Read yesterday that defenseman Thomas Pock, jettisoned by the Rangers, found a home with the Islanders.
Also did some roster checking and found out that Doug Janik has landed a spot on the Blackhawks roster.
The funny thing about all that is, both guys pretty much had a direct route to the NHL from college while the former Hobey Baker Award winner Mike Mottau is just finally carving a niche for himself at age 30, eight years from the end of his collegiate career.
Sure, Pock is on his second team in four years and Janik is with his third organization in six, but they hadn't had to endure years in the minors, rumors about their playing style and attitude, multiple trades and a last-ditch effort to save a career with a club that prides itself on defense.
I saw a ton of hockey during my undergrad years at Boston College in the late 90's, as Hockey East rose to be recognized along with the WCHA as one of the top conferences in the sport.
Janik, while solid for Shawn Walsh and Tim Whitehead. never impressed me at all with the University of Maine. Pock, the Austrian who was converted from wing to defense, was a "star" with some abysmal UMass-Amherst teams.
Meanwhile, Mottau had the misfortune of being drafted by the New York Rangers and signed with them upon his 2000 graduation, leaving behind a spectacular four-year tenure on the Heights which unfortunately ended with a finals loss to powerhouse North Dakota.
Lost amid a club which intended to squeeze life out of all its veterans, he stewed in Hartford for years while only seeing 19 games over two years with the Blueshirts. In 2002, he was dealt to Calgary and briefly appeared before being shipped to Anaheim and spending the next year in the AHL with Cincinnati.
After stints with Worcester, Peoria and Lowell, Mottau finally got the call up to New Jersey last season. In 76 games, he posted a very quiet four goals and 17 points.
It looks like he'll make the Devils again this year, but in the meantime Pock has garnered a reputation as an able puck-carrier while Janik is lauded as a bone-crushing fifth defenseman.
As of right now, New Jersey has three former BC Eagles on its roster: Mottau, backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen and star forward Brian Gionta. It kills me to have to wish unspeakable things on them while rooting for my hometown Flyers.
Sometimes the NHL isn't fair, and the paths that lead to the ultimate goal take one down the path not wished for. Nonetheless, this might be Mottau's golden chance to recapture the spark and show his team and the rest of the league why he won college's top prize.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Curious Move in Chicago...
The Chicago Blackhawks placed goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin on waivers, according to a report in the Chicago Sun Times on Monday, the first step for the club to eventually move the veteran.
The 35-year-old Russian is the odd man out in the 'Hawks goaltending rotation, which also includes free-agent signee Cristobal Huet, Corey Crawford and the untested Antti Niemi.
After a short stint with Washington at the end of last season, Huet inked a $22.5 million deal over four years to come to Chicago.
Khabibulin was 23-20-6 with a 2.63 goals-against average and two shutouts a year ago as the Chicago starter.
He came to the Blackhawks as a blockbuster free-agent signing following the cancelled 2004-05 season on a four-year contract worth $27 million, fresh from leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup in 2004.
Over a 12-year career with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise, Tampa Bay and Chicago, Khabibulin is 274-259-17 with 58 ties, a 2.69 GAA and 38 shutouts over 636 games.
NHL clubs have 24 hours to claim him off waivers before his rights revert back to the Blackhawks.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
The Spectrum Has Its Final Day in the Sun
It's still going to be hard to believe that the Spectrum will be torn up in about nine months, but there was a pretty nice ceremony today down there. Not the fantastic blowout I think could have and should have been done, but heartfelt nonetheless.
Of the 16 men to captain the club, 12 made the trip to be honored - including current choice Mike Richards. Those who could not attend were all players from the last 10 years: Lindros (funeral), Tocchet (assistant coach with Tampa), Forsberg (previous engagement?), and Jason Smith (playing for Ottawa).
I wondered aloud to several people if the Flyers really wanted Tocchet there anyway, smeared as he was by the betting scandal which set up shop in South Jersey. I bet the organization sent out the invite a) knowing he'd be engaged with the Lightning or b) hoping he'd take the hint and maybe defer out of respect for his still tenderized reputation.
I was really shocked at how old the guys who played in the late 70's and early 80's looked. Lou Angotti held up well, and Ed Van Impe is finally showing his age. Clarkie and Barber, well, we've seen them so much, but you can tell how the years have etched themselves into their countenance. Mel Bridgman wins the "most hair on head and face award" and he's gotta be at least 50 now.
