What Flyers GM Ron Hextall didn't know on Wednesday, he knows now. Make it official.
The Flyers have fired head coach Craig Berube after two seasons.
Hextall said he made the decision on Thursday night and told Berube on Friday morning.
"Nothing changed," Hextall said. "I wanted to make the right decision. I put all the facts together, but in the end, you go with your gut.
"He didn't get enough out of our group collectively. You’re looking for the coach who fits your team. In the end, we’re looking for the guy to take this group to another level."
Berube was 75-58-28 as head coach of the Flyers. He took over the head-coaching job upon the firing of Peter Laviolette three games into the 2013-14 season. A difficult start to Berube’s coaching career was still turned into a playoff appearance in the 2013-14 season and a seven-game series with the New York Rangers.
The Flyers were 42-27-10 in Berube’s first year as coach before posting a 33-31-18 record in his first full year at the helm this past season.
Berube, 49, was an assistant coach for the Flyers starting in the 2007-08 season. He had also been coaching in the Flyers organization since 2004.
Berube also played for the Flyers for seven of his 17 seasons in the NHL.
Assistant coaches Ian Laperriere, Joe Mullen and Gord Murphy remain for now, but Hextall said that the rest of the coaching staff would be addressed upon the hiring of a new head coach.
Goaltending coach Jeff Reese left the team in March. A search for his replacement, as well as the other assistant coaches, will continue during the offseason.
Hextall said he would like to have a new coach in place by the NHL Draft, which starts on Friday, June 26.
The Flyers coaching search begins immediately as several coaching options will become available. The most highly touted free agent in the coaching market could be Mike Babcock if he does indeed leave the Detroit Red Wings after this season. The Red Wings are currently facing the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs.
Former Penguins coach Dan Bylsma and former Rangers and Canucks coach John Tortorella remain free agents after a year off from coaching and other potential coaches on the ropes are Dave Tippett, Claude Julien and Todd McLellan. Former Buffalo Sabres coach Ted Nolan was also recently fired as well.
The next coach of the Flyers will be their third since the start of the 2013-14 season and fifth since the cancelled 2004-05 season due to the lockout.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
