Flyers hire Brad Shaw as an assistant coach; Mike Yeo replaces Shaw with the Vancouver Canucks

Shaw, 58, coached the defense and penalty kill as an assistant under John Tortorella between 2016 and 2021 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Brad Shaw, coaching the New York Islanders.Read moreED BETZ / AP

by Giana Han

Published July 1, 2022, 5:13 p.m. ET

The Flyers and the Vancouver Canucks are swapping assistant coaches. The Canucks announced Friday that Mike Yeo is joining their team as an assistant coach while Brad Shaw, who was an assistant with Vancouver last season, is leaving to be a part of John Tortorella’s staff in Philadelphia as an associate coach.

Shaw, 58, will reunite with Tortorella, whom he coached under with the Columbus Blue Jackets for five seasons from 2016-21. As he was in Columbus under Tortorella, Shaw is expected to be in charge of the defense and the penalty kill with the Flyers.

“We would like to thank Brad Shaw for his contributions to the club and wish him the best of luck in Philadelphia,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said.

After an 11-year playing career in the NHL, Shaw started coaching full-time in 1999 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In addition to the Lightning and Blue Jackets, Shaw has been an assistant coach for the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues. He also has been the head coach for the Detroit Vipers (International Hockey League) and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (American Hockey League) as well as an assistant for the Springfield Vipers (AHL).

Like Yeo, Shaw has spent time as an NHL interim head coach, taking over the Islanders after they fired Steve Stirling during the 2005-06 season. Shaw was relieved of his responsibilities following the season after compiling a record of 18-18-4.

With the hiring of Shaw, the Flyers have one more assistant role to fill. That assistant will most likely run the offense and the power play.

Yeo, 48, spent three years with the Flyers. For the majority of that time, he served as an assistant, but after Alain Vigneault was fired on Dec. 6, Yeo stepped in as interim head coach.

He inherited a snakebit team in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. The team lost two more under him before snapping the streak. However, the injuries continued to pile up, and the season worsened from there. Yeo was let go as interim head coach at the conclusion of the season after the Flyers finished 17-36-7 on his watch.

General manager Chuck Fletcher did leave the door open for Yeo to return, saying Yeo was welcome to stay with the organization in another capacity. Instead, he elected to join Bruce Boudreau’s staff in Vancouver.

“We’re pleased to have solidified our coaching staff for next season with the promotion of Trent Cull and the additions of Mike Yeo and Jeremy Colliton,” Allvin said in a release. “These individuals bring a lot of hockey experience and knowledge to the group.”