How former Flyers coaches fared in their first years

Rick Tocchet will be the 25th head coach in their history. Here’s how most of the others fared in their first full season behind the Philadelphia bench.

Rick Tocchet, the 25th head coach in Flyers history, will begin his first year behind Philadelphia’s bench in October when the team starts their season against the two-time defending Cup champs in Florida. While expectations are high, the same was often said about the previous 22 head coaches who started a full season with the Flyers. But how did the previous coaches fare in year one with the Flyers? Look no further, folks!

We’ve taken out Mike Yeo, Brad Shaw and Scott Gordon from the conversation as they were all mid-season to late-season interim coaches. So you can’t really use that as a measuring stick. We’ve also included Craig Berube’s 2013-14 season with the Flyers as his first full season as Peter Laviolette was fired a mere three games into the season. After all, 79 games isn’t 82 but it’s pretty darn close. And we did the same with John Stevens in 2006-07 who coached all but eight games after Ken Hitchcock was fired. Here then (in chronological order) are how the Flyers fared in their first full season with a new head coach leading them.

Keith Allen (1967-68)

With the Flyers taking the ice for the 1967-68 season, Keith Allen became the first Flyers head coach. Philadelphia played in the Western Conference as did the other six expansion teams who began play that year. Allen led the team to a first-place finish in the West despite a -6 goal differential. They were also a game under .500 (31-32-11) but had a good record at home for their first year (17-13-7). As for the playoffs, the Flyers lost in the opening round in an exciting seven-game series to St. Louis. The Blues beat the Flyers 3-1 in the deciding game at the Spectrum after two previous tilts went into double overtime. Allen stuck around for another two seasons before he was replaced.

Vic Stasiuk (1969-70)

After two seasons running the Quebec Aces (the Flyers’ affiliate at the time), Stasiuk became the Flyers head coach while Allen moved up in the organization. Stasiuk was a rookie in the NHL, much the same way a newcomer named Bobby Clarke was. The Flyers took a step back compared to their inaugural season, winning 17 games but ending up with 24 ties. Their road record was bad having just six wins in 38 road contests. Despite their win/loss record Philadelphia still had a six point lead over Oakland for the final playoff spot with seven games left. In short, the Flyers choked, resulting in Oakland snatching the last spot as Oakland had the advantage regarding tiebreakers.

As for Clarke, he ended up with 46 points for the year with 15 goals and 31 assists, leaving him fourth in team scoring at season’s end.

Fred Shero (1971-72)

Fred Shero, much like Clarke, would change the face of the franchise in the seventies. The head coach had previous success the prior two seasons, winning championships in both the Central Hockey League and the American Hockey League. The Flyers and Shero struggled somewhat in their first year together, going 26-38-14. The road record was similar to Stasiuk’s first season, with a mere seven wins and seven ties against 25 losses. Clarke led the team in scoring by a substantial margin (81 points with Gary Dornhoefer 32 points off in second place) as he didn’t have a lot of offensive support to help him.

The playoffs were once again there for the taking, with a win or tie against Buffalo in the season finale earning them a spot. Unfortunately, with the clock clicking down in the final seconds, Buffalo’s Gerry Meehan took a shot that somehow went in. The loss left the Flyers and Penguins tied, but the Penguins got the playoff spot based on tiebreakers. While it was a rocky start of sorts, Shero (and Clarke) would lead Philadelphia to their only two Stanley Cup championships.

Bob McCammon (1978-79)

Trying to fill Shero’s shoes would be a tall order for anyone. Bob McCammon is the outlier in the Flyers’ head coaching history as he had two different stints as a head coach. Unfortunately, McCammon never finished his first full season as a head coach. The Flyers were 22-17-11 when McCammon got the axe in late January, however they were enduring an eight-game winless streak when the move was made. McCammon wasn’t the only one fired as assistant coach Terry Crisp was also shown the door. “We were really drifting,” Allen said following the firing. “We just weren’t improving. These two guys I thought would have done the job. It wasn’t a lack of hard work and dedication, but, for whatever reason, they just weren’t able to put it together.” McCammon would be replaced by Pat Quinn but would be back.

Pat Quinn (1979-80)

Like any NHL coach, the legendary Pat Quinn got his start somewhere. Quinn became head coach in January 1979, finishing off the season started by McCammon. The following year was his first full season. And what a season it was. The Flyers (with Bobby Clarke now an assistant coach and player) went on a 35-game undefeated streak (25-0-10) that remains untouched by all professional North American clubs (of any of the top 4 sports). Quinn’s record was incredible as Philadelphia went 48-12-20 for 116 points in the regular season. The Flyers were a bit easier to play against on the road, but still ended up going 21-7-12 away from the Spectrum. Home they were 27-5-8. And they scored with 327 goals for, the second-highest in the NHL that year.

