PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers made a surprise pick for their new head coach, hiring the University of North Dakota’s Dave Hakstol on Monday.
The 46-year-old Hakstol spent the past 11 seasons at North Dakota. He went 289-143-43 with a .654 winning percentage in 475 games. In 2014-15, he led North Dakota to a 29-10-3 record with a .726 winning percentage and a berth in the NCAA Frozen Four.
North Dakota made the NCAA Tournament in every one of Hakstol’s 11 seasons and reached the Frozen Four seven times in that span, which is the most of any program in the country during that period.
Flyers general manager Ron Hextall fired coach Craig Berbue at the end of the season after he failed to lead them to the playoffs. Berube went 75-58-28 (.553) in two seasons with the Flyers and took them to the playoffs last season. The Flyers have not won a Stanley Cup since 1975.
Hextall’s son, Brett, played for Haxstol at North Dakota.
Hakstol’s program has produced 20 NHL players and a total of 46 that have played professionally at some level. His former players include Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Matt Greene of the Los Angeles Kings, each of whom have won two Stanley Cups.
“He’s a proven winner and we are pleased to have him become part of the Flyers family,” Hextall said in a statement.
The Flyers planned to introduce Hakstol at a midday press conference on Monday.
Hextall said after he fired Berube he wanted a coach who could help develop several young promising prospects in the minors.
“With some of the prospects we have coming, part of the thought process in the new coach is can he get the most out of young players, and is he open to putting young players in the lineup,” Hextall said.
The Flyers have missed the playoffs two times in a three-season span for the first time since they missed it five straight seasons from 1989-1994.
Hakstol’s hiring takes the Flyers out of the running for Mike Babcock. Though Babcock is still under contract with Detroit through June 30, the Red Wings have given other teams permission to meet with the coach.
Babcock has met with the Sabres, and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of staying with the Red Wings, where he’s coached for 10 years and won the Stanley Cup championship in 2010. Last week, Babcock told Canada’s TSN cable TV network that he intends to make a decision on his future before the end of this week.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
