Behind the Hockey Scenes: Philadelphia Flyers vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Pregame - Press Level - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA.

Introductions

Philadelphia enters the afternoon tilt (3 PM puck drop on ABC) at 16-28-10. The Flyers are in last place in the Metro. 

Chicago is 20-27-8 and in seventh place in the Central division of the Western Conference. 

Both teams will be selling into the National Hockey League's trade deadline on March 21. The pending end of the Claude Giroux era highlights this Flyers' season and current plight. 

Martin Jones starts in goal for the Flyers. 

Kevin Lankinen starts in goal for the Blackhawks.

The Marvel Comics theme event resulted in what appears to be one of the larger actual attendance volumes of the season. 

First period

Philly scored first on a nice tip in front by Oskar Lindblom - His ninth of the season at 4:46. Assisted by Travis Sandheim and the returning Kevin Hayes. 

Giroux was dumped in front of the Blackhawks' net moments later, with the captain getting up slowly. The interference penalty did not result in an injury, which is not what this organization needs, weeks before the anticipated deal of one of its all-time great players. 

Back-and-forth play through the frame, with few high-percentage chances.

Shots: Philadelphia – 12 – Chicago 10

Score: Philadelphia – 1 Chicago 0

Intermission: Mites on Ice included a great goal by number 28. Fitting.

Second period 

Chicago's leading goal scorer, Alex DeBrincat scored his thirty-first of the season, 24 seconds into the period. Assisted by Jonathan Toews. Philadelphia could not hold the lead on multiple occasions against Minnesota on Thursday, eventually losing 5-4.

Caleb Strome scored his tenth of the year at 12:39 on a close-in shot that Jones had no chance to stop. Assisted by Patrick Kane and Dominik Kubilick. 

A sharp tic-tac-toe play gave Cam Atkinson an easy goal at 15:28, to tie the game at 2-2. It was his nineteenth of the season. Assisted by Joel Farabee. A melee ensued after the goal with a roughing penalty to Toews, putting the Flyers on the powerplay. Derick Brassard and Calvin De Haan also were to the box for roughing. 

Chicago quickly reclaimed the lead, with Strome scoring at 18:02. Jones could not stop the wrister over his left shoulder from close range. The goal, his second of the game, was unassisted. 

Shots: Philadelphia – 7 – Chicago 12

Score: Philadelphia – 2 - Chicago 3

Intermission: Fan attempts at goal targets reinforced the skill seen on the ice in-game.

Third period 

Farabee appeared to tip in a shot Brassard shot through Lankinen at 3:09. But the puck crossed the goal line before Farabee added the helper. It was Brassard's fifth tally of the season. Assisted by Atkinson, along with the aforementioned Farabee.

Atkinson ripped the puck with a wicked wrist shot past Lankinen at 8:28. It was his second of the game and twentieth goal of the season. Assisted by Farabee. 

Kevin Connaughton left the ice after being hit hard against the boards by Kirby Dach, who was not penalized. He was involved in a few physical plays before the last hit he received. 

All players on the ice by the Flyers goal, including Jones, became involved in pushing, shoving, and some fisticuffs at 11:49. 

Off-setting roughing penalties to Connor Murphy, Caleb Jones, Travis Konecny, and Rasmus Ristolainen resulted.

Seth Jones held Lindblom at 12:42. But Lindblom was charged with a double-minor for high-sticking, giving Chicago the power play. 

An undisciplined Too Many Men On The Ice penalty gave the Flyers a power play with 1:26 left in the game. Served by Kubilick. 

Chicago pulled their goalie and called a 30-second time out with 29.3 seconds remaining after a stoppage due to the puck hitting the screen in the Flyers' offensive zone.

Shots: Philadelphia – 8 (27 total) Chicago -7 (29 total)

Final Score: Philadelphia – 4 Chicago - 3

After the horn sounded

The team responded to head coach, Mike Yeo's impassioned post-game address that he described as a one-way talk.

The Flyers went 0-4 on the power play. 

Hayes looked solid in his return to the team after being out since mid-January.

Unless he misses a time, Giroux's 1,000 game in a Flyers' uniform will happen at home on March 17, against the Nashville Predators. 

(Photos courtesy of Sean O'Brien.)

Per the Flyers Media Department: Philadelphia's regular season home winning streak against Chicago dates back 17 games, to March 31, 1998. Of course Flyers fans recall that the team lost one playoff game to the Blackhawks in 2010. That was the decisive Game 6 loss in the Stanley Cup Final. The 4-3 decision happened in overtime and represents the last time the franchise has appeared in the Final since that fateful June 9 day in Philadelphia.

The following quotes from the post-game presser are courtesy of the Flyers Media Department, with media questions noted: 

Philadelphia Flyers Interim Head Coach Mike Yeo

 

After Thursday's game and then again on Friday you sent a message to the group that you expected more. Are you happy with the response today even though it wasn't a perfect game?

No, it wasn't a perfect game, no question. Set it off in the second period and we talked about a winning attitude and just kind of recognize that we are down a goal and at home here. I liked the way we came out in the third, that's for sure. So positive stuff. 

 

How pleased were you with the first and the second line as a whole?

Oh they were outstanding obviously. We needed something. It was disappointing to give up that goal late in the period because that should of been a moment to really build off of in the game. Not just the fact that they scored it, but how they scored it. For a little while here lately, I feel like we have been a rush or nothing team. When you play like that you end up defending too much and obviously it is a little more difficult to create some offense as a team who hasn't given up a lot against the rush. So for us to recognize that and get it off the forecheck, that is what we needed in that situation. 

 

How was it to see Kevin Hayes come back in the lineup?

I thought he looked good and had some looks. One thing about Haysey is he has got great instincts. He sees the ice and sees the game well. But he was clearly moving better than he was when he left the lineup when he was playing earlier in the season. Hopefully a real positive step and hopefully he can maintain that because he is a real valuable player for our group. Both from the leadership perspective and his love of the game and also the way he can play and contribute.

 

Mike, did you like the way Derick Brassard responded? Said he came into your office yesterday to get to work.

