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Forums :: Blog World :: Jay Greenberg: Holmgren is the Last Keeper of the Flyers' Culture
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Jay Greenberg
Joined: 09.29.2017

Dec 4 @ 9:25 AM ET
Jay Greenberg: Holmgren is the Last Keeper of the Flyers' Culture
BiggE
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: SELL THE DAMN TEAM!
Joined: 04.17.2012

Dec 4 @ 10:47 AM ET
Great piece. I don't know what happened between Hextall and Holmgren over the summer, but I believe it was time to make a change. Hextall did a great job of laying the foundation and cleaning up the cap, but perhaps he just wasn't the right guy, for whatever reasons, to take the team to the next level. I look forward to seeing what Fletcher can do.
MJL
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Candyland, PA
Joined: 09.20.2007

Dec 4 @ 11:00 AM ET
Holmgren had his shot at it and he knew it was time to step down. It's a shame Holmgren didn't realize he had to let Hextall do it his way.
DraftandDestroy
Arizona Coyotes
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Joined: 11.15.2016

Dec 4 @ 11:15 AM ET
"just like Fletcher did in Minnesota with Gary Suter and J.P. Parise"


Didn't Chuck Fletcher sign Ryan Suter and Zach Parise?
YuenglingJagr
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: under the bridge
Joined: 10.05.2015

Dec 4 @ 11:25 AM ET
Holmgren may be the heart, but Hextall was the head. That is exactly what this move felt like too.

I am not going to blame one party or the other for this situation, but it is just a real shame they couldn't figure out a way for it to work for both sides.
FlyerFan16
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: CT
Joined: 09.21.2014

Dec 4 @ 11:38 AM ET
Holmgren may be the heart, but Hextall was the head. That is exactly what this move felt like too.

I am not going to blame one party or the other for this situation, but it is just a real shame they couldn't figure out a way for it to work for both sides.

- YuenglingJagr

I'm with you. I am very disappointed that they couldn't figure it out.
Baxter27
Philadelphia Flyers
Joined: 12.03.2007

Dec 4 @ 12:10 PM ET
Best blog I've read on the situation yet. Holmgren took over during the era when I really went from casual to die hard fan.

Maybe I am biased because of that but the Flyers felt much less cold and calculated during his run as GM and had more of an identity.

I'll admit my agreement with Hextall's firing is a bit hypocritical. I fully bought into his plan but became impatient with it this season. What's been reported about what happened behind the scenes has tipped the scales for me. I'm ready for a new Flyers Era.
MJL
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Candyland, PA
Joined: 09.20.2007

Dec 4 @ 12:33 PM ET
Holmgren may be the heart, but Hextall was the head. That is exactly what this move felt like too.

I am not going to blame one party or the other for this situation, but it is just a real shame they couldn't figure out a way for it to work for both sides.

- YuenglingJagr



Really good analogy there. The mistake in firing Hextall can be offset depending on what Fletcher does. We'll see.
lindros's lung
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: New Haven, CT
Joined: 06.20.2017

Dec 4 @ 2:56 PM ET
It's all just really hard to accept. While not in a full-on rebuild (having a 'core' of G, Voracek, Simmonds and Schenn to start), we as die-hard fans were almost conditioned to look to the future and trust Hextall's vision. I have never been so knowledgable about the Flyers prospects as I became the past 4 years... probably because my teen years in Philly was during the height of the Legion of Doom era and the Flyers didn't have any.

Do we win now with G still operating at an MVP-caliber or wait for the supposed saviors in Hart, Myers, Frost, Ratcliffe, Farabee, Allison, etc. while Ghost, Provy, Sanheim, Hagg, Patrick, TK, Coots, and Laughton all grow into their prime years? And if the former, are any of those mentioned prospects getting traded ASAP for the corpse of Jon Quick?

I just hope Fletcher falls somewhere the middle of the Wild West Holmgren years and the indecision/unwillingness to pull the trigger just-yet Hextall years. Sorry for the rant/change is scary
Pelle31
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Johnstown, PA
Joined: 02.13.2007

Dec 4 @ 5:35 PM ET
Holmgren may be the heart, but Hextall was the head. That is exactly what this move felt like too.

I am not going to blame one party or the other for this situation, but it is just a real shame they couldn't figure out a way for it to work for both sides.

- YuenglingJagr



this. I can't get past why he didn't at least call Ron in and say hey we need to speed things up or your tight grip needs to loosen. whatever issues he had. I think the job Ron did will easily get him another job somewhere else and he will turn that franchise around just like he did this one. He left us with over $20+ million in cap space with open spots in the net to make a move there. Just seems they pulled the rug out just as it was opening up to make some major moves.
Thors-Hammer
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Joined: 08.12.2013

Dec 5 @ 1:19 AM ET
Hexstall did some great work in regards to the salary cap and stocking up the farm system, but he never really improved the team on the NHL ice. Nobody expected the Flyers to win the cup, but there's been too many games where the Flyers have been totally out classed on the ice. I also think he was too embarrassed to admit that hiring Hakstol wasn't working out. I'm still amazed that Lappy wasn't fired a couple years ago as the PK coach. I'm not sold on Fletcher, but it was time for a change. I also think that Holmgren should go, too and please don't hire any more ex-Flyers as coaches, GM's.
fly_girlnj
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Trenton, NJ
Joined: 12.05.2018

Dec 5 @ 10:02 AM ET
Thanks for this; really gave me a new perspective and made me feel a little better about all these changes for the first time. I loved Hextall for better or worse, but this definitely helps to understand where Homer is coming from and the reasons behind his choices.
Hextall271
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Hart-Land, NB
Joined: 01.18.2007

Dec 5 @ 11:38 AM ET
Thanks for this; really gave me a new perspective and made me feel a little better about all these changes for the first time. I loved Hextall for better or worse, but this definitely helps to understand where Homer is coming from and the reasons behind his choices.
- fly_girlnj


Good analysis. Firing hextall is still a mistake but it's good to have more facts as to where this went off the rails. TBH the fact that homer fired the guy he hired to fix his mess, and threw a franchise icon under the bus is madness to me. the fact that hexy has been contacted about other jobs already tells me he's not seen by his peers as this stand pat micromanaging maniac he was made out to be. If this goes further off the rails, then homer needs to be sent packing as to me nothing has changed in the win now philosophy that hasn't worked.
flyguy12
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Columbus, OH
Joined: 10.22.2006

Dec 5 @ 12:59 PM ET
Great read, Jay.
Mashadar
Location: Let the creamy goaltending season begin!
Joined: 08.31.2014

Dec 6 @ 6:50 PM ET
Jay Greenberg: Holmgren is the Last Keeper of the Flyers' Culture
- Jay Greenberg



Would that be the last keeper of the "we don't need a real goalie to win the Stanley Cup" culture?

Kinda ironic he is a keeper then...
WhirlingDervish
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: "Make The Flyers Great Again", PA
Joined: 02.01.2016

Dec 9 @ 1:39 PM ET
Thanks for your insight Jay. It's always a pleasure reading your articles!