Courtesy of the FLYERS:
Part 2:
Q: Would you like to coach again in the NHL?
“I would absolutely love to coach. I love playing the game, but coaching is something that I love to do. I would absolutely love to do it again.”
Q: In the last couple of days, the players, the coaches, Paul Holmgren has talked about the accountability… In hindsight, could you have done more to hold some of the guys on the team accountable for their play, and be tougher on them?
“I don’t know… that’s part of the process. I’ll have to go through here when I evaluate. I’m very good about being objective about myself, but that’s not to say we totally failed here. We had a lot of success here. I think it’s important to go back and reflect here and I think I did hold players accountable in my own way. But again, I think it would only be appropriate on my part to reflect on everything that’s gone on here and from what’s happened here and get ready to move on.”
Q: There has been questions about the leadership of this team and Mike was obviously upset when he heard the news about when you were relieved… Where do you see things with the leadership of this team?
“Again, I’ll refer to what I said earlier. I don’t think its fair for me to comment on that anymore. I think you guys all know how I feel about Ritchie [Mike Richards]. I love that kid. I think he’s a great player and great person. I think its not fair for me to comment on those type of things now because I’m no longer there. And I don’t think its fair to the people that are taking over, so I’m going to pull back now and be a fan, and I’d rather not comment on all of that stuff because I don’t think its fair.”
Q: The support that you’ve received from the hockey world… One of the first things that Peter Laviolette did was say that when this team has success, people need to remember that you had a big hand in that… How does that make you feel and what kind of response have you gotten around the hockey world?
“Well I think it’s an indication of Peter [Laviolette]. I think he’s a quality person. I remember speaking to him when he got let go in Carolina. It’s obviously not an easy thing to do, but there’s a lot of good people in this business and a lot of good people here. I’ve been in the hockey business a long time. Players, former players, people that I’ve just gotten to know in the hockey world, nothing but good wishes and kind thoughts, really from the time it happened until now. So it’s touching, it means a lot I think when you go through stuff like that. Anytime you face an adverse situation, you’re always impressed what the good that can come out of it. So… that part has certainly been touching.”
Q: Are you going to continue to watch the team or do you really need to pull away for a couple weeks?
“Well, you know what… I really didn’t know what I would do. I did watch the game. I actually cleaned out my office at game time, just to get all my stuff out of the way. And then, I think I care so much about all the people there that I think it’s hard not to watch. And I’m a big fan of the game, so I think I will continue to watch the team and teams that are around the League. And do hope for the best for the team as they move forward.”
Q: How do you feel your tenure here will impact on your next job… Do you feel like you’ve gained something from this and it will help you get another job?
“I absolutely think it will. My tenure here has been very fulfilling for me. I think everyday that I’m a coach, I’m a better coach and have a great passion for the game. I got to think I will continue to be a good student of the game. So my time here is certainly enhanced. My ability to coach again, my opportunities now is probably better suited now than they were before.”
John Stevens Part 1
Monday December 7, 2009
Q: Looking back, would you do anything different?
JS: “I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t think it is fair for me to sit here and comment on what went on before and I’m not sure it is fair for the people taking over. I appreciate you guys giving me a couple of days to get my thoughts in order. Initially I wanted to get to my family and take care of them and make sure everybody was OK, which they are. Initially, your emotions are of disappointment. It is more about letting people down. You go through a process like this and you see a guy like Jack (McIlhargey) let go in the process. With the team not meeting expectations you feel responsible. These are the initial thoughts that I’ve had. You pull away for a couple of days and to be honest with you I feel extremely lucky to have been a part of this great organization for so long. You work for an organization and an owner like Mr. Snider, who is totally committed to winning, you get an opportunity to work with such great players. I came here as a young player and later got an opportunity to coach. Bob Clarke, Bill Barber, Paul Holmgren---everything I have in hockey I owe to those three guys. I will take time now and will reflect and use this as an opportunity to try and get better. Obviously, my goal and dream was to win a Stanley Cup here and that didn’t happen. I think it is important for me to pull back and continue to watch the game and be better prepared for the next time. I’m not going to lie to you I’m going to miss it here. My family has grown up here, my kids have grown up here. The passion of the Philadelphia sports fan is unbelievable. The atmosphere for our home games is something I’m going to dearly miss. The important thing you have to understand is what Homer had to do was very hard but I think his intentions are pure. In his heart he is doing what he thinks he has to do to win. He is bringing in a very good man in Peter Laviolette. He is a good man and a good coach. I respect Homer’s decision and I am moving on. I have nothing but fondness and respect for Homer and this entire organization.”
Q: Were you caught off guard?
JS: “I don’t know. When you coach you always believe you can get things done. When you coach you are so absorbed in what you are doing that you don’t get caught up in the outside noise. I was totally submerged in what I was doing getting ready for Washington. Was I surprised? Yes. But now that I pull back, obviously the team has stumbled lately. You can sit back and analyze it any was you want. Part of the job description as a coach is to get your team to perform. We stumbled here as of late. I don’t think you are ever expectant when something like this happens. I can certainly pull back and understand it.”
Q: Was it uncomfortable knowing that you coached that last practice and they already had your successor chosen?
