Peter Laviolette replaces John Stevens

Coach John Stevens is out. Peter Laviolette is in. The Philadelphia Flyers replaced Stevens with Laviolette on Friday after the team was shut out in consecutive games. The Flyers called an 8 p.m. press conference at the Wachovia Center.

Laviolette, who also coached the New York Islanders for two seasons, was 167-130-30 in his four-plus seasons with Carolina.


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The Flyers were expected to contend in the Eastern Conference this season. They were 13-11-1 for 27 points and out of the playoff picture entering Saturday's game against Washington.

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Stevens got the job early in the 2006 season after Ken Hitchcock was fired and led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference finals the following season.
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The Flyers haven't scored in their last two games, and captain Mike Richards called a team meeting after their 3-0 loss to Vancouver on Thursday.

Flyers Fire John Stevens

It took two months, but the NHL has seen its first coaching change of the season. The Philadelphia Flyers fired head coach John Stevens on Friday afternoon, and according to Frank Seravelli of the Philadelphia Daily News, assistant coach Craig Berube could be taking over behind the bench on an interim basis.

TSN, however, is reporting that the Flyers are interested in speaking to Peter Laviolette and are expected to hire him in time for Saturday's game against Washington. Laviolette did not return a call to FanHouse seeking comment.



A press conference is scheduled for tonight.
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Stevens took over as the Flyers' head coach during the 2006-07 season, and compiled a 120-109-34 record, taking the team to the playoffs twice. The Flyers lost in the 2007-08 Eastern Conference Finals before losing in six games in the opening round a season ago.

Philadelphia has struggled recently, losing six of its past seven games heading into the weekend. The recent stretch has dropped the Flyers to the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference standings, two points behind the New York Islanders.

If there's a silver lining in this for Philadelphia, it was just a season ago that another supremely talented Eastern Conference team from Pennsylvania was outside the playoff picture before making a coaching change ... and then going on to win the Stanley Cup.