By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The Philadelphia Flyers have fired head coach Alain Vigneault on Monday. He led the team for two-plus seasons.
Vigneault was fired after the team was beat down by the Tampa Bay Lighting on Sunday night. Philadelphia was defeated 7-1 at home at the Wells Fargo Center.
The Flyers were 8-10-4 under Vigneault before his departure. The team is currently on an eight-game losing streak.
Assistant coach Michel Therrien was also fired. Mike Yeo will serve as the team’s interim head coach the rest of the season.
“To me our process has been off the whole year,” Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said. “I’ve asked Mike to come in and he’s a detail guy. He’s had some success in this league.
Right now, we have to forge a new identity, we have to learn to play the game the right way and we have to get guys to buy in.
“It’s a tough day today but hopefully this is a new beginning as well.”
Yeo will lead the team for the first time on Monday night against the Colorado Avalanche.
This is Yeo’s third head coaching opportunity. He previously led the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues.
He is 246-181-55 in 482 games as a head coach. He was most recently the head coach of the Blues during the 2018-19 season.
“It’s a very emotional day for me,” he said. “Both of those guys treated me unbelievably. ‘AV,’ I have a ton of respect for him and he was just really a great person to work with. And Mike [Therrien], my history with him goes back a long time. So that part I’m still a little bit emotional about it. But that said, being a member of this organization is really special to me.
“And to be a Flyer and now to have an opportunity like this and to not only be able to stay on board, but to get this opportunity and to have a chance to turn things around and get things going the right way, that’s also incredibly exciting for me too.”
Yeo will attempt to spark the Flyers, who are averaging 2.32 goals per game. That’s the 28th-best in the league.
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