That is what we are looking for. I said it before the game. Accountability, it is one thing to say it, but you've gotta go out and do it. He definitely did that tonight. 

 

Mike, what is Kevin Connauton’s status right now?

I haven't got an update, but obviously what I saw it did not look too good. I went in after the game to try and find him, but he was still getting looked at so I haven't gotten a report yet. 

 

Chicago Blackhawks Head Coach Derek King

 

So was that not the way you wanted the third period to go?

It wasn’t exactly the way we drew it up. Overall, I think that we battled and played well. We just couldn’t hold on to that lead. We got a little sloppy at times and maybe a little anxious. They strike on you. They got some guys that can put the puck in the net.

 

How do you explain the four too many men penalties in two games?

That’s on me. I can do a better job on the bench. Making sure these guys know exactly who is out there. That’s my responsibility. There’s a little bit of anxiousness where we trying to do the same right things, we’re working and we’re jumping a little too early. We just want to get in there and try to be that guy that gets a goal. That’s definitely on me and I’ll clean that up.

 

At the end there, you guys had seven guys in the o-zone. How does that happen?

Maybe I didn’t have the right guys going on that. It’s just miscommunication. I’ll be better.

 

Was this a fun game to be a part of?

It was like an old 80’s game at the old Spectrum, with the scrums and everything after. We always want to play exciting hockey. I thought we were doing a good job. We just kind of cut back on our heels. They tilted the ice on us. We made a few mistakes with passing and penalties weren’t going right our way. There’s some work we have to do. Clean up in some areas and go right back at it tomorrow.

 

Lankinen’s been playing well but gets a few by him…

He’s playing. He deserves better. I think we deserve a little better. He’s making some saves. He made some good saves for us earlier in the game. It’s unfortunate that the one that goes in that goes over him that he was screened on was a little unfortunate. Again, no excuses. We know we’re down and we pull our goalie, there’s no excuses for a too many men call. Again, that’s on me and I’ll work to be better at it. Hopefully, the next time we’re in that position, we have the right guys on the ice and we score a goal.

Philadelphia Flyers LW Joel Farabee & C Kevin Hayes

 

Kevin, first game back. How did it feel out there?

It felt pretty good. I was lucky enough to get a few chances right away and get my confidence back. It is nice when you are getting grade A’s right away and playing with good players. 

 

Kevin, we just talked to Mike and he said he felt like you were moving better in this game than the past. Did you kind of feel that as well?

This is ‘night and day’ compared to how I felt the previous I don't know 15 games I played. 

 

Joel, it has been awhile since you, Cam and Derick were in a line together. Was it really easy to find that chemistry? 

Yeah, I think in the first we were kind of fighting it a little bit. I think Derick said to me “just stick with it.” I think playing with two older guys they really understand that part of the game. We kind of just waited for our chances and executed when we needed to. 

 

Joel, we heard that Derick said he wasn't pleased with how he played last game. How do you think he stepped up and adjusted?

Yeah, for sure. I think with Brass he is a guy that is really good on faceoffs and is really responsible. When he is playing his A-game it is fun to play with and he is a huge part of this team.

 

Philadelphia Flyers RW Cam Atkinson

 

How does it feel back together with Derrick and Joel, your line, looks like you guys found that chemistry together again right away?

Yeah I think in the first period we were easing our way into it a little bit but once we started making plays and supporting each other that’s when the right plays were there to be made and we just capitalized on opportunities.

 

Is there something special about the way those two guys play or the way you guys all complement each other that makes that line flow so well?

I think they’re always looking to play. They know I like to shoot the puck. I think we just support each other, that’s the biggest thing. That’s what we talked about before the game is being close and making those little 5-foot plays. It was nice to finally get a couple goals as a line.

 

Did it surprise you how quick the chemistry came back?

No. Those guys are really good players. I think we had our legs, too, which helps. Like I said, I don’t think our first period, it wasn’t anything special. But when we started making those plays and feeling good about ourselves and wanting the puck and wanting to make a difference, that's when things opened up for us.

 

Chicago Blackhawks D Seth Jones

 

How would you sum this game up?

I thought we played a pretty good game. We had a lead on the road at a tough building to play in. Up 3-2, we were feeling pretty good about our game. The last two goals that we gave up were unforced errors on our part.

 

How do the too many men penalties happen?

I don’t know to be honest. Two in our last game, two tonight. That should be good for the whole season. We need better communication.

 

What was it like to be in a game like today’s?

It was fun. I think everyone loves playing in games like that. It was intense. There were a lot of team meetings in front of each net. Tonight, it felt like a playoff atmosphere. We were in it physically and mentally. It sucks being on the wrong side, but I love the intensity we were playing in. In the scrums, all of our guys were in there. It was great to see especially in the tough time that we’re in right now. We have got to stick together.

Philadelphia Flyers G Martin Jones

 

Martin, what do you think the difference was between this third period and the third period you guys had on Thursday? You kinda flipped the script there.

I thought we tracked really well all night. Just the way the game was, it was obviously a very physical game and the guys didn’t really have a choice but to be engaged and kinda battling out there real hard. I thought we did a good job around the net and checked real hard.

 

Martin this was a game trailing after two periods really could have gone sideways the rest of the way (inaudible) was the mood in the room that this game was still winnable going into the final period?

We were down one goal, of course it was winnable. We’ve talked a lot recently about games that have been right there for us and we’ve talked about closing games out and just doing a better job just making sure we’re detail oriented and doing all the little things that help you win hockey games especially in the third period.

 

Martin, Kevin Hayes said that Mike Yeo called the team out pretty loudly after the last game. Do you think his message was perceived by you guys?

Yup.

 

How do you think the message was perceived? Obviously you guys showed it in the third period (inaudible).

I think the whole game we we’re really physically engaged and it was a strong game for us.

Chicago Blackhawks C Dylan Strome

 

Tough one. How would you sum that one up?

Yeah, I mean obviously it’s a tough way to lose. Have a lead going into the third gotta play better than we did, and then obviously can’t take that penalty that late in the game. Kind of finally got that power play there after all the scrums and couldn't capitalize so obviously that one sucks. It felt like we played pretty good and probably deserved a bit better than that.

