Fred SheroInduction into Flyer Hall Of Fame - March 1990Induction into Hockey Hall Of Fame - Sept. 2013 | |
Fred Shero's 74-75 "Rookie" Card |
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Before coaching the Flyers Shero would coach minor league teams in St. Paul, Omaha and Buffalo in the Rangers' system. While in St.Paul Shero had several colourful episodes. During one game he saw fans leaving with his team leading 7-1, so he pulled his goalie midway in the 3rd period (the game ended 7-3). He did the same stunt again in a 5-0 game that he won 7-5. Shero would end up coaching for 13 years in the minors, taking one year off to operate a leather goods factory. His teams finished first place 6 times (5 of those first place finishes where in his last 7 years of coaching) and championships with Omaha and Buffalo. Coaching in the Ranger's system, Shero thought he'd never get a chance to coach in the NHL with Emile "The Cat" Francis as their longtime coach. He was about to forget about pro hockey and take a job coaching in college when the Flyers offered him the job. |
When Shero started to coach the Flyers' he immediately implemented a system. "Other teams have each line playing a different system depending on if they are a scoring or checking line. On the Flyers every line and player plays the same system, whether the player is a superstar or one the forth line", Shero explained. Shero was one of the first coaches ever to implement a team-wide system When the Flyers ended up losing a playoff spot on the last day of the season in Shero's first year with the Flyers, he claimed "I felt like dying - or like I had actually done so". The Flyer's offense (200 goals) was worst in league, so Shero hired Mike Nykoluk as the 1st ever NHL assistant coach, to work on the power play. His decision worked - the team became the highest scoring in western conference and won their 1st playoff series ever. But now the Flyers had the 6th worst GAA. Shero was a defensive specialist and now that the offense was repaired it was time to work on defense. Bernie Parent coupled with Shero's teaching made the Flyers had become the league best defensive team, without sacrificing much offense. With their hard play, the Flyers became scorned throughout the NHL and opposition fans. After the third game of a playoff series against the Atlanta Flames, Shero was mugged outside the Flames arena (the Omni). Shero would come back and later coach the underdog Flyers to the finals against the more highly skilled Bruins. To deflect attention of his players Shero claimed he was going to quit coaching after the finals "I want to go back to school, and if we win the cup I'll have enough money to do so". Shero had little intention of doing that but it helped the Flyers build a 3-1 games lead against Boston. |
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Shero's blackboard messages became a staple in the Flyers lockerroom. They tended to be philosophical in nature, and
as Joe Watson once said, sometimes it would be weeks before the players understood what Shero meant. One May 19th 1974
with the Flyers just one win away from a championship title, Shero had
what would become a famous saying on the blackboard whose meaning was unmistakable: "Win together today !!! and we walk together forever !!!" The Flyers would win that game, becoming Stanley Cup champions. As Shero would later say, "It isn't always the more highly skilled team that wins - that's why you have coaches". Shero would win the first ever Jack Adams award as coach of the year for his performance. |
Not sitting on his laurels, days after winning the Cup, Shero would visit the Soviet Union. Fred initially met Antoli Tarasov in 1961 and wanted to
meet him again to study the Russian's training techniques. He became the first to advocate adopting Russian techniques in the NHL.
"They play a five man attack system where every player goes off and a fresh 5 man unit goes on. I've done this with the Flyers, but there are
cases where I'll go with Clarke in critical situations" Shero's team improved and defeated the Buffalo Sabres for their second straight Stanley Cup that season.
Before the win, Shero had another slogan on his blackboard. "A man with a dream of pleasure can go forth and conquer a crowd and three. With a new song's measure can trample a kingdom down" In the celebration of their second Cup, Shero exclaimed, "This is better than heaven. I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I've had 3 lucky days, the day I got married, the day we won last year and last night when we won again" |
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Shero, the man, remained a mystery to his team. But his players did know that he dedicated his life to the team and to winning. For that his players committed themselves to him. Under Shero the players developed an attitude that when an opposing player challenged one, he challenged all. Shero preached hard work and courage. "Nobody on our team missed practice in two years, not even the ones injured", Shero claimed in 1975. "they don't want to miss the laughs. I don't think that you can instruct anyone unless you amuse them first" Shero realized that with professional athletes you had to keep them interested to keep them practicing. To vary things Shero would have the Flyers practice with tennis balls instead of pucks. At other times he would have them undergoing the same training exercises that NASA used to train astronauts. Not only were these techniques unique, they worked. "I've learned more in Philadelphia in three years then I would have learned anywhere else in eight, and it's all because of Fred", Bill Barber claimed. Along the way, Shero became the first coach to start a morning skate - something every NHL team now does. |
There were many aspects to Shero's philosophies. "there are 4 corners to a rink and a pit in front of the net. You have to hold your ground.
There isn't a man on the team who is afraid to go into a corner and hit someone". Every player on his team would receive 2 copies of Shero's
commandments - one for his locker the other for his wallet. His "bible" was his formula to winning : 1) Never go offside on a three on two or two on one 2) Never go backwards in your own end except on a powerplay 3) Never throw a puck out blindly from behind your opponent's net 4) Never pass diagonally across ice in your own end unless 100% certain 5) Wings on wings in neutral zone - unless intercepting a pass 6) Second man go all the way in for a rebound 7) Defense with puck at opponents' blue line - look at each teammate before shooting 8) Wing in front of opponents' net must face puck and lean on stick 9) Puck carrier over center with no room and no one to pass to must shoot puck in 10) No forward must ever turn his back on the puck 11) No player must be more than two zones away from puck 12) Never be outnumbered in defensive zone 13) On delayed penalty puck carrier must look for extra man 14) Be alert to time left on opponent's penalty |
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By 1978-79 the Shero's magic seemed to have worn off the Flyers, saying, "I've done all I can do to motivate this team" He resigned from the team on May 22, 1978 and despite saying he wasn't interested in coaching was quickly signed by the team that he thought he'd never be able to coach: the New York Rangers. Since Shero was still under contract the Flyers got a first round coach in compensation, which turned out to be Ken Linseman. Shero coached the Rangers to the Stanley Cup finals that year, beating out the Flyers along the way, eventually losing out to the Canadiens. The next year the Rangers failed to make it past the quarter finals and Shero was thinking about retiring. The Rangers' persuaded Shero to remain with a $5 million contract, but changed their mind and fired him during the 80-81 season. Shortly thereafter Shero became the radio colour analyst for the New Jersey Devils. For much of this time Fred looked for another NHL job that never came. He did take one last coaching job for Tilburg, Holland, for the 1987-88 season. |