It’s easy to ask yourself, why drive an hour and a half just for 15 minutes? In the middle of the summer, the dog days of the offseason, is it worth driving down I-78 through the forests and green mountains of Lehigh Valley to end up in Allentown only to listen to a new head coach talk for a few minutes?
That itch to hear John Snowden is the driving force. The new Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach was introduced on Wednesday, and he outlined his plan and vision for the team. The other reason is that things are different, and you can tell.
There’s a different feeling in the air around the Philadelphia Flyers. There’s a sense of optimism around the rebuild.
With Snowden leading the American Hockey League (AHL) team, things will be better from the ground up. “This is where the rebuild for the Flyers is gonna start. It’s going to start with us,” he stated in his opening remarks.
Snowden only gave a first impression on Wednesday, July 16th, yet he signalled to the public that he’s not like most AHL coaches and can bring something special.
1. Snowden is More of an X’s & O’s Coach Than Most
Most coaches are naturally great innovators or motivators. Snowden’s background is on the offensive end and the power play. It was obvious based on his remarks, and he’ll have the team playing with a high-scoring system in mind.
“I want to be very aggressive. I want to value the puck,” Snowden noted. The two statements conflict but they show how he wants the Phantoms to attack the opposition. They’ll move the puck up the ice and gash teams on the rush. At the same time, they won’t just mindlessly shoot the puck at the net and instead, look to move it around for high-quality shots.
In previous seasons, the Phantoms looked like a team with a vision but no plan in place. Under Snowden, there’s plenty of detail for how this team is going to win.
The focus for Snowden is the offense, and it’s where he made his mark as an assistant. For the Phantoms, that means the defense will be in place to start up the offense. They won’t wear teams down or chip the puck out of the zone. The Phantoms will move win loose pucks and quickly pass them up the ice to start up the offense.
It’s the details that make Snowden stand out and why he looks like the right hire. The prospects will have a tough time catching up to him but once they do, they’ll be ready for the NHL.
2. Snowden is Working With Tocchet’s Style in Mind
Snowden is only 43 years old, making him a young coach, even by AHL standards. It’s why some fans might be skeptical of the hire as the Flyers are bringing in a coach who they can control and, more importantly, is approved by NHL head coach Rick Tocchet.
It’s not about control as much as it’s about communication. Snowden noted how when he was on the Toronto Marlies staff, they communicated from the NHL down to the AHL level, and the same will happen with the Flyers and Phantoms. Snowden worked well in his previous destinations and was an ideal assistant in the recent seasons for the Phantoms as well.
“We went to Atlantic City before the draft and had some coaches meetings there,” Snowden noted on Wednesday. “We’ll have meetings in August with our whole staff, maybe I have something he hasn’t done before,” he continued. Tocchet coaches similarly but isn’t as hands-on and detailed. Snowden is, and it will only help with the prospects who will play his style before joining the NHL roster.
The Flyers are starting with a clean slate. Tocchet is leading the NHL team, and Snowden is developing the players with the AHL team. “There’s going to be a big, big focus on development,” Snowden added.
3. The AHL Adjustment
This is the first time Snowden has been a head coach at the AHL level. It’s always an adjustment, and coaches are often overwhelmed the first time they coach, especially at this level. One night, Alex Bump is in the lineup, and the next night, the Phantoms must find a replacement for him as he’s called up to the NHL.
For Snowden, it’s about having a plan and sticking with it. “If you have a process and I’m a very process-driven person, then you’re going to have success,” Snowden mentioned when asked about the call-ups and constant change.
It’s also worth noting that Snowden is going from “good cop” to “bad cop” as the assistant for the Phantoms in recent seasons, suddenly leading the AHL team. This adjustment is the one that could define his tenure as a head coach since the team knows him well and he’s built a reputation as a player-friendly coach. Now, he must find that balance where he still gets along with the players but also preaches accountability.
4. Another Internal Hire?
The Flyers are known for hiring either former Flyers or from within. Tocchet, Ian Laperriere, who coached the team before Snowden, and even Daniel Briere, the general manager (GM). It’s built up some frustration among the fans.
This team is trying to chase the past and return to the glory days. If they can’t bring back the Broad Street Bullies, then they want to bring back the 2009-10 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final. The Flyers haven’t been the same since Ed Snider passed away, and the Phantoms haven’t been the same since he sold the team (they haven’t won the Calder Cup since 2005 when they were in Philadelphia). So, is the answer to success in the past or the future?
Snowden was an assistant with the Phantoms but is not a hire based on the past. Instead, it’s a hire looking ahead to the future as he has a big vision for the team and a plan. The 43-year-old has a bright future ahead of him, and it starts in Allentown.
There’s a good argument that if the Phantoms don’t hire Snowden, another team does, and they lose a great mind in their organization. It’s happened before with Kris Knoblauch going from behind the Flyers’ bench to the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, then to the Edmonton Oilers, where he’s helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons. It almost happened again, and the Phantoms will get the most out of Snowden while they can because he’s not going to remain in the AHL for too long.
5. Snowden Has Energy That’s Contagious
It’s hard to keep up with Snowden. He talks fast, and his mind is racing, making it hard to jot down everything he’s saying about the details of the game. His love for hockey was noticeable in the introduction, and it will reflect on the team.
“I’m just ready to get going,” Snowden stated during the presser, and it’s this excitement he has that will rub off on the team. Laperriere was a passionate head coach, and the Phantoms played hard for him. Snowden is as well, while also bringing a lot to the ice. It’s why the hire looks like a big win for the Flyers and the Phantoms, who suddenly have a lot working in their favor.