 

That too many men on the ice, I don’t remember who was on for it, but how does that kind of thing happen now 4 in 2 games?

I mean that can’t happen obviously so gotta clean that up. It’s obviously not one guy, it’s kind of everyone gotta be aware of who you’re taking on the ice. If your guy comes off, you gotta go on, and if he doesn’t come off you’ve gotta be aware of that. It maybe looked like he was coming off and he didn’t come off. Those types of things happen. I’m really not sure how many how many we have this whole year but I don’t think it’s more than like six, and we have one in the last two games so the first 40-50 games, we’ve had two. That stuff happens sometimes so obviously gotta clean it up and give ourselves a better chance to tie it at the end.

 

Two goals for yourself, continuing to play well individually lately, what have you thought of your game?

I thought the line played pretty good. Some good chances. Capitalized, obviously Kane makes a great pass I just had to put it in the net. That was a heck of a play. Second one tried to hit Cat, puck came back to me.  Tried to help the team win obviously, playing more minutes you want to be the guy that’s relied upon to score and to help the team win. I feel like that’s what I can try to do to help the team win and get it done and obviously we were close tonight.

 

Philadelphia Flyers C Derick Brassard

 

What changed between the last game and today’s?

Just trying to play better in the other game. It’s a long season. There’s going to be some ups and downs. Not everything is going to go your way every night. You’re not going to play your best, but you have to bounce back and just try to bring my density a little bit higher. I haven’t played in a while. You know this is my fourth game since all that time. Just trying to go harder tonight.

 

How much help did you get with playing with Joel and Cam?

They’re two really good offensive players. I think we had success early on in the season. It’s just that the playmaking game of Farabee and the finish of Atkinson… I think it’s a good line and tonight we came out big for the team. We scored some key goals in some key moments in the game and those two guys were buzzing around.

 

Is it easier to play in a very physical game?

With everything that has been going on this year, it’s been pretty hard on the guys and we’ve been battling pretty hard the last few months. We’re trying to build something here.  We met and we felt like we could play better today. I think that the intensity of everyone went up tonight and we competed hard and it kind of shows that when we work hard, that we’re going to have success. It was a really good effort by our team tonight. Everyone played really strong. We know when with the intensity and the scrums after the whistle, the crowd likes that and gave us some energy so I think we used that tonight.

Philadelphia Flyers Look To the Future

General Manager Chuck Fletcher and his staff continue assessing his team's roster along with those of various other potential trade partners.

Claude Giroux, Derick Brassard, Justin Braun, Keith Yandle, Martin Jones, and potentially, Rasmus Ristolainen, if he does not agree to a new deal before the National Hockey League's trade deadline on March 21, could be moved due to their contract status. 

A cited need for high-end talent, increased team speed, and more assertive, if not aggressive play in all zones means that the roster adjustments that began last off-season will continue. That, along with the development of current and obtained prospects, will be geared toward putting the team back in playoff position by next season. 

It is a tall order. But there are enough pieces on the Philadelphia Flyers' roster, which include players (Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, and Ryan Ellis) who have missed significant time this season due to injury, to make a drive toward postseason access next season plausible if other efforts payoff between now and then. 

Trade Deadline Offers Great Opportunity

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chuck Fletcher is looking ahead to next season and beyond as he and his expanding staff prepare for the National Hockey League's trade deadline on March 21. 

Opportunity was a keyword that is being used regarding this season. Danny Briere, the recently appointed Special Assistant to the General Manager, referenced during his introductory presser earlier this month. 

Only injury would likely prevent the trade of captain Claude Giroux, with that specific, anticipated transaction representing the end of an era in this franchise's history. 

A change in the team's roster should include the addition of NHL-ready younger players arriving via trades, a handful of off-season free agent acquisitions, with cap space allowing one or possibly two larger contracts, and the hope for a score of solid draft choices this summer (with the event being held on July 7 and 8 in Montreal at Centre Bell), with those prospects providing hope for the future.

Recent presser comments from Fletcher (Feb 11) and Briere (Feb 9) provide a glimpse of current organizational perspective regarding the near-term and beyond. Courtesy of the Flyers media department...

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Chuck Fletcher

Was Coots’ back surgery something you expected as you saw it progress or did it come as a surprise?

Well, this wasn't an issue that was bothering him coming into this year. I think he started having issues in the fall. Tried to battle through. We tried to treat things non-surgically. Couple epidurals to be exact and trying to resolve the issue that was there. Ultimately, you try to do your best to avoid back surgery if you can, but ultimately the doctor and Sean felt confident that the best way to resolve this going forward would be to have this surgical intervention. It was successful today. It’s about a three-month return to play, which will take him out of this season. Fortunately for him and for us, it will give him the chance to have a normal summer of training and come back healthy for the ‘22-‘23 season. 

 

Do you expect him to be 100% at training camp?

Yeah. Doctor’s confident on that.

 

Do you have an update on Ryan Ellis? Is he looking like he needs surgery or can you guys avoid that?

Yeah, that’s what we’ve been trying to do, again. If Ryan does have surgery, whether it was two months ago or now, it’ll knock him out for the season. We’ve been trying to avoid surgery and look at different ways of rehabbing and treatment to allow him to play. We’re starting to get to a point in the year though where obviously his health is first and foremost and the second issue would be making sure he’s ready for next year. We’re getting close to that point. I just spoke with Ryan about twenty minutes ago and he’s worked hard. He’s done everything he can. We’ll see where we’re at, but in the next few weeks, we’ll have to make a decision. 

 

We see Kevin Hayes skating, is there a level of concern though in bringing Kevin Hayes back too soon?

I don’t know about bringing him back too soon. It’s certainly a lot going on in that area for him. The core muscle, the groins, everything. I think with Kevin, it’s 50/50 that he can come back and play. He also may need some additional work done to get ready for next year. We’re doing what we can. He’s seen different specialists. We feel we have a good grasp on where we’re at. We’re just going to have to see how he responds to the treatment and the skating that he’s doing now. Again, the focus for all these guys is what’s in their best long-term interests in terms of their health and can we get them ready for the 22-23 season.

