The Flyers hired Alain Vigneault as head coach in April 2019 after a disappointing 2018-19 campaign. Vigneault and General Manager Chuck Fletcher have signified a changing of the guard in Philadelphia, and they hope to build on the momentum gained in their first season together and become a Stanley Cup contender.
Vigneault’s style as a head coach has brought a sense of confidence to the organization and the fan base that did not exist under Dave Hakstol, who was fired just four months before Vigneault started with the Flyers.
The Flyers organization has experienced frequent coaching turnover historically with big names like Peter Laviolette, Mike Keenan, Roger Neilson, and Ken Hitchcock serving short stints. Despite the long list of predecessors, AV’s track record and demeanor should give Flyers fans hope that he can buck the trend.
Vigneault, the 9th winningest coach in NHL history, has overseen sustained periods of success with the New York Rangers for five years and the Vancouver Canucks for seven years after an initial four year stint with the Montreal Canadiens. He reached the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season with the Rangers and his fifth season with Canucks.
Great coaches keep teams focused and confident through adversity and enable players to take the proper leadership roles. Vigneault exemplified these qualities in his first season by demanding accountability from players like Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek in an authoritative but healthy manner early in his tenure. And by managing the temperament of the team enough to respond to a poor West Coast road trip in December with their best stretch of the season leading up to the pause.
In the changing landscape of the NHL that saw expected future Hall of Fame coach Mike Babcock fired amidst concerns about unhealthy interactions with players, Vigneault is a coach who can achieve long-term success because of the ability to instill the correct discipline level given his proven track record while also balancing the correct approach to his players.
AV was thought to have figured heavily in the 2019 free agency signing of center Kevin Hayes, whom he had previously coached with the Rangers. Hayes in many ways personifies the intangibles AV has brought to the organization. He is a median between younger stars like Travis Konecny and Carter Hart and the veteran leadership group already in place before him. He hit the ground running in Philadelphia with high-caliber play in his first season and a personality that has meshed well with the fan base.
Given Vigneault’s accolades, the confidence within the Flyers fan base should be high in this young season. When dealt an ugly loss against Buffalo on Monday, the Flyers responded with a 3-0 win Tuesday. Fans should expect this type of response moving forward, contrary to the tenure of Dave Hakstol where notoriously slow starts to the season made it difficult to view the team as realistically competitive playoff contender.
The Flyers effort in Game 7 of the Islanders series in the bubble last season left a lot to be desired, but Alain Vigneault is the type of coach who can bring a team back from a disappointing playoff exit to cement his legacy with an elusive Stanley Cup.