Dan Bylsma. Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Recently fired HC emerges as possibility to win vacant Flyers job

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 1:20 AM ET

The Philadelphia Flyers are searching for a John Tortorella replacement, and now they may have found one in another recently fired head coach.

The Flyers appeared set to remain under John Tortorella after turning it around in 2023-24, but with a disastrous season this year and a confrontation with defenseman Cam York, things kept getting worse and the team eventually let him go.

This leaves them with an interesting decision to make behind the bench this summer, as many believe they'll look to a young coach to help guide the core of Matvei Michkov, York, Jett Luchanko, Oliver Bonk and others.

However, there has emerged another intriguing option, with recently fired former Seattle Kraken head coach Dan Bylsma becoming a potential candidate for a role in Philadelphia as it looks to complete its turnaround and get back to competing for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As mentioned by Broad Street Hockey, he's certainly a retread and won't bring much new to the table that a lot of these players haven't seen before, but after Tortorella, another veteran that has adapted to the game a little better could be a solid option for this team.

What's worrying, however, is that Bylsma was fired after just one season with the Kraken, and while he definitely struggled to get the best out of the team, they certainly weren't one of the worst teams in the league, meaning there could have been issues behind the scenes there as well.

Ultimately, Bylsma has a record of 355-231-61 in a career that dates back to 2008-09 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and while his last few showings haven't been perfect, with an elite young talent like Michkov leading the way, perhaps this is his opportunity to cement himself as a successful, long-term coach for a franchise.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: