his time between the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks in his 21-year NHL coaching career. Overall he has 890 wins, 532 losses and. His greatest success was winning the Stanley Cup with Blackhawks in the 2009-10, 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons.
New general manager Chuck Fletcher has wasted no time in making a big move in firing Hakstol. Now the wait on his replacement begins. Quenneville is the early favourite and a proven winner. He is well-respected throughout the NHL and can change a team’s culture.
Time has likely run out on snagging a wild card spot, but Quenneville has turned plenty of clubs into winners. Some Flyers’ fans have clamoured for Hakstol’s ouster, but be careful what you wish for. However, Quenneville may be the man to bring the Stanley Cup back to Broad Street.
PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Philadelphia Flyers coach Dave Hakstol questions a call in a game against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 20, 2018. (Photo credit: Kate Frese / Last Word On Hockey).