Quinn’s near fairytale season saw the Flyers go to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Islanders in six games on Bob Nystrom’s overtime game-winning goal. A controversial goal the Islanders scored earlier in the game was offsides. But, with no video review at the time, it still stood. That gave the Islanders the first of what would be four consecutive Stanley Cups.

Bob McCammon II (1982-83)

The first and only Flyers coach to have two stints with the team, Bob McCammon made a lot of people forget about the malaise that led to his firing a few seasons prior. Philadelphia won the Patrick Division title and ended up second in the Prince of Wales Conference (old name for the Eastern Conference). The 49-23-8 record included an imposing 29-8-3 home advantage, still resembling the “flu” a lot of opposing teams endured through the mid-’70s.

Unfortunately that dominance over much of the regular season (including going 12-1-2 in January) went up in smoke at the hands of the Rangers. New York ran roughshod over the Flyers, sweeping them in a best-of-five in the opening round. Although the playoffs were a bust, they were notable for Tim Kerr scoring twice in the two games he played.

Mike Keenan (1984-85)

Perhaps the only coach in Flyers’ history who could give John Tortorella a run for his money (or vice versa), Mike Keenan demanded everything from his players. Then he demanded more. While some described Keenan with a surname from the Second World War, the coach’s style worked in his first year. Philadelphia went 53-20-7 for the year, winning another Patrick Division title and also winning the Prince of Wales championship. As for their home record, the Flyers were 32-4-4, gaining 68 out of a possible 80 points for an .850 winning percentage. Not too shabby.

The playoffs were also intriguing as the Flyers steamrolled the Rangers and Islanders in the opening two rounds then beat the Quebec Nordiques in six games to make it to the finals. The Flyers faced the Oilers and won the first game before the Oilers took over, eliminating Philadelphia in five games and hammering the Flyers 8-3 in the finale.

Paul Holmgren (1988-89)

Paul Holmgren would end up wearing a lot of hats with the Flyers. His first year as a head coach wasn’t great by the standards set by Keenan and others. Philadelphia ended up at .500 for the season at 36-36-8. While they were good at home, the 22-15-3 record wasn’t as stellar as previous years. In fact it almost looked disappointing. But perhaps they were playing the long game.

In the playoffs, the Flyers looked more like their old selves, defeating Washington in six games, then edging the Penguins in seven games. Philadelphia met Montreal in the Conference finals, and led the series 1-0. But a vicious hit by Chris Chelios knocked Brian Propp out, and out of the playoffs. The Habs ended up winning in six games, but not before Ron Hextall exacted some revenge on Chelios in game six.

Bill Dineen (1992-93)

Bill Dineen’s first season in full behind the bench was interesting to say the least. For one, Dineen would be coaching Eric Lindros in his rookie season as Lindros, along with Mark Recchi and Brent Fedyk, would form the “Crazy Eights” line. Philadelphia struggled most of the season, ending it out of the playoff picture despite putting some wins together down the stretch. Recchi ended up with 123 points for the year while Lindros had 41 goals and 34 assists for 75 points in just 61 games.

Terry Simpson (1993-94)

After the lone season Dineen had, the Flyers made way for Terry Simpson. And things went a bit more pear-shaped under Simpson than Dineen. Simpson did the best he could with a lineup that had obvious flaws despite the offensive production of Mark Recchi and Eric Lindros. The Flyers concluded the season with 80 points (35-39-10 in the 84-game year) which was good enough to be on the outside looking in regarding the playoffs. Health issues with goaltender Tommy Soderstrom didn’t help matters as the goaltending was a problem (we’ve heard that before, haven’t we?). Simpson was fired after the season by Russ Farewell. Farewell would soon be fired by owner Ed Snider, who brought Bobby Clarke back into the fold after his years in Florida.

Terry Murray (1994-95)

Terry Murray will be remembered for his “choke” comment as the Flyers lost to the Red Wings in the 1997 Stanley Cup Final. However, he got off to a good start in 1994-95, with a 28-16-4 record by the Flyers. The Flyers ended up topping the Atlantic Division standings and were second only to Quebec in the Eastern Conference. Murray wasn’t satisfied with the regular season however. The Flyers did a little bit of damage in the opening two rounds, winning over Buffalo in five games before sweeping the Rangers in four. Unfortunately, they ran into the New Jersey Devils in the semis, losing in six games after looking like they were ready for another trip to the Finals.

Wayne Cashman (1997-98)

At a time when the Flyers were looking elsewhere to improve their fortunes at home, former Bruins player Wayne Cashman entered the fray. But it was very brief. In one of the stranger moves in Flyers history, Cashman was replaced after 61 games by his assistant Roger Neilson. Even stranger was the fact Cashman wasn’t fired or canned. Instead he simply took over Neilson’s old position as assistant coach. Cashman’s record was 32-20-9 which meant the Flyers had 73 points after 61 games. But that wasn’t good enough to the Flyers front office, particularly after some bad losses at home.

