2008-09 Schedule Released, Joffrey Lupul Will Be Staying Around For A While, And John Stevens Named Coach Of The Year

July 23rd, 2008 by James

Last week the NHL released the schedules for the upcoming season. For the Flyers, they will start the season at home against the New York Rangers on October 11. The Flyers won’t have to wait long to get revenge on the Pittsburgh Penguins for eliminating them from the playoffs. The Flyers will be in Pittsburgh for the third game of the season on October 14. The Flyers will also pay a visit to the Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings on March 17, 2009.

It also looks like the rumors reported by TSN last week were true. Rumors started circling last week that said Joffrey Lupul and the Flyers had come to an agreement on a 4 year extension. On Monday, the team announced the deal was signed. I like this move by the Flyers. It’s another young player locked up for a good amount of time. Even with injuries, Lupul had 20 goals and 26 assists last season. It he wasn’t hit by a flying shoulder from Derian Hatcher, those numbers would have been much higher.

“I am really happy and excited,” said Lupul. “It is not something that I was really expecting this summer. The Flyers kind of reached out to us after July 1. It was a great surprise and I am really thrilled. I have one year left on my contract and then these additional four more, so five more years with Philadelphia is great.”

Lupul was dealt to the Flyers from the Edmonton Oilers last off season along with Jason Smith in exchange for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson. The previous off season saw him being moved from the Anaheim Ducks to the Oilers in the Chris Pronger trade.

Yes, John Stevens was named Coach of the Year, but not by the NHL. Bruce Boudreau of the Washington Capitals was given the Jack Adams Award. The Coach of the Year honor was bestowed upon Stevens by The Hockey News.

Early into the 2006-07 season, a season everyone wants to forget, Stevens was named head coach to replace Ken Hitchcock. That season saw the Flyers in the basement of the league and set a franchise record for least amount of points. Last season, Steven’s first full season as head coach, the Flyers made one of the most dramatic turnarounds the NHL has seen, from NHL laughing stock to the Eastern Conference Finals.

“John is the coach that we deemed did the best job in the regular season and post-season,” said The Hockey News Editor-In-Chief Jason Kay. “John did a great job in leading a great turnaround, but also the style that he employs, such a calm demeanor behind the bench, is an example of his leadership. The way that he carries himself showed with the product on the ice, particularly in the playoffs, the way that team stuck together and held together when a lot of people didn’t anticipate they would do as well.”

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