ICYMI: Flyers fire Hakstol, Quenneville pegged for open coaching spot

In case you missed it, the Philadelphia Flyers FINALLY put head coach Dave Hakstol out of his misery this morning, officially relieving him from his position. 

"After meeting this morning with Dave Hakstol and thoughtful consideration, I have decided to relieve him of his duties as head coach. As I continue to assess the team, I feel that this is the best course of action for our group moving forward. I'd like to thank Dave for his service to the team and the organization. Scott Gordon will serve as head coach on an interim basis."

As is said in the statement above, AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon will take over to Hakstol on an interim basis. 

Click below for the full press conference announcement of the event, or check out some of the quotes further below:

On the decision to fire Hakstol:

Fletcher: "I was tremendously impressed with Dave Hakstol as a human being. To my eyes, there was a disconnect between what he was preaching and how the players were playing. As a leader of the team, that falls on him."

Fletcher: "We need a new voice. We need a new message to the players and hopefully the players hear that message."

On hiring Hakstol’s replacement on Gordon’s new role with the organization:

Fletcher on hiring a new coach: "At this point, everyone is a candidate moving forward. This will be a process."

Fletcher on Scott Gordon: "It is my expectation that Scott will be the head coach for the remainder of the year."

Fletcher: "My goal is not to make quick decisions. I want to make right decisions."

Of course, everyone expected and STILL expects that the team will name former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville as Hakstol’s replacement, but as of yet there’s no official word regarding Quenneville’s hiring. Yesterday Flyers insider Dave Isaac reported that the team had in fact hired Quenneville, only to retract that statement hours later.

As of right now Quenneville is NOT a member of the Flyers organization… but that doesn’t mean that he won’t be hired in the near future. Stay tuned, Flyers fans. Things are FINALLY happening behind the scenes for this team.