Clarke, Hitchcock gone

[Oberon 0]

Club will announce later this morning. Here.

[LegoDoom 0]

There's no reason to laugh... you've been doing that for years when Clarke somehow managed to keep his job.

I hope Stevens will at least make the Flyers fun to watch.

[Flyerguy91 0]

wow, def shocking. seemed like clarke was the real man in this situation. at the conference snider still said we wouldnt have moved clarke. it should help shake up a much needed martini.

[jon93 0]

ken hitchcock did not deserve this, players fault not his

the players have dugging there selves a deep hole

[hamstercaster 2]

Just has I had predicted in another post last week. As for Clark's resignation, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a firing in disguise. Not too many GM's around the league will cry Clark's departure.. as for Hitchock, I don't think many players will cry either.

[Chadd 916]

Just has I had predicted in another post last week. As for Clark's resignation, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a firing in disguise. Not too many GM's around the league will cry Clark's departure.. as for Hitchock, I don't think many players will cry either.

While Clarke has done a decent job of signing forwards, his inability to sign a decent defenseman (recently) or goaltender (ever) really detracts from his record as a GM. Considering Snider's statements after the Buffalo game, this really isn't much of a surprise. Eight games into the season is really early to be making drastic changes like this though.

[HockeyDude1712 0]

Clarke wasnt someone I liked too much, but in his defence he kept this team in the playoffs for many years. I respect the fact that the Flyers said that he "resigned" since he was in the organization so long. Stevens should do a good job with the team and possibly give us a winning season after this bad start.

[Chadd 916]

Clarke wasnt someone I liked too much, but in his defence he kept this team in the playoffs for many years. I respect the fact that the Flyers said that he "resigned" since he was in the organization so long. Stevens should do a good job with the team and possibly give us a winning season after this bad start.

Given how much he spent on salaries, any one of us could have done that.

[DarkStar50 679]

Eight games into the season is enough when the players have tuned out the coach since last season. Eight games into the season is enough when the GM hasn't figured out to build a team in the NewNHL that is now a year old. Philly fans should be happy with the house cleaning.

[djinferno 2]

all i can say is i told you so in the other thread...

[LegoDoom 0]

There's no reason to laugh... you've been doing that for years when Clarke somehow managed to keep his job.

I hope Stevens will at least make the Flyers fun to watch.

Plenty of reason to laugh...A rival team is a joke. What am I supposed to have? Pity?

You should be happy..You got rid of a major problem, finally. Maybe you guys can finally build a legit team

First off, there isn't a reason to laugh for you as I think this is an improvement for a rival to your team. Secondly, you shouldn't call the flyers a joke being as they outplayed the rangers twice this season.

[marc_9 0]

hmmm maybe mike keenan can get a job as GM af if the other guy is just temperary

[mack 44]

Theo-

You seriously talk way too much crap when your team has made the playoffs once and got it packed in. Hard. It's October and they still have talent in Philly, just not in net or on the blueline.

[mack 44]

No, people wouldn't have a field day with it because everyone knows Sather's an idiot and we've already seen the front office carousel out of NY.

[DarkStar50 679]

No talent in net or on the blueline is more than half of the team. Foppa's injured again. Knuble will struggle without Foppa. Sanderson is beyond over the hill, he's on last legs. Randy Robitaille? Career AHLer. RJ Umberger, wasn't he a problem just to get to the NHL? Carter, potential yes, results now, none. Richards, see Carter. Where is the talent up front? Gagne can't play all 60 minutes. This team doesn't have much to line up with. That was Glenn Healy's point on TSN the other night when he said "Take a look at the roster. There is nothing here!"

[odp 0]

Dunno about Sather being an idiot - Shanahan signing looking pretty good right now. I'm sure there are a ton of factors that we (fans) don't know about such as pressure from owners to make a big signing when nobody good is available. (Holik)

Too bad Clarke didn't resign before he really screwed around with Kessler's career.

[mack 44]

No talent in net or on the blueline is more than half of the team.

Yeah, maybe I should have added a little water to that post because it's dry.

[LegoDoom 0]

Theo, I wasn't saying you can't laugh... I'm saying you shouldn't be because this move will most likely make the Flyers a better team.

[DarkStar50 679]

No talent in net or on the blueline is more than half of the team.

Yeah, maybe I should have added a little water to that post because it's dry.

No water needed. Just wondering who the talent is in Philly not in net or on blueline.

[LegoDoom 0]

I'm fine with Nitty in net. He needs a few better D-men in front of him.

I've never been a big fan of Esche.

[mack 44]

Talent on Philly not in net: Forsberg, Carter....uhh...hmm...Pitkanen...Gagne. Okay so they have most of one good unit.

[odp 0]

Side note - do the Flyers have to pay Hitchcock at all now that they've fired him? Buy out? Continue to pay him until the contract is over? Or is he just out on his ass?

[Eazy_b97 1]

They'll pay him his remaining fee, but it won't matter against the cap or anything like that.

ODP - When Sather first went to the rangers it was expected they'd dominate. Many people were of the mentality that he was one of, if not the best GM in the league at the time, and he was handcuffed by a low budget. I think that actually helped his rep though, it's hard to underachieve when a good season is finished in 8th and losing in the first round.

[DamnLocust 0]

They'll pay him his remaining fee, but it won't matter against the cap or anything like that.

coaches salaries don't count against the cap, do they?

[DarkStar50 679]

In the 90s in Edmonton, Sather was living off the reputation he built during the 80s with Gretzky and Company. A lot of credit for those Oiler teams goes to a scout named Barry Fraser(I believe) who found Kevin Lowe, Grant Fuhr, and Jurri Kurri along with the support players that formed the great Oilers teams. Sather's main job as coach/GM was to tap Gretzky on the shoulder and say "Next shift." Sather's GM reputation is what sold Dolan on hiring him. Once Sather got to NYC, he had a large budget but no real idea on the dynamics involved in working in MSG. Don Maloney has been a strong silent #2 guy for Sather. Tom Renney works hand in glove with Maloney to get the type of players he wants for his team. Sather is nowhere to be found in the media here in the media capital of the world.

Keeping this in mind, Clarke and Sather are a bit alike. They are both products of the 80s NHL as GMs. Clarke built the 80s Flyers teams that Keenan coached but just couldn't finish the job. Those Flyers teams had talent: Hextall, Howe, Kerr, and a strong supporting cast, Poulin, McCrimmon, Tocchet, Zezel, Crossman, and Smith. At one time, Clarke knew what he was doing. However, it is obvious that the game has passed him by since the lockout ended. Even this summer, he didn't re-tool his team with the kinds of players needed to compete in the speed game. And he should have ditched Esche a long time ago.