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Clarke and Hitchcock Fly The Coop On Low-Flying Flyers
Thursday, October 26, 2006
By Ed Jennett
Being unable to keep up in the new NHL has finally caught up with the Philadelphia Flyers. Following their worst start in the past 17 years, the Flyers shook up their shaky club last Sunday. Long time General Manager Bobby Clarke resigned, while Head Coach Ken Hitchcock was fired.
Hitchcock was fired despite having recently signed a contract extension. The Flyers had started the season with a 1-6-1 record under him. The embarrassing start is the Flyers worst in 17 years. In addition to that dismal on-ice performance, the players were tuning Hitchcock out, according to Flyers chairman Ed Snider. While Hitchcock was forced out, Clarke resigned due to being burned out. When announcing his resignation Clarke stated that he no longer wanted to make the decisions that general managers need to make.
According to Clarke, the record of the club had nothing to do with his decision to resign. He stated that from the end of last season forward that he began feeling spent. Because of that he let other people in the Flyers organization make decisions that needed to be made instead of making them himself because he was unwilling. He added that he knew he did not do the right job for the franchise. Clarke had hoped to feel a renewed zest on the new season began, but that did not happen.
Clarke was replaced as General Manager by Assistant General Manager Paul Holmgren, who was named Interim General Manager. Holmgren had also previously been the Flyers Head Coach. Hitchcock was replaced as Head Coach by assistant John Stevens. In addition to having just been an Assistant Coach for the club, Stevens is a former Flyers player and was also the Head Coach of the Flyers AHL affiliate the Philadelphia Phantoms. Stevens coached the Phantoms to the AHL Calder Cup Championship in 2005. Many of the players from that AHL Calder Cup Championship Phantoms team are now playing for the parent club NHL Flyers.
The decision to fire Hitchcock was made last week following a humiliating 9-1 loss to the undefeated Buffalo Sabres during that week. The devastating defeat was one of the worst in the 40-year history of the franchise. Buffalo is also the team that eliminated the Flyers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. The Sabres are a fast team that was clearly put together to thrive in the speed game of the new NHL. In direct contrast to that are the Flyers, who are an older, slower, more physical team that would have excelled in the seasons of the more recent past. While the team that Philadelphia put on the ice last season was typical of the physical, tough, and talented teams that had brought the franchise success in the past, it was obvious to everyone except the Flyers that the team would not have success in the new version of the NHL.
Hitchcock was disappointed that he was not given the opportunity to turn the team around and added that he felt that it was beginning to turn around. He also said that the statement of Snyder that the Flyers players were tuning him and his demanding style out was unfair.
That demanding style of Hitchcock had led to a great deal of success in the NHL, with both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Dallas Stars, his previous team. From 2002-2006 Hitchcock led Philadelphia to a 131-83-40 record during the regular season. He was not nearly as successful in the regular season, only leading the Flyers to a 19-18 record in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Hitchcock was far more successful during his long stint as the Head Coach of the Dallas Stars. From 1996-2002 Hitchcock led Dallas to a 277-166-60 record during the regular season. He had even greater success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading the Stars to 47-33 record in the postseason. The most impressive of those postseason performances came in 1999 when the Stars won the Stanley Cup. Dallas followed up that accomplishment by nearly becoming back-to-back champions. Hitchcock guided the Stars to the 200 Stanley Cup Finals where they lost to the New Jersey Devils.
Clarke initially joined the Flyers after being selected with the 17th overall pick of the 1969 NHL Draft. He played for the team from 1969-1984. During that time he became the team captain, the Flyers career leader in assists (852), points (1,210), and games played (1,140). Clarke led the team to the Stanley Cup Championship in 1974 and 1975. He also led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1976 and 1980. Clarke received the Hart Trophy as the regular season Most Valuable Player for the 1973, 1975, and 1976 seasons.
Clarke served two different stints as the General Manager of the Flyers. The first stint was from 1984-1990, and the second was from 1994-2006. During those two time periods the Flyers were able to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals three times, in 1985, 1987, and 1997. However the Flyers were never able to win the Stanley Cup while Clarke was the General Manager. From 1998 to 2002 the Flyers were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs four out of five seasons. During that time they never finished lower than second in the Atlantic Division. The Flyers finished second in the Atlantic Division this past season before being eliminated by the Buffalo Sabres in a first round series that emphatically proved the Flyers were not able to compete in the new NHL with the type of teams that they had been traditionally putting together.
12:16 PM
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