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On Wednesday, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms formally launched John Snowden as the brand new head coach of the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate. The crew additionally formally introduced the hiring of Terrance Wallin and Nick Schultz as Snowden’s assistant coaches.
Snowden and Schultz are acquainted faces within the Flyers’ group. In the meantime, Wallin is a Bucks County native who’s well-known each to Flyers common supervisor Daniel Briere and participant growth director Riley Armstrong. Of their earlier capacities, Snowden and Schultz additionally interacted with Flyers assistant common supervisor Alyn McCauley, who handles day-to-day managerial issues for the Phantoms.
Snowden spoke to assembled native media at a PPL Middle press convention on Wednesday. Individually, the brand new Phantoms bench boss was interviewed by Service Electrical reporter Kristi Fulkerson.
Fulkerson requested Snowden about his preparation for being the Phantoms head coach. The 43-year-old Washington State native served because the Phantoms’ assistant coach below Ian Laperriere the earlier 4 season after profitable the ECHL’s Kelly Cup championship as the top coach of the Newfoundland Growlers.
“There are not any surprises for me now. I perceive the [American] League. I perceive the method of the way it works from each day. Lappy set a very good basis right here. It is our job now to construct on the muse that he set. Work with these gamers to assist them get to the NHL or again to the NHL. So the expertise I’ve had over the previous couple of years, it has been huge,” Snowden advised Service Electrical.
Snowden stated that being an ECHL head coach is a unique animal than teaching within the AHL. In flip, teaching within the American Hockey League is a considerably totally different paradigm than the NHL stage.
“I got here from the ECHL. It is a totally different tempo at this [AHL] stage. Gamers are higher, they’re smarter and make higher performs all around the rink. They ask you the onerous questions. You aren’t getting these questions within the ECHL. They’re going to ask you why [you’re doing something]. They’re going to problem you as a coach. So being at this stage for 4 years is a giant assist,” he stated.
Throughout Wednesday’s press convention, Snowden stated he is excited to work with potential Phantoms rookies. They may vary from Alex Bump (a possible NHL roster participant) to gamers equivalent to Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk who will make their professional hockey debuts in 2025-26.
Snowden additionally mentioned a few of his teaching philosophies and ideas on participant growth. He expects longtime veterans equivalent to crew captain Garrett Wilson and youthful vets equivalent to Zayde Knowledge to assist set the usual of expectations throughout the locker room and assist the kids alongside within the changes to being professionals.
“That is the place the rebuild of the Philadelphia Flyers goes to start out. It may begin right here, and it’ll begin with us. It begins with the event course of we will put in place for us to win right here — if we do it proper, we will win video games — but additionally to assist them transfer as much as the NHL. That is the place they wish to be on the finish of the day,” Snowden stated.
The coach stated he and his workers wish to implement very up-tempo programs. The objective is to arrange prospects for the NHL tempo but additionally to be a risk to their AHL opponents.
“We will likely be a quick, offensively aggressive attacking crew. I wish to worth [possession of ] the puck. I need us to carry onto the puck. If you need the puck, you have to earn it again,” Snowden stated.
Snowden pledged a fast transition recreation from the defensive zone to the offensive zone. As soon as within the offensive zone, if there’s not a direct alternative to assault the online, Snowden desires the forecheck to put on down the opponent’s protection by conserving them hemmed in their very own zone.
The Phantoms need their programs to reflect those the Flyers plan to implement below Rick Tocchet. This contains comparable offensive zone and impartial zone forechecks in addition to breakouts. Within the defensive zone, Snowden and Schultz might implement one thing similar to the box-plus-one protection fashion at 5-on-5 that Flyers coaches Tocchet and Todd Reirden plan to make use of.
Schultz, after all, performed 1,069 common season video games as an NHL defenseman together with three seasons with the Flyers. Extra lately, he has served the Flyers group as a growth coach. He specialised in forging an particularly shut rapport with blueline prospects.
Now, Schultz has switched to much less of a behind-the-scenes position. As Snowden’s assistant, he’ll work day-in and day-out with the Phantoms protection and penalty kill. He replaces former Flyers captain Jason “Gator” Smith, who served 4 as a Phantoms assistant coach below Laperriere.
Wallin, who strikes into Snowden’s outdated assistant position, is a really younger and promising coach. The 33-year-old Yardley native involves the Phantoms after 4 seasons as an assistant (one 12 months) and head coach (three years) with the ECHL Maine Mariners.
In Portland, Wallin was initially employed by Briere when the long run Flyers GM ran the Mariners. Moreover, he is aware of former Maine head coach Riley Armstrong fairly nicely. Wallin performed below Armstrong earlier than making the transition from participant to educate.
Whereas the Phantoms 2025-26 teaching workers is totally new, the moment familiarity with the important thing Hockey Operations figures within the Flyers group and/or with each other generally is a assist in upcoming months. The transition needs to be fairly easy.
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