Fred Shero

Game 1 Tonight 7:30 NATIVE SONS Pittsburgh knows how to grow hockey players. Flyers center R.J. Umberger grew up in Plum Borough, Pa., 13 miles east of Pittsburgh, and was a Penguins fan as a youngster. He signed as a free agent with the Flyers in 2004. The Penguins? Ryan Malone grew up in the wealthy suburb of Upper St. Clair, 10 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, where he also attended high school. His father, Greg Malone, a center, won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins, in 1990-91 and 1991-92.

Phantoms forward Tony Voce was dismissed from the club this week by general manager Paul Holmgren after instigating a fight with coach Kjell Samuelsson following an argument at practice. "They had a disagreement on the ice over how the practice was going," Holmgren said yesterday. "Most of it was on the ice. Sammy tried to say, 'Hold on and I'll talk to you in my office' and it never got to that point. " Holmgren met with the 26-year-old left wing to discuss the matter and then sent him home.

In a dreary docking area outside the visitors' locker room at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on Saturday morning, Phantoms coach John Stevens was pedaling like mad on a stationary bike. He was sweating profusely, but going nowhere. On the other hand, his career is moving along nicely. With a two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven Calder Cup championship series, the Phantoms can toss another shovel of dirt on the Chicago Wolves in tonight's Game 3 at the Wachovia Center.

They are perhaps the best example of a split team personality that exists in hockey. Not even Dr. Phil could analyze which of the Flyers' personalities is genuine. Are the Flyers the club that ripped off 10 wins in 11 games to start the month of January? Or are they the comatose zombies of the last two weeks, who have lost a season-high four games in succession? Long-suffering Flyers fans have come to expect this franchise's annual late-winter slump. It's a major reason that many general managers and coaches don't like the Flyers' playoff chances.

Who's next? Who will sign up for the least secure job in the National Hockey League, a 30-team league in which 33 coaches have been fired in the last 3 1/2 seasons? The Flyers, heavy contributors to that amazing number of pink slips, yesterday escorted Bill Barber to the exit door. Now, Bob Clarke, who received a firm vote of confidence from team chairman Ed Snider as they sat alongside each other during a news conference to announce Barber's firing, is in search of the Flyers' sixth coach since he returned as general manager eight years ago. Snider, who said he leaves such decisions to Clarke, made clear that he will take a more hands-on approach in finding the next coach.

Philadelphians probably would prefer another year like 1980, when all four of the city's professional teams reached their leagues' championship rounds. But, failing that, having four reigning coach/managers of the year working here simultaneously is certainly a step up from the days of Jerry Williams, Vic Stasiuk, Frank Lucchesi and Poor Roy Rubin. Now that the Phillies' Larry Bowa has been named the National League's best manager in 2001, joining the previously honored Andy Reid, Bill Barber and Larry Brown, Philadelphia enjoys a unique distinction.

Larry Bowa's selection as National League manager of the year gave Philadelphia a sweep in the major professional sports in the last year. Bill Barber is the reigning NHL coach of the year, Larry Brown holds that honor in the NBA, and Andy Reid was the NFL coach of the year. They were asked to talk about success and coaching styles. 1. How do you define coaching success? BILL BARBER: "It's trying to get your players to buy into a situation that best suits you and your team and maybe not necessarily their individual game.

Former Flyer Jim Watson tells the story about Ted Harris, traded from Minnesota to Detroit, back in the day. Harris joins the Red Wings and asks his new teammate, Bugsy Watson, how the Wings move the puck out of their own end. "Any bleeping way we can," Watson tells him. In those days hockey was described as one long, broken play. The emphasis was on strength and using your stick to crowbar the puck loose in the corners. Then, Fred Shero arrived with his "fil-ums" and his Russian theories and his "System," guiding the Flyers through most of the 1970s.

What could be a perfect encore to the Flyers' announcing that John LeClair had re-signed with them? How about Bill Barber being named coach of the year in his rookie session? The 48-year-old Flyers coach won the Jack Adams Award last night at the NHL award ceremony at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Barber's victory gives Philadelphia three coach-of-the-year winners this year, along with the Eagles' Andy Reid and the Sixers' Larry Brown. "It really hasn't hit home yet," Barber said after the ceremonies.

As expected, Flyers coach Bill Barber is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given to the NHL coach of the year, and Roman Cechmanek is a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the league's top goalie. Barber is competing with Ottawa's Jacques Martin and Detroit's Scotty Bowman, the league announced yesterday. Cechmanek is up against New Jersey's Martin Brodeur and Buffalo's Dominik Hasek. Bowman and Martin are previous Adams winners; Hasek has won five of the previous seven Vezinas.