Photo Credit: Zack Hill
59 games into the Flyers 2019-2020 season, it is becoming more and more obvious that the message is being heard loud and clear. What message is that you may ask? That would be the voice of first year Flyers Head Coach Alain Vigneault.
With a little more than two thirds of the season in the rearview, the orange and black currently sit very much in the thick of playoff contention in the cramped
Metropolitan Division. A big reason why is the Quebec native, Vigneault, whose blunt, straight forward approach has paid dividends both on and off the ice. An approach which has been in stark contrast to the one his predecessor Dave Hakstol installed and preached from 2015-2019.
With Vigneault, the team is aware of their standing both as a unit and individually. His press conferences have shown he isn’t
afraid to name names without rocking the boat or damaging his players confidence. Trust is a key element in the system he preaches and what better way to do that than being completely honest and open.
Coming into the season, Vigneault’s three prior stops (MTL, VAN & NYR) have found his teams produce on average 96 pts in the first year under his watch. This year’s Flyers currently projects to finish in that
same ballpark and perhaps a few points higher. It’s clear his message has been getting through, and has been understood on day one no matter the location or roster that has been constructed for him.