 

You say Hayes may need something else, do you mean surgery?

Yeah. 

 

We’ve seen Tyson Foerster here, what’s the update on where he’s at?

With the shoulder surgery that he had, I don’t think he’d be a candidate to play this year. The good news is, as you’ve seen, he’s skating every day. Rehab’s going well. Everything’s trending the right way. I don’t know that we’ll be in a position to get him to play games this year, but again, he’s working on skating right now. Going to be able to work on his lower body strength and then when his shoulder begins to progress, he’ll be able to work on the upper body. We’re very confident he’ll be good to go for next year. We’re just trying to take advantage of the time that we have to work on some areas that a lot of young players need to work on. 

Do you expect to Ryan Fitzgerald to play this year after giving him an NHL contract in the offseason?

We’re hopeful. I don’t know if I want to speak out of turn, but Tanner Laczynski, I believe, will be able to return to play a week from today and another week is the goal. It could be off a day or two. Ryan would be another week or two after that. They’ve both made tremendous progress. Laczynski’s skating every day. Skating hard. Working on conditioning. Ryan is a couple weeks behind him, but we expect both to be able to play. They’ve put a lot of time and effort in, so I’m excited for both of them to get playing as well as Lappy. 

 

Morgan Frost and Cam York were sent to the Phantoms during the All-Star break and Isaac Ratcliffe is back up here. What are you looking for to get them back up with the Flyers?

The idea isn’t to rush to get them back up here. It’s just allow them to continue to play. Play in all situations and develop. If that’s up here, it’s fine, but if it’s down there, right now it’s just about development with them. These guys are very important parts of our future. Ice time, roles, opportunity to get puck touches. We feel that Lehigh Valley is the best place for them to achieve that.

 

How would you rate their development while they were here?

Tough league to develop in. I thought Morgan was getting better. Showing signs. I thought with Cam, he played well. There’s times he played a top four role and there’s times he played a third pair role. Once his minutes dropped a bit, that sort of I guess pushed me a little bit to consider the Lehigh Valley option. For me, it’s just about playing and getting a lot of reps. We’re not in a rush. He’s 21 years old, Cam. He’s a really good player. He showed everybody what he can do in terms of retrievals, puck movement and his ability to play on the power play. He’s not the biggest body, but he defends well, particularly for his size. I think he has all the attributes to be a long-term NHL player. I just think there’s a lot of times we rush these kids and we don’t give them a chance to fully develop.

 

With Couturier being ready for next year, do the doctors believe that this injury might linger into his later years of his career?

Not at all. That’s why the surgery. Again, there were things we looked at, non-surgically, that may have helped short-term, but there were some concerns about long-term. The procedure he had today, to the best of everybody’s knowledge at this point, should resolve the issue. 

 

Getting back to Bill’s question about Cam and Morgan. Does there come a point where you say you have to start taking a more serious look at some of the young guys coming up?

We have been. Right now, we’re only carrying twelve healthy forwards. Isaac’s here, and Max Willman, Bunnaman, and Mayhew. Other players have had a look at various times. Out of necessity, a lot of players have had that opportunity. I think the most important thing is to the extent that you have enough bodies, just to do what’s right for them for their long-term development. I think you’ll see various players get some games up here, to have that opportunity. Playing in Lehigh Valley, Lappy and that team had a tough start. Didn't win a lot of games the first two months. I think from December and on, we’ve had very few regulation losses. They’re playing hard. They’re playing the right way. It’s just a great learning and winning environment right now, which I think is really beneficial for these kids long-term.

 

Can you talk about Danny Briere and what would be his most important role?

I’m very excited about Danny. Danny’s been involved with us since the ‘19-‘20 season. With that 2020 Draft, he spent a lot of time with Brent, watching a lot of videos on the top kids. The year we took Tyson Foerster, I think. He’s been in every meeting we’ve had since that season, whether it’s free agency, trade deadline, draft, end of the season strategic meetings. He’s been involved in every meeting. He’s been involved with our player development staff, even spent a few games on the bench with Lappy in Lehigh this year when we lost some coaches to COVID. Danny’s been really involved. In terms of the timing, I think it’s worked out really well for Danny. He’s obviously the President and Governor in Maine. Up until last summer I believe, he was taking an executive business program at Wharton. I think the timing really worked out really well for him to transition into a full-time role with us. I think interviewing with the Canadiens really showed him that this is something he really wants to pursue and jump into. I think the timing is great for him and for us.  I know speaking with Brent, Brent’s already got him scheduled out. He was on the road last weekend. He is on the road this weekend. He’ll be focusing probably on the pro side through the trade deadline. After the trade deadline, he’ll focus on the first round of the draft and he’ll sit in on all of the meetings. Going forward, we’ll get him more involved in everything that we do. Brent and I had this experience with Andrew Brunette in Minnesota at the end of his career. We brought him in and Andrew did player development, spent time with the farm team. He did pro scouting. He ended up coaching a little bit with Mike Yeo as he determined his career path and what he wanted to pursue. Now, he’s head coach in Florida. I kind of see a similar type of path for Danny. He’s going to have a bright future in this game. He has to see what areas he likes, but he’s got a tremendous knowledge of the game. He knows players. I think this is a great opportunity for us and for him. 

 

Back to Ryan Ellis for a second, can you sense how frustrated he is with only being able to play 4 games this year?

Yeah, it’s been terrible for him. We go on the road and he stays behind. He comes in early to get his rehab done, so you don’t even feel like you’re part of the team. I know there’s been a lot of frustration from Ryan. What's ailing him this year hasn’t ailed him before, so it’s hard to know how these things happen. He’s dealing with it the best he can. Again, at this point really our focus is on next year, trying to do what’s best for him and for our club going forward.

 

When it comes to Kevin Hayes, is the situation like Couturier’s where you will go non-surgical as much as possible?

I think that’s what the doctors and Kevin are speaking about. If he can come back, play, feel good and not do any further damage, that’s great. If it’s not healing to the extent we need it to be and to the level we need it to be, then we’ll have to look at additional surgery. It’s still a little bit up in the air, but I think everyone’s realistic about the situation.

