Former Flyers coach Craig Berube and forward Scott Laughton enjoy a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinal. The Dallas Stars took their Western Conference Semifinal opener. Meanwhile, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms can clinch their series against Hershey on Friday. The IIHF World Championships start preliminary round play on Friday. Simultaneously, the Philadelphia Flyers quietly go about off-season business.
Here are your Flyers’ Quick Hits for May 8, 2025:
Head Coach Search is Ongoing
According to a Flyers management source, the team has not yet whittled down its Phase 1 list of potential head coach candidates. General manager Daniel Briere wants to personally vet the long list and speak to more of the people under consideration. From there, Briere and president of hockey operations Keith Jones will create a short list of candidates.
There’s probably an internal timetable in mind. However, it’s not being shared even off the record at this point. One tidbit: “Experience is always preferred, but not an automatic deal breaker. If it’s someone who can grow into the role, he’ll get the same consideration.”
For example, Martin St. Louis lacked head coaching experience at any significant level before Montreal hired him. Now he’s a Jack Adams Award “finalist” (AKA top-three finisher in the balloting). Actually, Jon Cooper entered organized hockey quite late. He never played the sport at a significant level. He never coached at a level above the NAHL until age 41.
Would the Flyers possibly go that far “off the board”? I don’t know. I wouldn’t consider Pat Ferschweiler to be an off-the-board candidate. Other collegiate coaches seem a bit more far afield. Back in 2015, how many pundits or NHL staffers longtime North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol on their head coach candidate lists?
The answer: Not many except the one person with the power to make it happen. Flyers general manager Ron Hextall had Hakstol near the top of his own “NHL head coach prospect”. It dated back five years to when Hak coached Ron’s son, Brett Hextall, in collegiate hockey. At the time, Ron Hextall himself was not yet an NHL general manager.
Cutting to the chase, I personally anticipate that Briere and Jones hire a coach in the 45- to 55-year-old range. I’d think the candidate would likely have at least some pro heading experience. However, I would also not be shocked at all if the ultimate choice is someone who sends folks scrambling to HockeyDB. That would be “very Jonesy” to nod and grin, then go with his gut in an unexpected direction.
Thing is, it’d also be “very Jonesy” or within Briere’s wheelhouse to keep the head coach choice in-house. In other words, I wouldn’t totally write off the possibility of removing the interim tag from Brad Shaw.
Addendum: Other local reporters are getting similar information from their organizational sources.
Worlds: Swedes Prep for Slovakia
Team Sweden opens its IIHF World Championships schedule on Friday. Tre Kronor will take on Team Slovakia at Avicii Arena (formerly The Globe) in Stockholm. Head coach Anders Sörensen has not yet identified the starting goaltender for Sweden in the opener. However, Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson played very well in pre-tournament exhibitions. He also stood out in his lone start at the 4 Nations Face-Off tourmanent in February.
Promising News on Jason Myrtetus
Flyers Daily host and longtime sports radio personality Jason Myrtetus shared a health update on his X page. He’s hopeful that his post-chemotherapy scan results produce the news we’re all praying to hear.
Jason’s story is his to tell. He’s chosen to share his process publicly as well as privately. As a colleague and a friend, all anyone can do is to follow Jason’s lead. I’ll say this: He’s a true warrior. There have been days where Jason felt exhausted and weak. He’d nap for however many hours, then text that he was good to go for a podcast. Smitty (Brian Smith) is always at the ready if Jason needs a sub, but he rarely has asked for it. Only on the roughest of rough days.
I am blessed — and lucky — to have great co-workers I also consider friends: Jason, Smitty, Brad Marsh, Chris Therien, Mike Augello, the entire Hockey Hot Stove crew, Anthony Mingioni, Russ Cohen. It never feels like work. A chore, no. A labor of love, yes.
Along the same lines, speedy recovery wishes go out to Brad Marsh. Come Friday, Marshy has to have a second medical procedure for an issue that’s been bothering him for a year. Thank goodness, it’s nothing nearly as Jason’s situation. Even so, Brad has soldiered on through a lot of pain and discomfort. He put off the procedure in order to coach the Flyers Warriors at the recent Warrior Hockey tournament in Florida. Unfortunately, he has to have the procedure re-done due to post-surgery complications.
With friends and co-workers like Brad and Jason, I feel like there’s no mudane excuse not to work as hard as possible. Unfortunately, Marshy was unable to attend last night’s Snider Hockey Celebrity Bartender event. It’s always a fun time but it’s better when Brad is there.
As a colon cancer survivor I wish Jason nothing but the best and pray that he gets to “Ring the Bell” and Scream F – Cancer!