Coaching Change, Same Outcome: Flyers' Top Defenseman Benched Again
Photo credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Flyers defenseman Cam York was frequently benched under now-former head coach John Tortorella, and that trend has continued under interim coach Brad Shaw.
The Philadelphia Flyers made a major change in leadership this afternoon, relieving head coach John Tortorella of his duties and announcing that Brad Shaw would be taking over on an interim basis for the rest of the year.
But a trend that was noticeable to Flyers fans during his tenure with the club was the frequent benching of defenseman Cam York. That trend continued during tonight's game against the Montreal Canadiens at Wells Fargo Center.
In Tortorella's final game as Flyers head coach, a 7-2 loss to the Maple Leafs, York played a total of 3:50 during the contest.
Tortorella also twice recently designated him as a healthy scratch.
York has 15 points (4G, 11A) in 58 games this year; he's in the 2nd season of a 2-year contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $1.6 million.
Flyers GM Daniel Briere announced the coaching change this afternoon
The difficult decision was made by Flyers GM Daniel Briere earlier today. He explained that it was an "accumulation of things" that had taken place in recent weeks that ultimately led to the change.
I felt it was time. You're going to ask me, is there one thing that happened? It's not one thing. It's a series of things that have happened, and probably a little bit more in the last three weeks, that has escalated since probably around the Trade Deadline, right after that. So like I said, it's not one thing specific. It's an accumulation [of things] that have happened, probably more often lately.
Briere also said that the players had no input on his decision.
This had nothing to do with the players," he said. "We didn't get any input from the players. But at the same time, we're very close to the room. [President of hockey operations Keith Jones] and I are always around. We know what's going on. Maybe not everything, but pretty aware of what's going on and how things are going.
| POLL | ||
MARS 27 | 299 ANSWERS Coaching Change, Same Outcome: Flyers' Top Defenseman Benched Again Will Brad Shaw be in charge of the Flyers next year? | ||
| Yes, let him have a chance | 76 | 25.4 % |
| No, hire an established coach | 223 | 74.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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