Ian Laperriere won’t be returning as head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms next season.
Ian Laperriere won’t be returning as the head coach of the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate in Lehigh Valley. There’s no word as to who will be the new coach, just that Laperriere’s days behind the Phantoms’ bench have come to an end. The Phantoms, who signed Laperriere to a two-year extension last season, have yet to make the news official.
https://x.com/billmeltzer/status/1925287349073625265
According to a thread from the above tweet, the parting was mutual and the belief is Laperriere is interested in seeking a coaching position in the NHL. Obviously with Rick Tocchet signing a five-year deal last week, that head coaching dream in Philadelphia is history for Laperriere. Whether Laperriere is seeking either a head coaching spot or an assistant coach position isn’t clear.
Laperriere coached Lehigh Valley for four seasons. The Phantoms were above .500 in three of those four seasons, missing the playoffs in 2021-22. This past season Lehigh Valley beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in a best-of-three playoff “play-in” round before losing in five games to the two-time defending Calder Cup champions Hershey Bears. There’s no word as to who might be a possible replacement for Laperriere or when the search will begin.
As a player Laperriere spent most of his 16-year career with the Kings and Avalanche before playing his final season in Philadelphia.
With a few head coaching openings still available in the NHL, Laperriere could be throwing his hat into the ring for such a position. However, with established coaches (and relative newcomers) such as Gerard Gallant and Jay Woodcroft ready, willing, and able to land work somewhere, it’s a long shot Laperriere could simply land one of only 32 coveted spots. It’s more likely a team would look at him as an assistant coach behind their bench.
The mutual parting should also help Philadelphia in terms of development. A new coach with a different vision could result in prospects like Alex Bump, Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey possibly blossoming in the minors with a new voice in Lehigh Valley.