I was surprised at how good Dave Poulin looked and how much like an old craggly farmhand Ron Sutter turned out to be. The rest could have been out on the ice with the two teams.
Although I figured that the broadcast would require Coatesy to be Mr. Personality trying to interview all the former players who were watching the game, but it seemed to me that most of the guys kinda wanted him to go away.
Poulin, an educated and affable man, successful coach and now successful businessman, I thought carried off the best and most engaging interview. Kevin Dineen either desperately didn't want anyone to bother him, or he was so wrapped up in the oncoming season with the Portland Pirates, that his intense stare was nearly zombie-like. I wasn't too thrilled with Bridgman, the supposed Wharton grad and business whiz, either.
The weirdest thing came at the end of Lou Nolan's emcee responsibilities, when he asked the crowd to bow their heads and have a moment of silence for all the "fallen Flyers." In all seriousness, I was expecting the prerequisite somber music with snapshots of the departed, but all we got was about 30 seconds of silence.
They could have and should have done better by the departed. We've had some bad losses. Barry Ashbee and Pelle Lindbergh first and foremost, but also Yanick Dupre, Dmitry Tertyshny, Wayne Hillman, "Cowboy" Bill Flett, Jenny Barber and the immortal voice - Gene Hart.
I can only guess something else is in the works, otherwise I'd have to publicly state that the ceremony came up woefully short on that.
As for Monsieur Lindros and his Taped Message...A friend of mine posed the question: Nice gesture or lie?
Personally, I could never really figure out Eric's true emotions, except for the 1995 award ceremony when he pulled a Messier. There's the passionate, articulate and empathetic Lindros, and then there's the clone - which is almost like he always forced the emotion to come because that's what he thought he was supposed to do as team leader.
But now that he's been out of the league for a year, retired for 10 months, and has been out of Philly for 7 1/2 years, I say who really cares? I guess, be thankful he chose to say anything at all and move on...
The game itself was kinda strange.
It was disorientingly odd to see the Spectrum ice and boards not swallowed whole with every advertisement under the sun. It actually looked like the players were superhuman sardines busting out of the can - perhaps the biggest indicator to me just how more built the players have become and how much more padding is required to protect them since 1996.
Still, to see the upper levels un-curtained for the first time in God knows how long (and full) warmed my heart. Section 71, Row 5, Seats 3-4 1995-96. Banging on the vent doing the "Let's Go Fly-Ers! chant as a senior in high school. Legion of Doom era. Good times.
The three-goal first period and seeing Simon Gagne throw the body was great. Richards' pair of short-handed scores had a bit of poetry to them, but I wouldn't go as far as Jim Jackson's gushing of "That's what a captain does!!" after his first tally. Still, the Flyers sagged during the middle 30 minutes of the contest, letting a 3-0 lead slip to 3-2 near the end until Richards bailed them out.
Also heartening was that there was a bit more flow and a bit less reckless speed to the game, but I figure that's because it's an exhibition and nobody wants to go cuckoo. Still, can't argue with two fights early. Shows that you can have compelling hockey without having to push the pedal to the medal at all times and let the skating lanes remain open.
My one pet peeve in the whole thing was, as a uniform revisionist, it would have been a great chance to show off the new third jerseys. They brought out all the captains in what I presume to be a replica of the new design (which is a blatant nod to the Bullies past), so why not the whole club? I also would have gone for the Hurricanes (who never technically played in the Spectrum) switch back to retro road Whalers duds.
Big bonus for actually trying to put on a show and win the game for the sellout crowd. Wonder how the big club will handle playing the next generation for the final Spectrum game on October 7.
Last time the Flyers welcomed the Phantoms, I believe it was a hastily arranged event to benefit the victims of Hurrican Floyd, back in 1999. Flyers won 6-1 I think?
Of the 16 men to captain the club, 12 made the trip to be honored - including current choice Mike Richards. Those who could not attend were all players from the last 10 years: Lindros (funeral), Tocchet (assistant coach with Tampa), Forsberg (previous engagement?), and Jason Smith (playing for Ottawa).
I wondered aloud to several people if the Flyers really wanted Tocchet there anyway, smeared as he was by the betting scandal which set up shop in South Jersey. I bet the organization sent out the invite a) knowing he'd be engaged with the Lightning or b) hoping he'd take the hint and maybe defer out of respect for his still tenderized reputation.
