Lehigh Valley Phantoms hire former Flyers captain as assistant coach

One of the Flyers’ former leaders on the ice is making the transition to the coach’s bench. Recently, the Philadelphia Flyers announced two assistant coach hirings for their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. One of the Phantoms’ two hirings was former captain is Jason Smith.

Smith is a former NHL defenseman who was Philadelphia’s captain during the 2007-2008 NHL season. He was acquired from Edmonton during the 2007 offseason before heading to Ottawa for his final NHL season in 2009. Smith was actually a coach for the Senators for two seasons a few years back.

Joining Jason Smith on the bench is Riley Armstrong, the former head coach of the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, who Comcast also owns. Armstrong worked his way up to assistant GM in 2019, working second-in-command to Flyers’ legend Danny Briere. Hopefully, these additions alongside new head coach Ian Laperriere can help develop the Flyers’ prospects and help them take that next step in the NHL.

Mandatory Credit: SHAUGHN BUTTS /Postmedia