Lappy Survives Again
After yet another coaching change and Ian Laperriere is still going to be helping the Flyers in 2019. Laperriere has survived four different head coaching changes since being with the Flyers.
Call Guinness that might be a world record! It is very rare to see a head coach keep an assistant that he did not directly hire. It is customary that a head coach wants to work with ‘his guys’ not coaches previously hired by past head coaches. Somehow, someway though Lappy found a way.
Laperriere had a 16-year playing career with an abundance of teams including the Flyers to end his career. As a player, Laperriere famously took two pucks off his face in an efforts to block shots when the Flyers were short-handed. After retiring as a player he was hired by the Flyers in 2012 and began as the clubs Director of Player Development. he was quickly promoted to an assistant coach in 2013 and has been there every since surviving multiple head coaches and even a few general managers.
For the majority of his time here Laperriere he has been coaching the penalty kill. For many years as a player, this was the bread and butter of his game so it made sense that he would evolve to coach the short-handed unit. Outside of his first year through the penalty kill has been a downfall for the Flyers and hasn’t finished any higher than 20th in the league. Which does make you think a bit, How did this man survive 4 head coaches with stats like that?
Laperriere started his career in more of a front office role, maybe this got him the connections that have allowed him to survive this long despite his bad numbers. This season though he will not be coaching the penalty kill or even behind the bench, according to reports he will be up top in the box in charge of pre-scouting and video reviews I would assume. Maybe this new role will fit him better.
Whether his front office buddies kept him around or maybe he’s just too nice of a guy to fire, either way, anyone willing to take two pucks square to the face for the benefit of the Flyers is an alright guy by me.
Feature Image: Tim Pannacio, NBC Sports
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Categorized:Flyers