According to multiple reports, the Philadelphia Flyers are moving on from Ian Laperriere as the head coach of their farm team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. But how do they plan on replacing him? And with who?
Laperriere, 51, had spent the last four years at the helm of the Phantoms, guiding them to three consecutive playoff appearances, but blowing a 2-1 series lead to the Hershey Bears in this year's Calder Cup playoffs.
Notably, when starting goalie Parker Gahagen went down with an injury, Laperriere rolled with exiled journeyman Cal Petersen ahead of promising prospect Carson Bjarnason not once, but twice, losing the series 3-2 and failing to get one of his best youngsters a taste of playoff action.
Not to mention that prospects like Massimo Rizzo and Alex Ciernik, two forwards the Flyers have varying degrees of investment in, didn't even play a playoff game for Laperriere.
Everything the Flyers have said and done this offseason, especially as it relates to the hiring of Rick Tocchet, has pointed towards player development being of the utmost importance now and in the future.
Laperriere couldn't get the job done, at least not consistently enough, and it is now apparently time for a change behind the bench in Allentown.
If the Flyers have reason to believe looking internally is a good option, one candidate who could stand out is Phantoms assistant coach John Snowden, who just completed his second season in Lehigh Valley.
Snowden, 44, coached his way up from the ECHL ranks, starting his coaching career as an assistant coach of the Orlando Solar Bears back in 2015-16. Snowden served as the head coach of the Newfoundland Growlers for parts of two seasons between 2018-19 and 2019-20, and later took over as their president of hockey operations for the 2020-21 season.
For those curious, Flyers GM Danny Briere was the vice president of hockey operations for the ECHL's Maine Mariners at the same time.
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Snowden's Growlers won the Kelly Cup in 2019 and went 42-17-1 in 60 games under his watch before the 2019-20 season was cancelled, so there's a history of success there, and Briere has gone up against him in the ECHL before.
Indeed, Snowden is not the sexiest name or the most well-traveled option, but there's reason to believe he could do the job if called upon.
One name that Flyers fans might be more familiar with is Jay McKee, a former Buffalo Sabres first-round pick who was teammates with Briere for parts of three seasons.
Oh, and McKee was linked to the Flyers' head coaching job on more than one occasion, though some chalked it up to Briere trying to juice his old pal's name in coaching circles.
Even if that was true, I don't think Briere does something like that without truly, honestly believing McKee can coach, and coach well, at that. And, suddenly, Briere has a job opening that makes a lot more sense than a leap from the OHL to the NHL.
McKee, 47, has been an OHL head coach since the 2016-17 season, sitting out the 2020-21 season after getting fired by the Kitchener Rangers the year prior.
Since then, McKee has spent the last four years in charge of the Hamilton (now Brantford) Bulldogs, coaching talents like Mason McTavish, Arber Xhekaj, Jorian Donovan, Jan Mysak, Artem Grushnikov, Ryan Winterton, Marek Vanacker, Florian Xhekaj, Nick Lardis, Adam Jiricek, and potential Flyers 2025 first-round pick Jake O'Brien.
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And for those who might not be aware, Lardis, a 19-year-old Chicago Blackhawks prospect, just exploded for 71 goals, 46 assists, and 117 points in 65 games this year.
Lardis' 71 goals rank 11th all-time in single-season OHL history, trailing some guys named Eric Lindros, John Tavares, and Dino Ciccarelli. Ever heard of them?
Oh, and a 19-year-old Doug Gilmour 'only' managed 70 goals in an OHL season at the peak of his powers.
So, needless to say, McKee is a perfectly capable leader of men who can get the best out of his players. We don't need to go further down the list to prove that.
I'd be stunned if McKee is not the clubhouse favorite to replace Laperriere. Taking the next step and joining Briere's Flyers with the Phantoms makes too much sense.
Another name to watch, be it at the NHL level or the AHL level, is Cory Stillman.
Most Flyers fans probably know Stillman as Jett Luchanko's head coach with the Guelph Storm this past season, but Stillman also has four years of experience as an NHL assistant coach, including as part of Tocchet's Arizona Coyotes staff in 2020-21.
The 51-year-old has never coached at the AHL level before, but if Tocchet and/or the Flyers want continuity between the AHL and NHL systems and what is being asked of the young players, hiring Stillman could make perfect sense.
This season, Stillman also served as the head coach of Canada's U-18s, which boasted star prospects like Keaton Verhoeff (2026), Brady Martin, Jack Nesbitt, Cole Reschny, Braeden Cootes, and Jack Ivankovic, among many others.
If you've paid any attention to national draft coverage lately, you'll know that Martin has been mocked to the Flyers at No. 6 by Craig Button, and Button successfully mocked Luchanko, also coached by Stillman, to the Flyers (with their top draft pick) last year.
Those connections, especially with important draft picks, matter.
So, while McKee may appear to be the leader for now, watch out for Stillman. The Flyers love their connections, and McKee is not the only one who has them.