Philly Sports Jabronis
By Anthony SanFilippo, philadelphiaflyers.com
Unsatisfied with the team’s start to the season, which has seen them score just three goals in three games, all losses, the organization has decided to change its leadership voice.
As such, head coach Peter Laviolette has been relieved of his duties after nearly four years as coach. He has been replaced by assistant coach Craig Berube, who becomes the 18th man to coach the team in franchise history on a full-time basis.
Berube will not have an interim tag on his job title. This is his team for the forseeable future.
Also let go was assistant coach Kevin McCarthy. The new assistant coaches will be John Paddock and Ian Laperriere.
Joe Mullen remains as an assistant coach who watches games from the press box and communicates with the bench. He will also continue to work with the power play. Jeff Reese remains as the goaltending coach.
Berube served as an assistant coach for the Flyers for parts of seven seasons under both John Stevens and Laviolette.
His coaching career began as a player/coach with the Philadelphia Phantoms in the 2003-04 season and then became a full-time assistant for the Phantoms the following season.
He remained in that position until the start of the 2007-08 season when he was named head coach of the Phantoms. He compiled a 49-29-5-3 record as head coach of the Phantoms before being named an assistant with the Flyers.
It was paramount to get off to a fast start for Laviolette to keep his job, but when the Flyers struggled to generate offense and got off to this 0-3-0 start, the team felt a new direction was needed.
In parts of five different seasons with the Flyers, Laviolette did have a good bit of success. He posted a 145-97-29 record in 271 regular season games.
His 145 wins as a head coach ranks as the third-most in franchise history behind only Fred Shero and Mike Keenan.
Laviolette also guided the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals as well as two other second round playoff appearances before missing the playoffs in 2012-13, a season shortened by a work stoppage.
Berube, 47, is well-liked and respected in the Flyers locker room and as such should have an immediate impact on the players on the roster.
