PHILADELPHIA, PA – According to TSN Canada and Comcast-Sportnet in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Flyers have fired Head Coach Jon Stevens and will announce the hiring of Peter Laviolette at an 8 pm news conference in Voorhees, NJ. 
In three-plus seasons under Stevens, the Flyers were 120-109-34. Stevens ahd replaced current Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Ken Hitchcock. Stevens too the Flyers to the Easterrn Conference finals two years ago.
Laviolette is a former head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes and unlike most Flyer hirings in previous years Laviolette does not have previous ties to the Flyers organization. Laviolette was previously the head coach of the New York Islanders from 2001-03, and took the Islanders to the playoffs in both seasons and lost in the first round of the playoffs both years.
In Carolina, the Hurricanes made the playoffs just once under Laviolete that resulted in a Stanley Cup championship in 2005-06. Laviolette has winning regular season records for every NHL team he has coached. 
The hiring comes off of a recent stretch where the Flyers have lost six of their past seven games and have lost three straight.
The Flyers first game under their new head coach will be saturday night at home against the Washington Capitals minus Alex Ovechkin.
Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com Photos by lewis.bleiman@prohockeynews.com
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