I was really shocked at how old the guys who played in the late 70's and early 80's looked. Lou Angotti held up well, and Ed Van Impe is finally showing his age. Clarkie and Barber, well, we've seen them so much, but you can tell how the years have etched themselves into their countenance. Mel Bridgman wins the "most hair on head and face award" and he's gotta be at least 50 now.
I was surprised at how good Dave Poulin looked and how much like an old craggly farmhand Ron Sutter turned out to be. The rest could have been out on the ice with the two teams.
Although I figured that the broadcast would require Coatesy to be Mr. Personality trying to interview all the former players who were watching the game, but it seemed to me that most of the guys kinda wanted him to go away.
Poulin, an educated and affable man, successful coach and now successful businessman, I thought carried off the best and most engaging interview. Kevin Dineen either desperately didn't want anyone to bother him, or he was so wrapped up in the oncoming season with the Portland Pirates, that his intense stare was nearly zombie-like. I wasn't too thrilled with Bridgman, the supposed Wharton grad and business whiz, either.
The weirdest thing came at the end of Lou Nolan's emcee responsibilities, when he asked the crowd to bow their heads and have a moment of silence for all the "fallen Flyers." In all seriousness, I was expecting the prerequisite somber music with snapshots of the departed, but all we got was about 30 seconds of silence.
They could have and should have done better by the departed. We've had some bad losses. Barry Ashbee and Pelle Lindbergh first and foremost, but also Yanick Dupre, Dmitry Tertyshny, Wayne Hillman, "Cowboy" Bill Flett, Jenny Barber and the immortal voice - Gene Hart.
I can only guess something else is in the works, otherwise I'd have to publicly state that the ceremony came up woefully short on that.
As for Monsieur Lindros and his Taped Message...A friend of mine posed the question: Nice gesture or lie?
Personally, I could never really figure out Eric's true emotions, except for the 1995 award ceremony when he pulled a Messier. There's the passionate, articulate and empathetic Lindros, and then there's the clone - which is almost like he always forced the emotion to come because that's what he thought he was supposed to do as team leader.
But now that he's been out of the league for a year, retired for 10 months, and has been out of Philly for 7 1/2 years, I say who really cares? I guess, be thankful he chose to say anything at all and move on...
The game itself was kinda strange.
It was disorientingly odd to see the Spectrum ice and boards not swallowed whole with every advertisement under the sun. It actually looked like the players were superhuman sardines busting out of the can - perhaps the biggest indicator to me just how more built the players have become and how much more padding is required to protect them since 1996.
Still, to see the upper levels un-curtained for the first time in God knows how long (and full) warmed my heart. Section 71, Row 5, Seats 3-4 1995-96. Banging on the vent doing the "Let's Go Fly-Ers! chant as a senior in high school. Legion of Doom era. Good times.
The three-goal first period and seeing Simon Gagne throw the body was great. Richards' pair of short-handed scores had a bit of poetry to them, but I wouldn't go as far as Jim Jackson's gushing of "That's what a captain does!!" after his first tally. Still, the Flyers sagged during the middle 30 minutes of the contest, letting a 3-0 lead slip to 3-2 near the end until Richards bailed them out.
Also heartening was that there was a bit more flow and a bit less reckless speed to the game, but I figure that's because it's an exhibition and nobody wants to go cuckoo. Still, can't argue with two fights early. Shows that you can have compelling hockey without having to push the pedal to the medal at all times and let the skating lanes remain open.
My one pet peeve in the whole thing was, as a uniform revisionist, it would have been a great chance to show off the new third jerseys. They brought out all the captains in what I presume to be a replica of the new design (which is a blatant nod to the Bullies past), so why not the whole club? I also would have gone for the Hurricanes (who never technically played in the Spectrum) switch back to retro road Whalers duds.
Big bonus for actually trying to put on a show and win the game for the sellout crowd. Wonder how the big club will handle playing the next generation for the final Spectrum game on October 7.
Last time the Flyers welcomed the Phantoms, I believe it was a hastily arranged event to benefit the victims of Hurrican Floyd, back in 1999. Flyers won 6-1 I think?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Flyers win!
Back in the win column for the orange and black, in their now yearly trip to the Labatt Center in London, Ontario.
Several times on the broadcast, Chris Therien likened the Islanders to an AHL club, and they must have played like it.
We'll have to wait until tomorrow's long-awaited game against Carolina at the Spectrum to get our first televised look at the 2008-09 Flyers club.
Scores from last night are here.
