I’ll never forget when I saw the news that AV was to be the Flyers head coach. I remember thinking to myself about how polar opposite he was to the Flyers franchise and to their identity as a whole. The Flyers are supposed to be tough and when the Flyers are on your favorite teams calendar you’re supposed to feel fear. While you hope for you team to win, you also hope that your team leaves that game without injuries. The NHL is at it’s best when the Flyers are that team.
The last few years haven’t been it for the Flyers. They lost key players that made them who they should be. They hired a coach who used to get upset when the Rangers did ANYTHING after a whistle, or played with any sort of toughness. It has been a dark time in Philly and then this summer the hockey gods decided to get things back on track. Thats right- the Flyers, the Broad Street Bullies hired John Tortorella and it did not take 5 minutes into the start of this year to see what he has envisioned for this franchise.
The talent might not currently be there but there is some hope. Torts will bring the team together. Torts will hold players accountable. Torts will develop an identity – the same Flyers identity that makes hockey better. Torts will play the kids.
It might take a year or two but I think they Flyers might be back. Again, they might not be great the first few years but god damn, they will be hard to play against.
The Morning Skate 