Philadelphia Flyers: Final thoughts regarding Ron Hextall’s departure

Decision was made by Paul Holmgren and Dave Scott

When it was announced that the Flyers organization was relieving Hextall of his duties (via Jordan Hall, NBC 10), fans immediately began to wonder what member of the front office was the driving force behind the decision.

There had been rumors since the start of the season, and more so since the team’s first bad losing streak, that members of the front office were becoming more visible at games and around the building. People like Bob Clarke, Dave Scott, and Paul Holmgren were rumored to be more present, paying Hextall more frequent visits. This lent credence to the theory that perhaps Hextall’s tenure was now in jeopardy more than ever. But one question remained throughout the fan base, which was who is really holding the general manager accountable?

That question was answered at the Wednesday press conference with President Paul Holmgren and CEO Dave Scott. One thing that became immediately clear was that this decision was Holmgren’s, citing “philosophical differences” between Hextall and the rest of the front office.

Holmgren went on to say that Hextall was “unyielding” in his plan, implying that Hextall had planned to remain rigid despite the team underperforming badly to start the year. Holmgren and Scott obviously felt that the team should be better in the current year, but there appeared to be a disconnect between what they wanted and what Hextall was willing to do.

Hextall would go on to later say that he was trying to improve the team on Sunday before his firing, but just wasn’t able to make anything happen. And amidst the wave or rumors surrounding Hextall’s level of obsessive control, we may never truly know what was actually said behind closed doors and what discussions led to ultimately to Hextall’s ousting.

But for Flyers fans that were wondering if anyone above Hextall was watching, or if they even cared, the answer was an emphatic yes. Holmgren and Scott were the face of this move, as they both alluded to in their press conference.

Fans that previously worried that Hextall was running the show without any accountability should feel somewhat relieved, even if some of the motivation from upper management boiled down to the team not meeting their dollar amounts. Professional sports are, in the end, a business, and this was by all rights a business decision as much as it was apparently a team and culture decision.