Several times on the broadcast, Chris Therien likened the Islanders to an AHL club, and they must have played like it.
We'll have to wait until tomorrow's long-awaited game against Carolina at the Spectrum to get our first televised look at the 2008-09 Flyers club.
Scores from last night are here.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
So the Flyers, Um...Yeah...
The Flyers suffered their first defeat of the preseason last night, 3-1 up in Ottawa.
Great first-period performance by our club, which I guess was going for an economy of motion in the game.
Good for them, I guess? They don't need a whole lot of shots to prove themselves, even with Danny Briere in the lineup.
And lookie there...Jason Smith with two assists? Where was that last year?
Great first-period performance by our club, which I guess was going for an economy of motion in the game.
Good for them, I guess? They don't need a whole lot of shots to prove themselves, even with Danny Briere in the lineup.
And lookie there...Jason Smith with two assists? Where was that last year?
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Shoutout
To Tim Panaccio of the Inquirer for his thought provoking, and ultimately correct, assertion about the relationship between increase in goal scoring and a decrease in goaltender's padding:
HockeyBuzz
Isn't it just like the NHL, always missing the trees for the forest?
The reason goal production has gone down each of the last three years is three-fold:
A) Despite talk of opening up the game after 2005, coaches are letting defenses tighten and man-to-man play chokes off a lot of passing, puck possession and individual play.
B) Power plays are also down, and with a equal man-power increasing throughout games on average, it's tougher to score.
C) Despite all the talk about clubs going for the smaller, lighter, quicker skater to adapt to the "New NHL," a majority of draft picks in the last four drafts are over six foot, over 200 pounds and just plain take up too much room on the ice when there's 12 on the rink at any one time.
Of course, it's just like the NHL, lost in the morass of groupthink, to look at cosmetic changes rather than root causes. It's just easier that way, with 30 owners and a bumbling commissioner.
HockeyBuzz
Isn't it just like the NHL, always missing the trees for the forest?
The reason goal production has gone down each of the last three years is three-fold:
A) Despite talk of opening up the game after 2005, coaches are letting defenses tighten and man-to-man play chokes off a lot of passing, puck possession and individual play.
B) Power plays are also down, and with a equal man-power increasing throughout games on average, it's tougher to score.
C) Despite all the talk about clubs going for the smaller, lighter, quicker skater to adapt to the "New NHL," a majority of draft picks in the last four drafts are over six foot, over 200 pounds and just plain take up too much room on the ice when there's 12 on the rink at any one time.
Of course, it's just like the NHL, lost in the morass of groupthink, to look at cosmetic changes rather than root causes. It's just easier that way, with 30 owners and a bumbling commissioner.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Hockey is Upon Us
First preseason game for the Flyers underway at Wachovia Center.
Martin Biron gets the start against Kevin Weekes. No way Brodeur is going to see any action any time soon.
Simon Gagne does not dress and neither does Danny Briere, but Messrs. Carter and Richards don the uni.
Prospects Claude Giroux, Andreas Nodl, Steve Downie, Matt Clackson, Sean Curry, Jon Kalinski and Darroll Powe make their debuts.
Ossi Vaananen also dresses for his Philadelphia debut and re-introduction to North American hockey.
*************************************************************
Steve Downie scored twice, along with Richards and Scottie Upshall in the Flyers' 4-1 win.
Biron played two shutout periods while Max Ouellet made his triumphant return to the Philly nets by giving up a goal in the third.
In response to Eklund's question asking how many goals Downie will have to score before people forget about "...you know..."
It's not about goals. It's about time, and how far Downie is willing to go every minute of the remainder of his career to focus his anger and passion, to mold himself into a viable NHL player.
My bet is that, because he's not going to be anything but a high-energy third-line player with some goal-scoring ability for the balance of his playing days, those incidents will crop up any time he levels an opposing player legally and that player crumples to the ice.
He alone is responsible for the damage, and neither he nor anyone else can blame the media for framing him in an unflattering light. Only he can do what he has to do to lessen the impact of his past actions, and frankly, it will take a lot to do so.
Martin Biron gets the start against Kevin Weekes. No way Brodeur is going to see any action any time soon.
Simon Gagne does not dress and neither does Danny Briere, but Messrs. Carter and Richards don the uni.
Prospects Claude Giroux, Andreas Nodl, Steve Downie, Matt Clackson, Sean Curry, Jon Kalinski and Darroll Powe make their debuts.
