Czech out of the box

After getting sick and tired with fed up with being sick and tired of reading essentially the same detailed analyses of the same potential coaching candidates for the number of openings, I decided to through in my wide-brimmed extra shade sun hat into the rink. I’m going to suggest a different head coaching candidate. This former NHL player (1000+ games played) coached junior hockey for several years and won at least one national championship and several other tournaments and a Bronze Olympic Medal. He was an assistant coach for his country’s (not the US) national team for the Olympics and Worlds. He was up until last year head coach of an elite team. If you haven’t guessed already, I’m suggesting one of Martin St. Louis’s former team-and linemates: Vaclav (Vinny) Prospal. In several post-retirement interviews, Prospal has expressed an interest (‘the fire in my belly’) in eventually coaching in the NHL and mentioned that his coaching style is influenced by his former coach John Tortorella. Why it would be the ultimate irony for the Flyers to hire Prospal: Prospal was traded along with Pat Fallon to the Ottawa Senators for the one and only Alexander Daigle. Daigle and Fallon were drafted #1 and #2 overall in their respective drafts. Prospal was taken in the 3rd round and the former manager of his Czech team said “I will eat my shoe if Prospal plays 1 game in the NHL”. Prospal was traded because the Flyers thought he was too fragile after suffering a broken wrist and a few months later, a broken leg in freak accidents. Fallon and Daigle faded (understatement maybe), and Prospal ended up playing over 1000 games. Prospal did come back for a short stint with the Flyers back in 2006 and was helpful in getting the Flyers to the Conference Finals. About Jdhebner: I am a recently retired Professor of Chemistry and a soon-to-be retired Rocket Scientist living in the Mojave Desert. My late parents grew up in Philadelphia and took me to my first flyers game in 1971.