Q & A With Lehigh Valley Phantoms Interim Head Coach Kerry Huffman

ALLENTOWN, PA -- The way things were going up top, it seemed like only a matter of time before a change would be made behind the bench. What wasn't known officially until Monday afternoon is that the Philadelphia Flyers' change behind the bench was to promote Lehigh Valley Phantoms' head coach Scott Gordon as the NHL club's interim head coach.

It effectively left the AHL club without a head coach with just over 48 hours until the team's next game Wednesday night at home against rival Hershey Bears (AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals).

In his press conference after the Flyers' press release of Dave Hasktol's firing and Gordon's interim tag, new GM Chuck Fletcher told local Philadelphia media in attendance that he was working on a coach for Lehigh Valley and that current assistant coach Kerry Huffman - and all assistant coaches in the organization - would remain.

"My goal is not to make quick decisions. I want to make right decisions," Fletcher said in regards to future coaching decisions, adding that is was his expectation that Gordon would be the NHL head coach for the remainder of the season.

It wasn't too long after that press conference that sources told Inside AHL Hockey that Kerry Huffman would be named the interim head coach of the Phantoms. And earlier this evening the team confirmed our initial report, also announcing that Kjell Samuelsson would be assisting Huffman behind the Phantoms' bench.

Newly appointed interim head coach Kerry Huffman was kind enough to talk with Inside AHL Hockey via phone Monday night about the last 24 hours or so, his latest opportunity and what lies ahead.

Question: I'm sure the last 24 hours or so has been hectic, eventful. I imagine this interim head coaching thing came together pretty quickly for you?

Kerry Huffman: It did. Obviously, the last couple of weeks here has been pretty... tumultuous I guess is the right word. But it is what it is. That's the nature of this business. But it's exciting. Although change sometimes freaks people out a little bit, you also have to look at it in a positive way. There's opportunity for everybody. That's sort of the approach you have to have.

Is this a similar situation that Scott Gordon is in with the Flyers? There haven't been any promises or guarantees made that you'll be the head coach for the rest of the season?

Huffman: No that's exactly it. I've been told it might be a short term thing, or who knows. They may be looking at other options, which is, listen, that's just the nature of the business as well. When new people come into the organization, they bring in their own people and it is what it is, but I look at it as an opportunity to kind of prove myself again and do some things. If it's for 24 hours, or if it's for the rest of the year or if it's for an extended time that's great too. I'm going to do what I can to help the organization like I feel like I have since I got here three years ago.

Obviously there's more responsibilities as a head coach, but it's not like you're going to be really out of your element. Still be working with and developing players?

Huffman: The one thing I've just really loved over the last three years is the ability to work with the young guys and have them develop. We've been fortunate in terms of having a really good team the three years I've been here in terms of the quality players. Ultimately, it's about developing players and getting them ready for the big club and part of that is doing it in a winning environment. I think that's something that Scott did an amazing job with and I like to think I was part of that and hopefully can continue that tradition.

I'm sure it helps that you already know all the guys, familiar with the rink, the area and everything but do you have to change how you interact with the players now that you're the head coach? Will there be a new good cop/bad cop routine with Kjell now?

Huffman: No, listen. I am who I am. It becomes a little different I think when you go from an assistant to a head position -- but ultimately at the end of the day the players know who you are truly as a person and what you care about and what you believe in. Although Scott and I might have a little different styles, we really kind of believed in the same things in terms of how we played as a team, expectations on players - that's not going to change. Personalities might be a little bit different, but beliefs in how to get the job done are pretty similar and I'm not going change much. We've had a really good thing going here for three years, and that's not going to change.

You're pretty familiar with Kjell Samuelsson, having worked closely with him over the past three years now?

Huffman: Absolutely. Me and Kjell go back a long, long way. We played a lot of games together, we were partnered together. Our beliefs in our approach to dealing with players, and especially with dealing with the young defensemen -- I think that's where we've got a lot of synergy. Kjell had them on the development side all the way until they kind of got dropped off to us. And we've never really stopped communicating once a Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg or Sam Morin or any of the young defensemen came in [Kjell] and I were pretty close in terms of our communication and what was going on with the young guys. And even now with Friedman and Myers especially, it's been really good - the communication between me and Kjell. And he's the type of guy that will do whatever he needs to do to help things. Whether it's short term, long term or whatever. I think it will be great to have him around.

So, two former defensemen behind the bench. Have you decided how to divvy up the responsibilities at least for Wednesday's game?

**Huffman: Yeah, he's going to get the defense. He's got way more games played in the NHL than I do, so it's his responsibility now! ....... No, so I have a lot more familiarity with the entire team so we'll jump in there and kind of run the forwards. I have the utmost confidence in [Kjell]. He knows what he's doing in terms of getting the right players on the ice on the back end. And we'll do our best. We've got some pretty good experience, some good hockey knowledge I think. The rest of it will come for sure.

For you, personally, what does this opportunity mean to you?

Huffman: Yeah, it's been quite a ride. I didn't set out to say 'hey I'm going to be a head coach someday, somewhere'. I was approached by Ron [Hextall] a few years ago to come in and work with the young defense and kind of help them with my past experience. I've loved it. I've always loved coaching. Have had some pretty good runs with teams at the younger level, but we've also had a good run here with the Phantoms. Sometimes you never know where this game will take you, or what path it will take you on. This is where it is, and this is where I'm at. I love the players we have. I love the group we have, and the whole situation is really fun. Whether it;s a short term or it gets extended I'm going to do my best for the organization like I have in the past. It's an exciting time, but one day at a time.