After missing playoffs, Scott says team leadership ‘in a good place’

Dave Scott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Spectacor, parent company of the Flyers, said Tuesday that the club missing the playoffs was “just not an acceptable level of performance, period.

“We’ve all talked about it,” Scott said. “We’re not happy where we are. There’s been frustration, there’s been anger but this is where we sit. It comes down to accountability and we’re all accountable for the success of this team. And that starts with me, the ownership, the front office, the coaching staff and the players.”

The Flyers finished 25-23-8, third from the basement in the East Division after residing near the top of it in April. It was the second time in three years and fifth time in nine years that they missed the postseason.

While Scott said that Flyers fans “deserve so much more, the City of Philadelphia deserves so much more, we deserve a winning hockey team,” he also said that in this, his eighth season with the club, he’s perfectly in tune with the leaders of his team.

Referencing general manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Alain Vigneault, Scott said, “I don’t think we’ve ever had better alignment, looking back, as what we have now.

“I think we’re in a good place. We’ll be ready to move forward.”

Scott then echoed the theme of Fletcher and Vigneault, who blamed the season largely on working through an outbreak of COVID and a harsh schedule

in a shortened season which was a byproduct of the pandemic.

“We had some real solid goaltending,” Vigneault said of the solid start. “And our goaltending slipped a little bit. COVID hit us. And you know, after COVID, all we basically did was play games and not practice.”

Limited practice time hurt the young players, when their play slipped.

“I’m not saying that’s the reason,” Vigneault said. “I’m going to need some time to reflect on it.

But I do believe that played a part in our game slipping and our season going the way it did.”

Fletcher and Vigneault said they’re committed to 22-year-old goalie Carter Hart, who struggled after a stellar season, Vigneault saying the netminder would learn from adversity.com