Mike Stothers was an assistant coach with the Hershey Bears, the Philadelphia Flyers AHL affiliate, from 1992–1996. When the Flyers relocated their AHL team to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia Phantoms, Stothers went along with them, and was an assistant coach from 1996–2000. He also spent some time with the Flyers as an interim assistant coach in the 1998–1999 season, and once again in the 1999–2000 season before getting the job permanently on June 13, 2000. Stothers stayed with the Flyers through the 2001–02 season. On July 17, 2002, Stothers would leave the Flyers organization to take the head coaching job of the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL.