Bye Bye Bobby (& Hitch too): Flyers clean house
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After a horrific start that has seen the Philadelphia Flyers go 1-6-1 and hold the worst record in the entire NHL, chairman Ed Snider has become hatchetman, and some heads have rolled. The current start has left a lot of folks in Philadelphia scratching their heads, with losses like the 9-1 defeat by Buffalo on Tuesday night highlighting their plight so far.
Coach Ken Hitchcock was fired and long-time general manager Bobby Clarke resigned his post.
Before the lockout, Hitchcock brought the Flyers to the brink of the Stanley Cup Finals, going seven games with the eventual winners Tampa Bay. Clarke was in his second stint (since 1994) as Flyers GM.
The post-lockout situation as not been so kind to the Flyers. While they easily made the playoffs last year, they were quickly (and embarassingly) knocked out by the Sabres in the first round. They have been victims of bad luck, as Keith Primeau, the heart and soul of their conference finals run, suffered a concussion that has made their former captain retire from the game. They've also had to deal with regular injury out of all-world Peter Forsberg. However, Snider and the others at the top were ready for a change.
The Flyers will stay in the organization for replacements, as John Stevens, the head coach of their AHL affiliate Philadelphia Phantoms, was named the new head coach this morning. Assistant GM Paul Holmgren will take over GM duties on an interim basis.
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