This evening, it was announced that head coach Ian Laperriere will not return to his role as head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He served four seasons in the position, but spent much more time building a legacy in Philadelphia.
By the time Laperriere joined the Philadelphia Flyers, he was a grizzled veteran with 13 NHL seasons on his resume.
The day he was traded here, Los Angeles Times reporter Helene Elliott and I exchanged tweets. Although I no longer have access to those messages, she had nothing but glowing praise for the former King. She said he would be a great fit on the Philadelphia Flyers.
The immediate response across Philadelphia's branch of the Twitterverse suggested that he was little more than a talentless goon. People asked, when will the Flyers ever abandon the Broad Street Bullies mentality?
Not surprisingly Elliott's feedback was more reliable.
Orange, black, and blue through and through
Lappy, as he was lovingly known, was an immediate fan favorite. His style of play showed far more depth and dimension than being a goon. He was a lunchpail player who never took a shift off and left it all on the ice.
If that meant dropping the gloves, then so be it. However, he was just as likely to drop to the ice to block a shot, putting himself in harm's way for the sake of giving the opposition one less scoring chance. It was that dedication and ferocity that made him a legend in Philadelphia, but also what ended his playing career.
On April 22, 2010, the Flyers were facing the New Jersey Devils. They were up 3-0 in the third period when New Jersey went on the power play. Set up in the offensive zone, Paul Martin blasted the puck from just inside the blueline. Lappy went down to stop the puck, and it hit him in the face. It was the second time that happened to him that season.
The first time also came on the penalty kill, but this time it was against the Buffalo Sabres. He went down to block a shot in the first period and took a puck to his mouth for his troubles. The team's medical staff stitched him up, and he went back for the third period. That was just the kind of player he was.
Injury and retirement
The April injury, which happened in the playoffs, took more of a toll on him. He had an orbital injury and a concussion. Post-concussion syndrome forced a premature end to his career.
That offseason, The Hockey News awarded Lappy with the John Ferguson Award for "Toughest Player in the NHL."
Coaching career
Before the 2012-13 season, the Flyers named Lappy the director of player development. After one season in the role, he became an assistant coach for the team. In 2021, the organization announced that Laperriere had been named the next coach of the Phantoms.
During his tenure, not much talent made its way through the AHL affiliate. Not surprisingly, the team continued its trend of missing the playoffs or being immediately knocked out of the postseason.
This past season, the Phantoms made the playoffs, but an injury to starting goaltender Parker Gahagen led to their demise. They dropped Game 5 to the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears in the division semifinal.
Lappy was unable to work around the injury or make the in-game adjustments needed to outlast the Bears.
Why was there a change now?
According to Bill Meltzer, the departure was a mutual decision. Laperriere believes he paid his dues and, much like Brad Shaw, decided that the hiring of Rick Tocchet meant the relationship had run its course.
Lappy was a great addition to the Flyers' 2009-10 roster that made a strong Stanley Cup run. His work ethic, dedication, and sacrifices were values that Philadelphia cherished. On the ice, he became a bit of a legend.
Off the ice, he was an ineffective special teams coach in Philadelphia. In Lehigh Valley, he did what he could with the roster he was given. It makes sense that, given the status of the organization and events that transpired this offseason, the two sides parted ways.
Lappy will always be loved for what he did on the ice, and we wish him the best of luck in his coaching journey.