PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers fired general manager Ron Hextall because — to swipe a page from their glory days — he was Broad Street Bullheaded.Hextall preached patience.The Flyers want to win now.That clash of ideology turned toxic in Philadelphia’s front office Christopher Tanev Jersey , and it cost Hextall his job in his fifth season as GM. Paul Holmgren, the Flyers’ loyalist and team president, had few solid answers Tuesday as to why he made the move, other than to repeatedly call Hextall “unyielding.”Hextall’s arrival signaled a new era in Flyers history, one where short-term fixes, big-budget spending and mortgaging the farm system were no longer in vogue. He gamely tried to restock the farm system and refused to make a major trade for a star that could instantly inch the Flyers closer toward contention.And when all that got the Flyers were a pair of first-round playoff exits and a 10-11-2 record this season, Hextall got the boot.“He was unyielding in his plan and remained that way,” Holmgren said. “Good for him. He’s a well-thought out, deep-thinking guy.”The deep thoughts included packaging draft picks and prospects for All-Stars capable of carrying Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds, Jake Vorcek and James van Riemsdyk at least into May.The Flyers expect to hire a GM in weeks and he’ll have to make an urgent decision: keep or fire coach Dave Hakstol.“I hate to say Dave Hakstol’s fate is in the next GM’s hands but it is,” Holmgren said. “I’m not going to make that decision.”Hakstol, 132-97-40 in three–plus seasons, was set to coach the Flyers on Tuesday night against Ottawa.Holmgren said he never asked Hextall to fire the coach he hired with no NHL experience out of North Dakota. But Holmgren said Hextall had told him “of course, I’m thinking about it.”But Authentic Daniel Sedin Jersey , Holmgren added, “he never did it.”The Flyers did at least discuss the potential of adding Joel Quenneville after the Chicago Blackhawks fired the three-time Stanley Cup champion coach.“I can tell you his name came up right away when he was let go,” Comcast Spectacor CEO Dave Scott said. “I think Ron was set on, stay the course.”With his biggest backer gone, and the Flyers wallowing, Hakstol’s job is in serious danger.“I like Hak. I think he’s done a decent job under the circumstances he’s coached under,” Holmgren said.“Decent” isn’t exactly an encouraging vote of confidence. Hakstol has had his issues — the Flyers are last in the NHL in the penalty kill (69.7 percent) — but Hextall’s decision to enter the season with two oft-injured goalies haunted the team. The Flyers have matched a franchise-high with five goalies this season while prized prospect Carter Hart lingers in the minors.“Is he our long-term solution? I don’t know that,” Holmgren said. “I’m not prepared to answer that. That’s another topic for the next GM.”Holmgren punted about every major issue facing the Flyers to the next GM, and there are plenty of top candidates. The Flyers have about $7 million in salary cap space, and enough talent that should entice some heavy hitters for the job. Former Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi, who won two Cups and now works for the Flyers, told Holmgren he wasn’t interested. But Chuck Fletcher, Ron Francis, Sean Burke and Brian Burke are sure to pique the interest of a team eyeing its first Stanley Cup since the back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975.“What can we do now, today Womens Derek Dorsett Jersey , to make the team better now? Not two years or three years from now,” Scott said.Hextall was criticized for refusing to listen to scouts and advisers and had been accused of cutting off alumni from access to the team. Hextall, a star goalie and one of the franchise’s more popular players, had wanted his own process on his terms.“His plan was his plan and we’re really hoping for a little more openness going forward,” Scott said.Asked when the Flyers decided to shift from long-term rebuild to legitimate contention, Holmgren was blunt.“We’re in the fifth year,” Holmgren said. “That’s a long time in hockey years.”The Flyers haven’t made the Cup finals since 2010 and haven’t won a playoff round since 2012.“It’s a long time,” Scott said. “We’re gonna go for it.”The decision to dump Hextall was about dollars and cents as much as it was the state of the roster. Fan apathy is at a low, attendance is down and tickets are steeply discounted on StubHub. There is little buzz apart from the new googly-eyed mascot.What’s more, the 76ers, their fellow Wells Fargo Center tenant, have overtaken the city in popularity, with big stars and packed houses.“They were having some challenges and then (Jimmy) Butler coming certainly helps things,” Scott said.So the Flyers need their own Butler?“Couldn’t hurt, that’s for sure Auston Matthews Jersey ,” he said, laughing. Daniel Sprong is expected to get regular shifts Monday night at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, with a chance to perhaps be a difference-maker in an NHL game. Sprong, however, will be doing that as a visiting player with the Anaheim Ducks, not for the team (the Pittsburgh Penguins) that drafted him in the second round in 2015.After failing to find his footing in Pittsburgh — and apparently never gaining the trust of two different head coaches there — Sprong has fit in well so far in Anaheim. The Ducks acquired Sprong on Dec. 3 in a trade that sent defenseman Marcus Pettersson to Pittsburgh.Article continues below ...Sprong, 21, had four goals and five assists in 42 games with the Penguins, but he never cracked the lineup as a regular. He often played among the bottom-six forwards, and spent much more time back in junior hockey or in the American Hockey League, where he was prolific.The Penguins (15-11-6) have expressed satisfaction with the performance of Pettersson, who is playing regularly, and Sprong has so far made it a productive move for Anaheim (18-11-5).Sprong has three goals in five games with Anaheim — a seeing-eye tally in his first game with the Ducks while displaying a shooting skill reminiscent of Pittsburgh star center Sidney Crosby. Sprong recorded both goals Saturday in a 2-1 win at Columbus, one to tie it and one in overtime.“I think (the success is based on) the coaching staff and management giving me an opportunity to play the role I think I can play,” Sprong told Fox Sports West in pretty obvious contrast to what he experienced with the Penguins.“Playing with (Adam Henrique) and (Nick Ritchie) Connor Brown Jersey , those two guys have really been helping me out. We’re getting comfortable, and we’re creating good chances. I’m getting the looks and putting pucks in the net.”The Ducks have won four straight and 10 of their past 12 games. They have won five straight road games.“We’ve been able to grind out points when it looked grim,” Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. “We’ve found ways to score timely goals.”Pittsburgh is in the midst of a busy stretch — 11 games in 19 days leading into the NHL’s Christmas break. The club is looking to sweep a three-game homestand with a win against Anaheim before playing Wednesday at defending Stanley Cup champion and rival Washington.The Penguins have not said who will start in goal against the Ducks.Matt Murray, who helped Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, made 38 saves Saturday in a 4-3 overtime win against Los Angeles. It was his first game in nearly a month after recovering from a lower-body injury.Casey DeSmith, in filling in for Murray and before that serving as his backup, has put up better numbers this season.“I thought Matt was really good,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said of Murray’s game against the Kings. “For his first game back, after as long as he’d been out, I thought he was really sharp. I thought he got better as the game went on.”