JS: “It may seem that way but looking back I am glad I had that opportunity. If my last memory was of losing a hockey game as a Flyers coach, that probably isn’t the memory you want to have. My last memory was meeting with the leaders and we ran a practice and I had the opportunity to be with the team even though I didn’t know what was about to transpire. I feel very fortunate that I had that opportunity to at least spend that last day with the players. I have no regrets about that.”
Q: What was that meeting like?
JS: I’d rather not get into that. The whole reason why I wanted to wait until today and not talk to the media is just put some closure to this whole thing. What is important right now is the team. My tenure here is down. What transpired when I was here, that book is written. It is time to put the focus back on the team.”
Q: When you pull back, do you think your had a team that should have performed better?
JS: “We were given a very competitive team. I have no problem with the team that I was handed to coach. None, whatsoever. There are so many players I know, so many players that I am fond of, there are a lot of great players there and a lot of great people there. That team will have an opportunity to succeed.”
Q: Paul Holmgren said he will meet with you in a few weeks and would discuss possibly another job in the organization. Have you given any thought to that?
JS: “I have not. There is a process I need to go through here. Initially it is with my family. Anytime you go through adversity you are overwhelmed with the kindness of people who are out there. It has really been touching. My process for me was to get through the weekend with my family. Of course, I put you guys high on my list for the next order of business. I need to take a couple of weeks and kind of digest what is going on here and come up with a plan for the future. What that plan is I don’t know. But I do intend to meet with Homer in a couple weeks time and we will go from there.”
---END Part 1
MONTREAL - The buzzword this morning is "accountability."
I saw something Saturday night for the first, time this season. I saw Mike Richards, who wears the "C" charge into the dressing room after the game and take charge of the post-game presser.
He spoke the kind of words I had been wanting to hear from him for a while - harder, tougher, language about the inept play of his team, and more importantly, how he was going to hold others in the room accountable.
Twice, he said he had addressed Dan Carcillo (4 game suspension) himself about his stupid penalty that led to a nine- minute PP for the Flyers to kill. The last
nine-minute penalty the Flyers had to kill occurred during the 1996 playoffs against Tampa Bay when Shawn Antoski received a five-minute match penalty and two minors in the third period of Game 5.
When Carcillo refused to meet with the media, Richards went down the hall, waited while Coach Peter Laviolette spoke to Carcillo privately, and then told Carcillo to meet with the media. Which he did.
That's the way it should be: with the captain ordering the player to take accountability to the fans through the media.
I clearly remember after a bad loss once, the players refusing to come out and then GM Bob Clarke walking into their dressing room and ordering every one of his players into the media area.
Clarke later told us, he told them they had to be "accountable" to the public through the media and if they would not go into the room, then he was sending media to their private area in the back. It worked.
“I think [Carcillo] knows, in the heat of the game, sometimes emotions take over a bit,” Richards said. “I think he is well aware he made a mistake. I think he learned from it. I just talked to him, seen him, and he learned from it. I don’t think we’ll see that anymore."
Wayne FIsh about Richards about accountability, in general. How would that work?
“I’m not a coach,' Richards replied. "All I can do is hold people accountable in here. I just don’t think it’s going to be a problem anymore.”
I felt that Ray Emery was atrocious in that 8-2 loss to Washington. Yeah, nothing went right, but any coach will tell you, when your down a man for an extended period of time, you need a couple saves. Any save will do. Emery couldn't stop a beachball on Saturday night.
I asked Laviolette how that would play out against Les Canadiens tonight here in Montreal. He told me he was willing to forget how bad the "entire team" was and start over. I pointed out that Brian Boucher has been the better goalie, of late, regardless of how he looked in relief on Saturday.
Emery's GAA is 5.36 in his last 5 starts. That's all you need to know. Those who stuck around and waited and waited and waited for Emery were greet with 34 words in response to questions. I didn't.
Anyway, when I brought up Boucher, Laviolette glanced over to Emery's empty locker and said he had not made up his mind who starts here in Montreal, only that with four games this week, both goalies would get playing time.
Since taking over, Laviolette keeps insisting "accountability" will increase and he expected penalties - 478 PIM leads the NHL _ will go down. He says what many of you have been saying all season: this team doesn't have a chance in hell to win unless it gets its PIM down.
“The original two-minute penalty [to Carcillo] should not have happened," he said. "If we’re going to go to the box in an undisciplined manner, we’re not going to win hockey games.
“We need to be more disciplined and stay out of the penalty box on two minute minor penalties because we’re frustrated about something. If we go to the box constantly we’re not going to be successful as a group. It’s not just Danny, it’s everybody. We need to stay out of the penalty box.
“Teams that go to the penalty box constantly will lose hockey games. We need to be a disciplined hockey team. Play hard between the whistles— play as hard as you want between the whistles.”
At Sunday's practice, he reiterated his thoughts again ...
“I’m not picking on Danny, but there were other players to,” Laviolette said. “We can’t hook someone from behind on a lazy penalty. We have to control our penalties. It has to happen. Otherwise we are not going to be successful.”
What are you looking for against Montreal, Laviolette was asked?
“I care most about the way we play the game tomorrow night and how much we wear it on our sleeve with discipline because we were undisciplined last night, let’s face it,” hye replied.
He also talked about carving out a "new" identity. I think that is going to be impossible because the Flyers identity has been a big, physical, team that tries to win games on the edge. The makeup of the team has many of those components.
What has to change is how that identity can be incorporated into structured, disciplined play to produce wins.
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