 

How does the outlook of the team change with Couturier and Ellis not being able to return this year?

Again, Ryan only played 4 games for us. I thought three of those four games, he and Provorov played really well. Provorov’s game without him has been okay, but it looked like they had the ability to have good chemistry. He’s an all-situation player. He plays power play and penalty kill, plays late in a game when you’re up a goal, late in a game when you’re down a goal. He’s an impactful player when he’s healthy and playing to his ability. We’ll have to use the limits we have. If he and Provy guide us to what we think they can bring next year, it makes it a little bit more challenging. Obviously, we’re a bit more familiar with Coots and Kevin Hayes. I don’t think it changes things too much. Right now, it’s been an extremely difficult season but there’s opportunities for the players that are here to show what they can do. I think there’s a great opportunity for our organization to look at ways to improve, whether it’s the trade deadline or this summer. Going into next year, we have to take advantage of these opportunities, where it’s the players that are getting them or the management, coaching staff, looking at ways to get better for next year. It’s all looking forward now. How do we get better? There’s going to be opportunities for not just the players, but for our group to do that as well. 

 

Can you talk about the expansion to the analytics department? Can you talk about the two people that you added?

It’s really exciting. Ian Anderson heads up our analytics side. Ian and Jake have been here a long time while we added Matt a couple seasons ago on the analyst side. They’ve been doing great work, but we’re now getting this massive data dump from the NHL. There’s going to be incredible opportunities for teams to try to figure out how to manipulate and best utilize the data that we’re going to have. We’re trying to get ahead of it. Katie and Cole are two tremendous hires. Ian did a great job going through the process. We had hundreds of applications. These two young people, we’re very fortunate to hire them. Both Katie and Cole are technically very skilled, but they also have experience within the hockey industry. Katie’s been part of the UMass program that just won the National Championship. She’s getting her second masters. She’s worked for the Boston Bruins and she’s a young woman. Her work ethic is off the charts and talk about multi-tasking. She’s got all these things going on. She comes very highly recommended from Greg Carvel at UMass as well as from the Boston Bruins. We’re excited to get her in here in the spring after UMass’ season is done. Cole, a former goalie, played junior hockey. Played at Amherst college. He’s done a lot of work in the public domain, in terms of goaltending and tracking and projects of that nature. We’re very excited to bring him in. He works in the tech industry now and has that very good technical skill set, and again a love of the game of hockey. To find these people with a high level of technical expertise combined with knowledge of hockey and working with coaches, in Cole’s case playing the game, I think this is tremendous. They’re great hires. I know Ian is still looking to add to our staff and our goal is to be best in class, to be top. No different from our player development program we’ve worked on, our strength program, added Danny Briere to our management staff, and adding Alyn McCauley and promoting Tom Minton, now with the addition of Katie and Cole. I think we’re very fortunate. Dave Scott, at times I feel like he’s given me an unlimited budget and I’m trying to go by, trying to exceed it. We’ve been able to have some great people. We have a great staff. We have opportunities here to get better, but the people we have, I feel very confident that we’ll find some good solutions. 

 

Are you confident in getting several of the prospects signed this year once their season ends?

I hope so. They’re playing, so out of respect to their collegiate programs, I don’t know that I want to stir the pot, muddy the waters too much. Look, we’re having a tough season. This is the land of opportunity right now. We’re looking for talent. We’re looking for high-end skill. A young man like Bobby Brink’s top scorer in the NCAA. Ronnie Attard, one of the top defensemen in the NCAA. Noah Cates scored a goal in the Olympics yesterday. Fedotov, the Russian goalie, has had back-to-back shutouts. Desnoyers had four goals the other night. All these kids are knocking on the door and are more than ready to start their professional experience with the Flyers. We’re looking forward to that infusion of talent as well as what we hope to add in the next few months.

 

When do you start the permanent coaching search and who will be involved in that?

We’ll get to the end of the season. I’ve been working with Mike and the coaching staff now. Certainly, think about this all the time, but at the end of the season, we’ll sit down and look at every department and look to make the changes we want to make when we have more time. Right now, there’s still a lot of hockey to be played. A lot of issues that we’ll have to deal with in the next few months, whether it’s injuries, whether it’s the trade deadline, whether it’s signing some of our top prospects, whether it’s college free agency, whether it’s preparing for the draft. There’s a lot of things, and certainly at the right time, that will become a priority. 

 

With the trade deadline, when does the conversations start to pick up?

It started really about the last week. Teams typically have their pro scouting meetings either late January through to mid-February. For example, our pro scouts are coming in next week. We’re going to have five days of meetings to get organized for the next couple months. Some teams have just finished; some teams are just starting. Usually coming out of those meetings, the level of communication increases, and that’s what we’re starting to see. 

Philadelphia Flyers Special Assistant to the General Manager Daniel Briere

 

Do you know what your duties are going to be?

I think it’s going to be scouting, evaluating, maybe some player development. I know the organization pretty deeply from all my time and years here. It’s probably over the years, or the next few years going to increase. I’m not sure yet at this point how deep it’s going to go, but from what I was told, I expect to be more and more involved as time goes on. 

 

Does that include the NHL draft as well?

That’s the plan. For us with the situation we’re in and unfortunately with the way the season has gone, the focus coming up will be what we decide to do the trade deadline. That will be the first focus coming up shortly. A re-shift maybe towards the amateur draft coming and the position we’re in. Again, it’s unfortunate right now but it might be an opportunity that we have to take advantage of. We have to be prepared for that. That will probably be the next step after the trade deadline.

 

[Inaudible question]

I would say that probably forced me to have a better vision of the way I see things. Building an organization from all aspects, but at the same time, the situation that I’m coming in here with the people that are already in place that I’ll be working closely with. When I think of, obviously Dave Scott and Chuck Fletcher, but also Brent Flahr and Barry Hanrahan, who have been in those positions for years. They have a lot of experience. It’s a pretty cool situation for someone who’s starting in the business. I feel very, very fortunate to have people that have that experience all around me.

