Here’s a wholly unscientific assumption: things started to go sideways for the Los Angeles Kings when Ron Hextall left then-GM Dean Lombardi & Co. to join the Philadelphia Flyers organization.
Whether accurate or not, the two executives have experienced different paths lately, with Hextall doing a solid job with his Flyers’ rebuild-on-the-fly while Lombardi was fired after winning two Stanley Cup with (and signing some dicey contracts for) the Kings.
Well, it sounds like the pupil will switch roles with the teacher, as The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Flyers hired Lombardi.
Dean Lombardi is back in the NHL, the Flyers have hired him to do some work under GM Ron Hextall.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 16, 2017
It’s not clear what Lombardi’s title will be; in many cases, teams either use the title “consultant” or dress such a role up with a fancier, corporate-speak-heavy thing to put on an office door.
This marks a full-circle feeling in more than one way, as Lombardi once served as a scout for the Flyers. Considering some of the big trades that took place between the Flyers and Kings, it’s easy to see a pipeline between the two franchises.
While Lombardi experienced some missteps, he also laid the foundation for a strong team in Los Angeles, and brings a robust resume of experience from his time in the NHL.
Broad Street Hockey’s Travis Hughes made the case against the Flyers bringing in Lombardi back in May.