Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Scott Gordon Was The Right Choice At The Right Time

03/02/2019 at 9:11am EST

from Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Daily News,

The Flyers have had 20 head coaches in their history — if you count Bob McCammon only once — but Scott Gordon, the current interim, is the first former goalie among that number.

There have been 10 forwards and seven defensemen and, in the interest of full disclosure, neither Roger Neilson nor Ken Hitchcock played professionally, so it’s hard to determine where they stood on the pond. They didn’t stand in the crease during a high-level game, however, and that is one of the unique gifts Gordon brings to his job.

It’s odd in a game that is so dependent on the position — and within an organization that has been so unlucky in its run of goalies — that the Flyers haven’t hit upon giving one a try before this. Goalies are the only guys on the ice for the entire game, and even when it isn’t their night, they are watching everything with a studied eye. No player is better equipped to tell you which of the beautiful patterns woven by an offense is more likely to succeed or fail.

Gordon was not chosen for his playing career, though, even if it becomes a lucky accident that he arrived at the same time as Carter Hart, who might be the goalie for whom this team has been waiting. Gordon is with the Flyers because the team was in a hurry to replace Dave Hakstol and the organization did not extend its search much beyond the Northeast Extension.

continued

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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