Flyers Coaching Candidate: Bruce Cassidy

The Flyers coaching search continues. While they have had interviews with people like Barry Trotz and John Tortorella, the search seems to be going slow. But a new name has popped up. Could it be that Chuck Fletcher had heard whispers that the Boston Bruins would let go of Bruce Cassidy and is waiting to jump on him? Could Cassidy be a fit in Broad Street?

The 57 year old Cassidy was the 18th overall pick in the 1983 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. However, he was limited to 36 total games in the NHL over six years due to chronic knee injuries. He spent most of his career grunting it out in the IHL with a few brief stints in the German, Swiss, and Italian hockey leagues.

But sometimes sitting on the bench can help you become a better student of the game. After hanging up his skates, Cassidy began coaching teams in the IHL and ECHL. On each of the teams that he helmed, he took them into the playoffs. While never reaching the championship rounds, he did show an ability to get the most out of his players every time.

The Washington Capitals took notice of his skills as a coach and asked him to be their head coach in 2002. In his first season, the Caps were second in the Southeast Division, but fell to the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs in six games; after taking the first two contests. He was let go the following season after a brutal 8-16-1 start to the season.

Following his tenure with the Caps, he was an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks. He then became the head coach of the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL before becoming the head coach of the Providence Bruins in the AHL.

His experience with working with some of the younger Bruins players paid off as the big club tasked him to take the reins of the team in 2016. In all six seasons of his tenure, the Bruins made the playoffs. In his first season and in, what would be his last season, he failed to make it out of the first round. Most of his seasons ended in a second round exit, but in 2018-19, the Bruins fell in a classic seven game series that saw the St. Louis Blues capture their first ever Stanley Cup title. In 2020, he won the Jack Adams Award as best coach in the NHL…beating out Flyers coach Alain Vigneault.

Why He Should Be The Flyers Next Coach 

Have you seen what he has done in Boston? Even with an aging core of vets, the Bruins have been at the top of the Eastern Conference throughout his tenure. They are typically in every conversation of who is coming out of the East for the Stanley Cup run. He has managed the greatest line of this era, Boston’s vaunted Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand-David Pastrnak, to great success.

We know he can handle big egos. We know he can get his team up to meet the challenge when needed. The Bruins have long been a tough opponent and don’t go down with a fight. Cassidy could bring that sort of mental toughness to the Flyers, whip them into shape, and get us back in business.

Why He Shouldn’t Be The Flyers Next Coach 

He never won a Stanley Cup. Over the last few years, his team has fallen down early to teams. True, most of those teams have been against juggernauts like Carolina or Tampa Bay, but still, with a loaded team like the Bruins have had, more should have been expected of them.

Final Verdict

Bergeron is mulling retirement. Marchand is having hip surgery and will miss the start of the season. Maybe there isn’t more to this story. An end of an era is happening in Boston. It will soon happen in Pittsburgh which could see Evgeni Malkin and/or Kris Letang  depart as free agents or retirement. This could signal a changing of the guard in Boston and they may want a fresh start.

Cassidy has had a level of consistency in his teams over the years. In seven full years as a head coach (minus the 25 games in Washington in his second year), his teams have made the playoffs. Flyers fans right now would die for that sort of consistency.

Cassidy is not employed by an NHL team right now. Chuck, if you are reading this, grab your phone and call him up and have your assistant call his agent. Outside of Trotz, Peter DeBoer and Rick Tocchet, this could be the very best candidate we can get.