As for Neilson, he fared a bit worse, just getting over .500 at 10-9-2. The messy stretch down to the playoffs carried over as Buffalo spanked the Flyers in five games and outscored 13-4 in the last three games alone. We’re hoping Rick Tocchet’s first year goes a little bit smoother. And his tenure a lot longer than 61 games.

Roger Neilson (1998-99)

Roger Neilson was rarely seen as a villain. He was a well-liked coach who stood up for his players. He also revolutionized the game by recording games and watching tape, something that was unheard of back in the ’80s. Neilson’s first season as the Flyers coach was strong as Philadelphia was runner-up in the Atlantic Division, finishing at 37-26-19. This included some rough stretches as the Flyers went winless in 12 games as Eric Lindros was injured (collapsed lung) late in the year.

Lindros was absent from the playoffs and the Flyers clearly felt his loss. The Leafs defeated the Flyers in six games in the opening round. The sixth game saw both Neilson and Ed Snider fined by the league for comments regarding the officiating in the elimination game. Neilson was diagnosed with bone cancer the following season, ending his tenure with the Flyers.

Craig Ramsay (2000-01)

Craig Ramsay’s tenure lasted all of 28 games. He went 12-12-4 in those games and was ousted in December and replaced by former Flyers winger Bill Barber. There’s not much to say about Ramsay’s stint. After all, when your career behind the bench is now a game shorter than Ivan Fedotov’s NHL career (29 games), you know you had a short leash.

Bill Barber (2001-02)

More changes behind the bench and more changes in personnel when Bill Barber took over this year. Barber saw Lindros depart for the Rangers while Philadelphia signed Jeremy Roenick. The Flyers under Barber hit nearly the century mark for points, ending with 97 (42-27-10-3) and winning the Atlantic Division title again. Philadelphia also managed to get 20 or more wins both at home and on the road, so the consistency was there from the start. This despite a rather horrible power play.

The regular season was quickly forgotten when the Flyers opened their first round against Ottawa. The Flyers scored two goals in five games. Perhaps even more incredible was the series went five games. But after a 1-0 overtime win, Philadelphia lost three consecutive games by 3-0 scores. A 2-1 overtime loss in game five ended the misery. And Barber.

Ken Hitchcock (2002-03)

Another taskmaster, Ken Hitchcock’s time on Broad Street started off flying, going 9-1-2 in the opening dozen games. After average months in November and December, the Flyers hit 2003 strong going 10-4-0-1 in January and 12-3-2-2 to end the season. Hitchcock looked to be the answer. However, the playoffs came, leaving the Flyers with a lot to prove. In the opening round the Flyers beat the Leafs in seven games, pasting them 6-1 in the deciding game. Meanwhile the second round saw the Senators again as the opponent.

Unfortunately, the Flyers could beat the Senators, taking them to six games thanks to two shutout performances by the late Roman Cechmanek. Philadelphia scored a bit more than the five-spot they scored against Ottawa back in 2002. But 10 goals in six games wasn’t going to cut it. The Flyers didn’t lead categories in goals and points, but they were quite defensive minded, giving up 166 goals over the regular season.

John Stevens (2006-07)

Ken Hitchcock lasted all of eight games in 2006-07. But a 1-6-1 start was enough to change things up. Enter John Stevens. Stevens was an assistant to Hitchcock but took over the remaining 74 games. And they were often hard games to watch. A lack of scoring oomph caused the Flyers to fall off a cliff in terms of the standings, ending fifth in the Atlantic Division and 15th in the conference. The fact the Flyers had a -89 goal differential didn’t help matters much. Basically when you’re being outscored by a goal per game there’s a decent change you’re going to lose.

Stevens survived the season, going 21-42-11 the rest of the way through 2006-07. Simon Gagne was the leading point-getter with 68 (including 41 goals) but the rest of the lineup, including young’uns like Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, couldn’t produce on most nights.

Peter Laviolette (2010-11)

After Stevens was given the axe in December 2009, Laviolette tried to right the ship in 2009-10. And he did just that thanks to a magical season-ending win and a near fairytale ending. The first full season in 2010-11 was another strong season and was steering the Flyers towards respectability again. The Flyers, led by Sergei Bobrovsky in goal, won another Atlantic Division crown thanks to a 47-23-12 record. Their road record was even more impressive than home, winning 25 against only 11 losses (and five ties).

