Once the news about a new coach hit Philadelphia, Flyers die-hards — N.H.L. fans everywhere, for that matter — may have had the same question: Who is Dave Hakstol?
General Manager Ron Hextall strayed far off the grid with his choice, especially as the usual names — like Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings — were rumored as potential replacements for Craig Berube, who was fired in April. The Flyers last won a Stanley Cup in 1975.
“I wasn’t going to choose the coach that was the people’s choice, the popular choice,” Hextall said Monday.