Flyers fire AHL coach Paterson

By FRANK SERAVALLI, Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: May 24, 2012

AFTER A SEASON and a half, the Flyers fired Phantoms coach Joe Paterson on Tuesday. It comes after Adirondack’s best single-season AHL record (37-35-4) since the franchise moved there from Philadelphia in 2009.

“As an organization, we feel the Phantoms need a new voice moving forward,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement. “We feel a new direction is needed at this time.”

Paterson, a former Flyer, was named the Phantoms’ head coach on Dec. 20, 2010. He posted a combined record of 62-55-8 in 125 games. Adirondack finished five points back of a playoff spot in a tightly contested Eastern Conference, despite missing most of its top players — like Erik Gustafsson, Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall — as injury replacements for the Flyers.

No replacement was named. The Phantoms’ new coach will be their fourth in 4 years.

Plans for the Phantoms’ move to Allentown are currently on hold. Allentown already has broken ground on a downtown arena for the Phantoms, set to open in 2013-14, but those plans are up in the air as surrounding townships have declined a settlement for the building’s funding, which was supposed to be provided by earned income tax. So far, 13 municipalities have teamed up in a lawsuit that is attempting to prevent Allentown from tapping their residents’ earned income taxes.

Comcast Spectacor sold the Phantoms to the Brooks Group in 2009, prior to their move to Glens Falls, N.Y., but the Flyers still maintain personnel control of their top minor league affiliate. n

Contact Frank Seravalli at seravaf@phillynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DNFlyers.

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