At the all-star break last season, the Flyers were 36 points out of first place, and all they had to look forward to was the final game so they could slip out of town through the rear exit and leave their misery behind.
Today, the All-Star Game takes place in Atlanta, and the Flyers are tied for first place in the Atlantic Division and third overall in the Eastern Conference. They have 27 wins after 48 games, five more than they had all last season.
The main reason for one of the most dramatic turnabouts in NHL history is Holmgren, who quickly proved his acumen as a sharp talent evaluator and shrewd dealer after he became general manager Nov. 11, 2006. That was the unforgettable bloody Sunday when Bob Clarke, Holmgren's mentor, resigned as general manager and Ken Hitchcock was fired as coach.
If the NHL selected an executive of the year, Holmgren would win by the length of a dozen hockey sticks.
Won't gloat
Holmgren sits in his office at the Flyers' practice site in Voorhees and takes a long pause when asked if he feels a sense of satisfaction over the way he smartly retooled the roster.
A native of Minnesota, Holmgren's Midwestern sensibility won't allow him to gloat. It's not about him, he suggests, and anyone who remembers him as a loyal, selfless Flyer during his playing days must believe him.
"I guess I could say that at this point in time we're in the fight," he said. "We're pleased with where we're at, and I think we'll get better - and will get better."
Alluding to a league that may be more balanced than at any time in its history, Holmgren added, "It used to be you could look at the schedule and see some soft spots. Not anymore. So we'll have to get better to get to where we want to be."
When last season ended with the Flyers in last place and in danger of becoming an afterthought among the city's professional sports teams, most observers saw a long way back toward respectability, let alone contention.
