The sole reason for this petition is to mobilize the Flyers fanbase and send a message to the Flyers organization. That message is that Head Coach John Stevens has had enough time to hone his coaching skills and mold this Flyers hockey team into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Instead, inconsistencies continue to plague Stevens and his players. And we're not talking about big name players going in and out of the lineup with injuries. We're talking about just about the entire squad falling asleep for 1-2 periods at a time, and then suddenly waking up in time to muster a late 3rd period effort that still falls short. They are the same issues from 2-3 years ago that still haven't been addressed, and they are reasons why this Flyers hockey team will not be able to contend with the NHL elites like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have been desimated by injuries all year long, yet still are sitting atop the Eastern Conference. It's called a "60 minute effort", and Stevens has yet to show that he can get that concept across to his team. So, we are calling for a change in leadership behind the bench, and not just by shifting Stevens out and Assistant Coach Craig Berube into the job. There are plenty of top tier coaching talents currently available, including Peter Laviolette, Bob Hartley, and Pat Burns...all of whom have a Stanley Cup on their resumes. And it is important to note that this is not a personal attack on Stevens. He is almost certainly a good guy overall and may make the leap into a Cup-caliber coach one day. But for the Flyers, the time is NOW. The roster is as deep as its ever been, and this may be the Flyers' best chance at a championship in a generation. It can't be squandered because the coach is experiencing growing pains.

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