Sadly, the thoughts of another deep playoff run ran out of gas in the second round. The Flyers were up against the Bruins, a team they embarrassed the previous year winning four straight (including a dramatic game seven in Boston) to move on. The Bruins avenged the loss, beating the Flyers in four straight on the road to their own Stanley Cup that season. The Flyers made seven in-game changes with their goaltenders that playoff year, essentially destroying whatever confidence Bobrovsky might have had going into 2011-12. The trades of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, and the signing of Ilya Bryzgalov, ended any hopes of Bobrovsky having a lengthy career in Philadelphia.

Craig Berube (2013-14)

Three games into 2013-14, the Flyers were winless and rudderless. Anyone who watched Laviolette’s final game as a Flyers head coach against Carolina may still wake up from nightmares. It was that horrid. Philadelphia swiftly made the change, ditching Laviolette and replacing him with his assistant in Craig Berube. Berube, whose style was a bit different, got the most out of his team which saw Ray Emery and Vincent Lecavalier arrive and Danny Briere and Ilya Bryzgalov the team’s two compliance buyouts.

Berube went 42-27-10 in his opening year, leading the Flyers to third in the Atlantic Division. The Flyers had a +1 goal differential for the season, ending up 10 games over .500 at home and just above the same cusp on the road. The Flyers got into the playoffs and faced the Rangers in round one. After needing to win the last two games to move on, the Flyers won game six but lost 2-1 in the seventh game in Madison Square Garden. It wasn’t a terrific year, but compared to how the team was playing under Laviolette, Berube’s stint got off on the right foot.

Dave Hakstol (2015-16)

One of the “outside the box” hirings was when the Flyers went off the board and hired NCAA coach Dave Hakstol. Hakstol had impressive NCAA numbers but could that translate into the NHL? Well, in year one he did okay for himself, despite a moronic offsides challenge early in the season against Nashville which essentially cost the Flyers a precious point in the standings. Hakstol went 41-27-14 in his first year and the Flyers ended up making the playoffs thanks to some strong stretches in February and March (where Philadelphia went a combined 17-7-5 over that span).

Hakstol’s biggest coup was perhaps letting Shayne Gostisbehere play a rover style in his rookie season. The team became far more exciting and ended up making the playoffs. Unfortunately they ran into Washington who defeated the Flyers in six games in the opening round. Hakstol had his faults, but the first impression he made with the Flyers generally wasn’t awful.

Alain Vigneault (2019-20)

After Flyers general manager Ron Hextall was shown the door, Chuck Fletcher was hired. And his first order of business involved hiring a new head coach. Alain Vigneault was slated to take the Flyers to the promised land, particularly after his success in Vancouver (yes, he didn’t win a Cup, we know). Vigneault went 41-21-7 in his first season. The Flyers were simply outstanding in shutting down teams in the third periods, often eking out one-goal victories with easy. Things were going well, the goaltending was holding its own and everything seemed to be working on all cylinders, going 14-4-0 in their last 18 games.

Unfortunately, the National Hockey League season, and nearly everything in the world ceased to exist due to the pandemic, particularly in North America around mid-March. By the time the playoffs started in the middle of the summer, whatever mojo the Flyers had was slowly extinguished. After winning a round-robin tournament to become the top seed, the Flyers beat Montreal in six games in the opening round. But the brand of hockey the Flyers played during the season and what fans witnessed in this playoff round was night and day. Philadelphia went the distance with the Islanders in the second round but lost the final game 4-0. Vigneault, reportedly concerned about his parents and trying to survive the fatal virus, was never the same after the pandemic. It’s one of those seasons many wonder what could’ve been.

John Tortorella (2022-23)

When John Tortorella came to the Flyers, the writing was on the wall. It wasn’t a retool or readjustment. The Flyers (eventually led by Danny Briere) were going to be swimming upstream for a bit, acquiring draft picks, getting younger but still trying to instill a work ethic and culture. Tortorella knew it was a rebuild but, with Fletcher at the helm, didn’t come out and say it often.

Tortorella and the Flyers overachieved much of the season, simply not having the talent to outscore opponents but rarely losing an a game when it came to effort or work. A great January led to a bad February. But by early March the Flyers were in the picture somewhat. The Flyers put a streak of wins near the season’s end but they fell short. Tortorella ended up going 31-38-13 overall for 75 points. They scored 222 goals all year, having a goal differential of -55. It wasn’t a successful season, but it did put in motion the changes that saw Fletcher out and Briere in.

So, what does it all mean?

Nobody can predict what Rick Tocchet will do in year one of his Flyers tenure. If he manages to keep the team around .500 it could be seen as disappointing, even if the likes of Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov are unleashed and put up fantastic numbers. If the Flyers make the playoffs, and somehow end up in the top three seeds in the Metropolitan Division, then Tocchet might have done his greatest coaching this season. Here’s hoping his first season is in the 40 wins or more range, but that might be a stretch.