The Philadelphia Flyers hired a new head coach today. Dave Hakstol becomes the 19th head coach in franchise history. He hasn’t coached in the NHL but has plenty of experience in college. Is he the right coach for the job?
The Flyers fired Craig Berube on April 17th. He only spent two years as head coach. Last year, he coached the Flyers to a record of 42-30-10. They made the playoffs and lost in the first-round to the New York Rangers in seven games. This season they had high expectations of not only making the NHL Playoffs, but also going further than the first-round. Unfortunately, Philadelphia was 33-31-18 and missed the playoffs by 14 points. General Manager Ron Hextall decided it was time to move in a different direction.
They hired Dave Hakstol. Hakstol has coached the last 11 seasons for the University of North Dakota. He had a very impressive record, 289-143-43, which included 11 NCAA tournament births. He also led them to the Frozen Four seven times, including this year. The closest they came to winning it all was in 2005 when Denver beat them in the National Championship game 4-1.
Hakstol was very successful in the NCAA. General Manager Ron Hextall believes his proven track record will lead to NHL success. According to ESPN Hextall said in a statement, “Dave brings a wealth of head coaching experience and success to the Philadelphia Flyers organization. He’s a proven winner and we are pleased to have him become part of the Flyers family.”
Hakstol feels he is ready for the challenge of coaching in the NHL. According to ESPN, he said, “I am extremely excited to be named the Philadelphia Flyers’ new head coach. Through the process here with Ron [Hextall] and everybody in the Flyers organization I have gained even more of an understanding of the history and tradition of this organization and I’m very proud to become part of the Philadelphia Flyers today.”
This seems like an excellent coach for the Philadelphia Flyers. The only problem is that he doesn’t have NHL coaching experience. If the Flyers wanted a serious coach who could take them deep in the playoffs they should have interviewed Dan Bylsma or Todd McLellan. Both have proven they can take teams far in the playoffs.
The Flyers wanted a fresh face. They certainly have it with Dave Hakstol . It will be compelling to see how well the Flyers do next year with Hakstol. They should give him at least three years to prove he can coach in the NHL.
What do you think of the Philadelphia Flyers hiring a coach without NHL coaching experience?
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