 

What did you gain from that experience?

I think more and more we're seeing that the business side and the hockey side collapse more and more moving forward. That’s just the reality of how it is in today’s game. It’s important. You look at how the players now, like all the revenues are tied to the player’s contracts. It’s more important. It’s more critical. I think it’s going to keep expanding and growing so for my own development and my own understanding. I remember when I stepped off the ice, I had no idea all that it entailed on the business side. I had no clue at the time, seven years ago, all the work that was done on the business side. It opened my eyes. I think it was great experience and I have the chance to practice it. Not just learn it but really experience it with the Mariners and oversee it, making tough decisions at the time on the business side. That experience alone was good for my development.

 

[Inaudible question]

There’s a lot of people. It started with Paul Holmgren bringing me aboard, along with Shawn Tilger. Valerie believing in me to keep doing that. Mike Shane has been great in teaching me the last few years. I had a lot of help from Adam Goldberg in Maine, and that’s one thing I want to say. Our staff in Maine, this last season has grown in revenues, our season ticket base by up to 25, maybe even more percent. Our staff there has been tremendous in making me look good, so I definitely want to give a shout out to them in all that they’ve done. 

 

Why would you want to stay in Philadelphia?

I played here. I had a lot of success with the Flyers. Along with Buffalo, they were probably the two teams I spent the most time. When I retired this became home. The family, the kids, love it here. We made it our home. I was very fortunate I was able get involved here with this organization. I got to know a lot of people from the business side and the hockey side. A lot of people from the players, from juniors to the ECHL, American league, and to the NHL. I know from top down the people in an organization. It makes it a lot easier. I don’t have to move. I’m staying home. I keep working for an organization that I love and where I had a lot of success. It couldn’t be a better set up honestly.

 

When do you see a turnaround happening?

That’s a good question, and it’s tough to tell how long it could take for that turnaround. Obviously, we would love to see the turnaround starting tonight. Being realistic, it might be next year or the following year. Who knows? I think there's a lot that comes into play. Let’s say we don’t make a push here to make the playoffs and we become sellers. Well, it becomes who’s available to sell at the deadline, and it also depends on what's available on the other side of the table. When you get a draft pick, it might take a little longer. If you get guys who are coming to the lineup right away to help you out, that might rush it a little bit more. It’s tough to tell at this point. One thing I know is there’s a lot of good players and I don’t think we’re a team that’s as bad as what the standings are showing at this point. You just look at the beginning of the year. We were supposed to have Couturier, Hayes, Brassard and Brown as our number 1 through 4 centermen, but how many games have these guys played? I mean we pretty much lost our top four centermen to start the year. That puts us in a tough position. That’s where I believe we’re definitely not as bad as what it’s showing on paper.

 

What do you think are the biggest needs? 

I agree with Chuck when he said high end talent. Difference makers that can on a nightly basis come in. Obviously, Coots not being there really hurts. G has pulled more than his weight. He’s been awesome, but they’ll need support.

 

About drafting and developing players…

That’s another key, the development of those guys. Tyson Foerster, I believe he eventually could be a great player for us, but there’s a lot of guys that you’re waiting to see how they develop. That’s going to be critical for the Flyers’ future. Bobby Brink is having a great season. Samu Tuomaala, that we drafted last year, showed some great promise about being a kid that can make a difference. Zayde Wisdom. Morgan Frost, we’ve seen him here. He’s going in the right direction but he’s got to keep doing it. And on defense, we’re seeing Cam York playing more and more minutes. I think he’s going to get better. At the end of the day, it’s the development of all those young kids that are going to make it or not for the future of the Flyers. 

 

How much of it is injuries and how much of it is relying on young players?

Yeah, they’re going in the right direction. We have to help them take the next step and become difference makers. That's definitely an area that I believe we can do a better job and we’ll have to do a better job to get the Flyers where they belong. 

 

Do you see some parallels between this team and the one you signed with?

I certainly hope so. I remember when I signed the year, I think the Flyers were last the previous season. It looked pretty bleak. Sometimes you got to look a little deeper and find the positive. At the time, I believed in what Paul Holmgren was doing. I believed in the players that were in the system coming up. I thought it was a team that was being built for the future, not just for a year or two. That’s why I was so interested in joining the Flyers back then. Hopefully we can have that same kind of turnaround. I said it earlier, sometimes you have a bad season, well you’ve got to take advantage of it. There’s other opportunities that show up in front of you, you’ve got to jump on that.

Philadelphia Flyers: Chuck Fletcher and Interim Head Coach Mike Yeo Presser

Alain Vigneault, who was hired to start the 2019-20 season, learned this morning that he was being removed as head coach. One of his assistant's, Michel Therrien, was removed as well, while another assistant, Mike Yeo, was promoted to Interim Head Coach. 

The following quotes were provided from the Noon presser by the Philadelphia Flyers media department, with media questions noted:

PhiladelphiaFlyers President of Hockey Ops & General Manager Chuck Fletcher and Interim Head Coach Mike Yeo

Chuck, what is different this time then the last coach of the Flyers, from the other coaches that have been fired in recent years?

CF: First before I answer that, I just want to thank Alain and Michel for their hard work. They worked hard at this and put a lot of time in. They’re good people. They’re good coaches. I’ve certainly been doing this a long time and these days are not fun.

 

In terms of your question, right now, the whole goal through this was I was hoping we could get some people back and get our group together and find out what we have. But we just keep digging a bigger hole right now. As a group, we have to find an identity. To me, our process has been off all year. I’ve asked Mike to come in. He’s a detail guy. He’s had some success in this league.

  

I just felt watching our team last night that we needed to make a change. We need to find a way to spark change with our group and in an ideal world we could have bought more time and waited, but I just felt like we couldn’t wait anymore.

 

You talked about finding an identity. Do you think you can find one with this group? Or do you think you will have to make changes in personnel?

CF: We made a lot of changes in personnel last summer. I do believe this group can be a better team. Right now, it’s everything. I just think our details are lacking right now. Obviously, our confidence is lacking. Guys are struggling. They care. They try. Right now, I just feel like Mike can help us get back to the identity we need to have to win games.

