As the Flyers search for a new head coach, we’re looking at potential candidates to fill the vacancy.
“Communication and teaching are probably two things that will be at the forefront of our next coach,” general manager Danny Briere said April 19 at his end-of-the-season press conference. “When you have a young team in place, I really think those two attributes are extremely important.”
We’ve profiled Mike Sullivan (hired by the Rangers), Rick Tocchet, Pat Ferschweiler, Brad Shaw and Jay Woodcroft. Next up in our series is Ian Laperriere, the head coach of the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Phantoms.
Why Laperriere would be a fit
There’s plenty of familiarity with the roster and organization.
Laperriere has coached Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim from his time as an assistant with the big club. As Lehigh Valley’s head coach, he has worked with a ton of the younger players and prospects.
He played alongside Briere on the 2009-10 Flyers team that went to the Stanley Cup Final. Going back to his playing days, Laperriere has spent over 15 years with the Flyers, so he knows well about the expectations of the organization and its fans.
The 51-year-old is enjoying his best season as a head coach. The Phantoms have won four playoff games, their most under Laperriere, and they have the back-to-back Calder Cup champions on the brink of elimination in the Atlantic Division semifinals. Lehigh Valley holds a 2-1 lead in its best-of-five series against Hershey heading into Friday night’s Game 4 at PPL Center.
The Phantoms have been to the playoffs in three of Laperriere’s four seasons. Having a job in which players are suddenly taken from or added to his roster, Laperriere has shown a promising ability to roll with the punches. He also has a good blend of relating to his players but also demanding a lot from them.
Why Laperriere would not be a fit
Finding the new head coach of their rebuild is a huge decision for Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones. It’s possible they’d want a candidate with more experience at the NHL level, a deeper résumé of turning teams into contenders.
Laperriere has not been an NHL head coach. He was at times the subject of criticism when he oversaw the Flyers’ penalty kill as an assistant coach. In 2019-20, he moved into a pre-scout role.
It’s also possible the Flyers might want an outside voice. A fresh perspective can often be what’s best for a team. Laperriere, to no fault of his own, can only do so much there. He has been in the organization and has tried to operate in cohesion with the big club.
If the Flyers talk to Laperriere about the job, he has earned that consideration. If they ultimately want to see him continue his work with Lehigh Valley, that would make sense, too.
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