There may not be a season, but the Flyers will be in good hands through 2014-15.
The Flyers announced yesterday that they had inked coach Peter Laviolette to a two-year contract extension. He had one year remaining on his current deal.
“Peter and I have a strong relationship,” said GM Paul Holmgren. “There was never a question that this wasn’t going to get done. I am very happy to have it done.”
But with the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire Sept. 15, there is no guarantee there will be a 2012-13 season. In fact, all indications point to a shortened season, similar to what happened in the NBA. Even with the extreme uncertainty hanging over his head, Laviolette is conducting business as usual.
“We will go about it as normal,” the coach said. “Hopefully we start and move forward as planned, but if we don’t I guess it gets delayed and you forward when they say move forward.”
Laviolette expressed no concern about the team’s perceived lack of depth on the blue line. Last week, they missed out on an opportunity to lure stud defenseman Shea Weber away from Nashville.
“I feel good about the players that we have under contract and moving forward,” Laviolette said. “Our team moved forward without Shea [Weber] last year. We dealt with certain injuries and things that I think our club had to overcome.”
The Flyers are scheduled to start the preseason Sept. 25 when they host Chicago. They’ll drop the puck for real Oct. 11 against Boston at the Wells Fargo Center.
