Report: Panthers zero in on Hall of Famer for coaching job

This could do wonders for Aaron Ekblad's game.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Report: Panthers zero in on Hall of Famer for coaching job
Keystone Press

The Florida Panthers were inarguably one of the biggest disappointments of the 2016-17 NHL regular season. After a franchise record 103 point season in 2015-16, the Panthers fell flat on their face this season and tumbled to only 81 points. Head coach Gerard Gallant was shown the down early on and his successor Tom Rowe was relieved of his duties at the conclusion of the season. Since then, the team’s management has been on the prowl for a new bench boss. And according to one Panthers insider, they’ve zeroed in on a Hall of Famer.


How great would Phil Housley be behind the bench in Florida? The legendary American defenseman is fourth all time in NHL scoring for defensemen and could pass on his wealth of knowledge to the team’s young defenders like Aaron Ekblad and Michael Matheson. Housley retired from the NHL in 2003 and since then has remained involved with the game. Since 2013 he’s been with the Nashville Predators as an assistant coach to Peter Laviolette. His experience and his success with the Predators this season has led to teams like the Panthers giving him serious consideration for a head coaching position.