 

Was there any hesitation to pull the trigger knowing we have a back-to-back, 5 in 7, the road trip at the end of the week?

CF: Yeah, there is always hesitation. AV is a good coach. Mike Therrien is a good coach and a good friend. This is not what you’re looking for, but there is never good timing to do this. We’re all complicit. As I said last week, I’m the one who is ultimately responsible. At this point, we need to affect change. We need to play differently. Now is the time.

 

Chuck, in your evaluation, do you feel that AV had lost the locker room and his message was falling on deaf ears at this point?

CF: That’s a hard question. I don’t know that. I honestly don’t know that. I certainly know that he tried, and certainly you go back to the 19-20 season, his message was well received. We were a really good team. Right now, we have lost our way. That’s what we have to find out how good our group is. We have to get guys playing better, playing a little bit differently. Right now, I think a new voice is needed.

 

Chuck, this franchise has won 1 playoff series in 10 years, what are some of the problems that go beyond just who the head coach is?

CF:  I can only speak for the last few years. Two years ago, we did win a playoff round. We got to game 7 in the second round and lost to a pretty good Islander team. We played hard and we played with structure. I do think we have good players. We have good people here and everybody is trying. Again, I can’t speak for the last 10 years. Most of these guys haven’t been here that long. I think only Giroux and Couturier have been here that long. To me, the process right now isn’t right. We have to get back to playing the right way. Defending a little better. The details in our game have to be better and that’s what I’ve asked Mike to do. Mike, in my option, is an excellent coach in that regard and he has the ability to get these guys playing better.

 

You said the process has been off all year. Can you explain that a little more? Specifically, what’s been off and what would you like to see change?

CF: The details in our game, whether it’s our forecheck, defensive zone coverage, transition game. I just would like to see some changes in how we play the game. Obviously, coaches were trying. Everybody’s been trying, but I just think at this point we need a new voice and a new approach.

 

Are you giving Mike the chance to finish out this season or are you starting the hiring process right now?

CF:  No, I’m not starting any process right now other than trying to get this team back on track. I’ve spoken with Mike. He knows there are no promises going forward, but he has his hands on the wheel now. It’s his opportunity to help this team get going in the right direction. As I said last week, I still don’t know truly what we have here, what our group is. As we go forward, I think things will become clear on what we need to do. Going forward, the focus right now is not on interviewing people and rushing to hire a head coach. Right now, it’s to support Mike and get this team playing the right way. Then we can make the decisions we have to make at the right time.

 

Mike, I know you haven’t had a lot of time to think about it, but what changes do you think you are going to implement and who will be the power play coach?

MY:  You’re right. I haven’t had a lot of time to think about that. I can tell you, Daryl Williams will be running the power play meeting. Chuck and I haven’t even had a chance to discuss anything with staff. We both had the same thoughts – “Let’s get into tonight, let’s do what we have to do to make sure we’re ready to go and then we can talk about some of that stuff afterwards.”  

 

Is it difficult to get a chance like this?

MY:  I can tell you that I didn’t sleep very well last night. It’s a very emotional day for me. Both of those guys treated me unbelievably. AV, I have a ton of respect for him. He was really a great person to work with and my history with him goes back a long time. That part I’m still a little bit emotional about. That said, being a member of this organization is really special to me. To be a Flyer and now to have an opportunity like this, not only to stay on board, but to get this opportunity to turn things around and get things going the right way, that’s also incredibly exciting for me, too. One second my emotions are over here and the other, they’re over here. That said, again, I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity and obviously looking forward to tonight to get going.

 

Mike you were in a very similar situation to Alain a few years ago in St. Louis, what did you learn from that experience and what can you bring to help you here?

MY: I learned that it sucks. Obviously, I’ve been on both sides of it. I have experience in St. Louis, which I think could help this year in terms of I was an assistant coach, took over that year and we were able to get things going in the right direction. Get guys feeling good about themselves, build a game that we were able to take into the playoffs, win a playoff round. I think I can lean back on that experience. When I was in Pittsburgh, I was an assistant coach for something similar that happened. We ended up winning a Stanley Cup that year. I’ve been on the other side and what that allows you to do is reflect and obviously since my last head coaching opportunity, I’ve had a couple years to reflect. I would say I have a different perspective in many areas, but I also have a lot of belief in some of the things I think that I’m strong at. This is an opportunity to prove that I’ve grown and I fully believe that I am ready for that.

 

How and when did you tell Alain? And how did he receive it?

CF: I spoke with Alain this morning and Michel. It’s probably what you expect. You’re really disappointed. Alain came here to try to win a Stanley Cup. He’s disappointed he wasn’t able to deliver. In return, I’m disappointed, too that I couldn’t do more for him to avoid being in this situation. He’s been professional guy. He’s a classy guy. We’ll have a chance to have a more in-depth conversation later on. I think they’re both obviously disappointed.  

 

Was Alain angry or surprised?

CF: Angry’s not. We had a very rational conversation. I can’t answer that I don’t know if he felt surprised or not.

 

Why was the decision to relieve Michel Therrien of his duties as well, while keeping the rest of the assistant coaches?

CF: Again, I don’t know if there is any playbook for this. You just go with what you see. I thought we needed a new voice and just thought it was time for this to happen. We’re going to work on finding someone to come in and work with Mike and Daryl as well here over the next little bit if we can find someone to come in and help and help do some of the duties. Again, it’s just what I felt. It was a gut feeling.

 

Mike, Chuck mentioned that the process has been off all year. Having been here all year, what are some of the things that you plan to change?

MY: The biggest thing for me is having watched the Flyers, having coached against the Flyers, been on the other side when you come into this building, it’s not fun. We have to make sure that it’s not fun for other teams, whether we’re on the road or at home to play against the Philadelphia Flyers. Does that mean that we go out and fight everybody every shift? No, it doesn’t. It means that we’re very hard to play against. That can be physicality, that can be the way you defend, the way you pressure, the way you attack. The way that you play as a 5-man unit all over the ice.

