Former Flyers Head Coach Emerges as Favorite to Fill Arizona State Vacancy

Former Philadelphia Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol has emerged as the clear frontrunner to take over the Arizona State men's hockey program.

Hakstol, 58, currently serves as an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche, though head coach Jared Bednar and the organization have given the former Flyers bench boss permission to speak with Arizona State, who are looking to make their decision this week.

The expectation, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, is that Hakstol will indeed become Arizona State's next head coach, barring a sideways negotiation.

"Definitely momentum for Dave Hakstol to take over as head coach at Arizona State as soon as their next game — which is Friday," Friedman reported on X on Monday.

"Colorado (where he is coaching now) has officially granted permission and negotiations are underway. Other contenders have been informed they are out. So, as long as this doesn’t go sideways, it is Hakstol."

Hakstol, despite how he might be perceived for his rocky tenures with the Flyers and Seattle Kraken, would be a good get for Arizona State, who are currently without a head coach with Greg Powers placed on administrative leave.

That is, of course, a consequence of the military-style workout that left 21-year-old St. Louis Blues prospect Matthew Mayich in a coma after he suffered from a heat stroke, with Mayich unfortunately facing a long, improbable road to recovery.

In addition to his time in the NHL, Hakstol spent a lengthy portion of his coaching career in the college ranks, serving as the head coach of the University of North Dakota from 2004 to 2015 before joining the Flyers, reaching the Frozen Four seven times.

Should the deal go through, the Avalanche will need to find themselves a new assistant coach to oversee the power play, but Arizona State will be getting some much-needed stability, experience, and positive influence behind the bench with Mayich's tragic condition rocking the hockey world, the school, and the players.