 

As Chuck mentioned the word, details. There’s a lot of teams out there that maybe aren’t the most physical team in the world, but they’re very difficult to play against. That’s where we’re going to start. The way that we approach the game, we’ve got to be physically engaged, but we’re going to defend. We’re going to check and the way that we’re going to attack is going to be organized. We’re going to be on the same page. For me, I love to play with the puck. I want us to spend time in the offensive zone. I want us to grind the other team down. I want us to attack the net and when we lose the puck, we want to get it back very quickly

 

How long have you been considering this move? Has it been weeks? Days?

CF: I wouldn’t say weeks. We obviously haven’t won in 8 games. So, when you’re struggling to win games, you try to look at ways to change the narrative and get better. Certainly, it’s something that as we’ve continued during this stretch, it’s given more thought as to what we can do to change the direction. I wouldn’t say it’s been weeks or months of anything. Certainly, something I’ve been thinking about for a few days.

 

Do you think something happened during the pandemic period that made the message not translate as well as it did during the second half of the 2019/2020 season?

CF: It’s a fair point and good question. Clearly, we are chasing a lot of games right now. Whether we’re falling behind in games or we don’t have the puck enough for sure. We’re defending too much. Last year, we’ve been through it. I’m saying this in all sincerity, last year was such a crazy year. I don’t know, just the environment around the game. We obviously didn’t handle it very well. I’ve said that repeatedly. We got knocked down by COVID pretty hard. We had some players really struggle on and off the ice. I didn’t know if that was a one off. We came into this year; we made a lot of changes. I just thought we’d be able to regroup and be quite a bit better than we were last year The first 10 games as I mentioned to you last week, to me, we didn’t have the puck as much as we’d like. We were defending too much. I saw a lot of positive signs. I thought we were doing things better, whether it was goaltending, PK, defensive zone structure.

 

The group cares about each other. There’s good chemistry. This isn’t a case where the room has fallen apart. There are no fractures in there. There was a lot of positive signs I knew we had to build. Before this 8-game streak, we were in a playoff spot. We weren’t playing perfectly, but we were a decent team. A decent team that needed to get better. Now we’ve just completely lost our way. There’s process, now you’ve got confidence. I’m sure you guys saw the game last night. We gave ourselves opportunities to have all kinds of scorning chances. Guys are squeezing their sticks, maybe hesitating a second and shot gets blocked or you pass when you should shoot. Clearly there is not a strong self-belief right now. You give up a goal and you give up a second, and you can see the air come out of the tires. I don’t know. That’s why I said, really was hoping to buy some time to give this group a chance to get all the pieces, get guys going. Whether the timing is right or wrong, this is the decision I made today. This is where we’re at and I believe Mike has the ability. Like he said when he took over in St. Louis, they won 22 of the last 32 games. They knocked my team out in the first round and lost to a pretty good Nashville team in the second round. That team played well, got them playing the right way. I believe he can do that here again.

 

 Given the schedule this week, what is your plan of attack for trying to implement the changes that you have spoken of wanting to make?

MY:  We have to be smart as a staff. If we come in there tonight and show how we want to make a ton of changes, then we are going to play slow. We’re going to be thinking and reacting as opposed to being on our toes. A lot of it for me tonight is a little bit more about attitude than it is about the X’s and O’s. It’s going to take a little bit of time. We don’t have a ton of practice time coming up. Again, it’s not a matter of when you’re talking about being really good at your job, it has to be habit. That’s what we’re going to start working on, building habits. When you get that, you have trust that everybody else is doing their job. Play faster, look faster and again you’re harder to play against. Tonight, we aren’t going to make a lot of big changes just because I don’t think that’s the right approach for this game tonight. In terms of the attitude we bring, we’re going to be ready to compete. We have to make sure we have a next shift, next play mentality. If the other team scores first, we can’t just all the sudden fall apart in our game. We have to start believing in ourselves that if we compete, battle, and play the right way for 60 minutes that we’ll have the right result at the end of the night. That’s going to be more of our approach tonight. And again, the message to the players this morning and going forward in this next little stretch is this is an opportunity for us to start building our game. That’s the most important thing. We can talk about where we want to be at the end of the year, playoffs or everything else. We’re not going to get there unless we start building a game that we play consistently. When you do that, you’re going to start building confidence.

 

Chuck, you have now had 6 head coaches in the last 8 seasons. Is that because of the coaching or the personnel?

CF: Again, I haven’t been here 8 years, so I don’t know. AV was my first big hire. As Charlie mentioned, we had a pretty good stretch there in ‘19-20 and weren’t able to get it back. It’s combination of probably everything. I can’t go back beyond a couple years. Right now, we’ve lost our way. There’s no question. It’s not just all on AV or Michel. It’s on all of us, but I needed to make changes. This is the decision I made today.

 

Do you think this is still a playoff team?

CF: That’s certainly going to be our goal. I think as Mike mentioned, right now, it sounds like clichés, but we have to make sure the process is strong. We have to get back to playing the right way. If we do that, then we have a chance to be a good team. We’ll see. That’s certainly our goal.

 

Mike, have you been able to talk to Alain?

MY: No, I haven’t yet, no. I saw Mike very briefly. No, I haven’t gotten that opportunity yet. Again, what I would say is thank you. He was nothing but outstanding to me and I enjoyed every day that I got to work with him.

 

Is suddenly being on a losing streak built into your psyche as a head coach?

MY: I’ve been on both sides of it before. I’m not a young pup anymore. I’ve been around in the league for a long time, so I’ve seen obviously when times go poorly and why that is and how things can get turned around. What I do know is I like Chuck. I believe in this group, I really do. I believe in where we’re going to get to. For me personally, I’ve learned lessons from the past. Coaches can learn. Coaches can grow. Chuck had mentioned, I’ve had some success. For me, in my opinion, my best days are yet to come. Again, this is a very difficult time. It’s emotional, yet this is an unbelievable opportunity. That’s what all the players in the room have, is an unbelievable opportunity to turn this around. This is not a very good story right now, this season. The nice thing is we have the opportunity to change that, so let’s get to work.