Ossi Vaananen also dresses for his Philadelphia debut and re-introduction to North American hockey.
*************************************************************
Steve Downie scored twice, along with Richards and Scottie Upshall in the Flyers' 4-1 win.
Biron played two shutout periods while Max Ouellet made his triumphant return to the Philly nets by giving up a goal in the third.
In response to Eklund's question asking how many goals Downie will have to score before people forget about "...you know..."
It's not about goals. It's about time, and how far Downie is willing to go every minute of the remainder of his career to focus his anger and passion, to mold himself into a viable NHL player.
My bet is that, because he's not going to be anything but a high-energy third-line player with some goal-scoring ability for the balance of his playing days, those incidents will crop up any time he levels an opposing player legally and that player crumples to the ice.
He alone is responsible for the damage, and neither he nor anyone else can blame the media for framing him in an unflattering light. Only he can do what he has to do to lessen the impact of his past actions, and frankly, it will take a lot to do so.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Death of Print Media, Part One
This morning I clicked over to Philly.com like I do nearly every day, and on the front page about halfway down, I saw that Sam Carchidi was offering a Flyers preview for 2008-2009.
Half a second later I caught the title and my jaw dropped: "Flyers 2008-09, A to Z"
The first line? "Here is a primer for the Flyers' preseason camp, which starts today at the Skate Zone in Voorhees."
What is this, f***ing preschool?
Look, I understand that the new ownership regime and Knight-Ridder publishers want to cut down on the number of trees killed and streamline the look and bulk of their newspapers, but this is just inane.
I know by now we're not going to get a special supplement wedged in the sports section featuring all Inky staff writers giving their opinions, but let's at least have Tim Panaccio (the actual Flyers beat guy) put out a legitimate column for the season preview!
Let's be honest. An A to Z preview is something cutesy for a hockey blog where creativity is short some days and you're not getting paid a salary for your work.
It's kind of insulting to Sam, who's been here and written on a variety of subjects for almost 20 years, to have to produce the hockey version of "Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten" for hockey fans. Hey, I know Philly fans get a bad rap for their manner, but they're not simpletons.
Unlike a lot of prior content, this piece at least was accurate in spelling, grammar and information.
By the way, anyone catch the sly way Carchidi cozied up to the organ-eye-zation and did a little backhand slap to Brian Propp when praising Chris Therien?
Half a second later I caught the title and my jaw dropped: "Flyers 2008-09, A to Z"
The first line? "Here is a primer for the Flyers' preseason camp, which starts today at the Skate Zone in Voorhees."
What is this, f***ing preschool?
Look, I understand that the new ownership regime and Knight-Ridder publishers want to cut down on the number of trees killed and streamline the look and bulk of their newspapers, but this is just inane.
I know by now we're not going to get a special supplement wedged in the sports section featuring all Inky staff writers giving their opinions, but let's at least have Tim Panaccio (the actual Flyers beat guy) put out a legitimate column for the season preview!
Let's be honest. An A to Z preview is something cutesy for a hockey blog where creativity is short some days and you're not getting paid a salary for your work.
It's kind of insulting to Sam, who's been here and written on a variety of subjects for almost 20 years, to have to produce the hockey version of "Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten" for hockey fans. Hey, I know Philly fans get a bad rap for their manner, but they're not simpletons.
Unlike a lot of prior content, this piece at least was accurate in spelling, grammar and information.
By the way, anyone catch the sly way Carchidi cozied up to the organ-eye-zation and did a little backhand slap to Brian Propp when praising Chris Therien?
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hatcher on IR, Aubin signed
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed 5’11”, 180-pound goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin to a one-year contract, according to general manager Paul Holmgren.
"Jean-Sebastien is a veteran goalie with quality NHL experience,” said Holmgren. “We feel his experience, along with his ability as a goaltender, makes him an ideal fit for our organization."
"I'm happy to come to a great organization like the Flyers,” said Aubin. “I know a lot of the guys on the team. They have a lot of faith in me and it is a really good fit for me to come here.”
Aubin, 31, appeared in 19 regular season games for the Los Angeles Kings during the 2007-08 season, posting a 5-6-1 record and 3.19 goals-against average. He also appeared in 12 AHL games last season, compiling a 6-4-0 record and 2.02 GAA with the Manchester Monarchs and Portland Pirates. He had a 9-3 record and 2.30 GAA in 12 playoff games as Portland advanced to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals.
In 218 career NHL regular season games over nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins (1998-99 through 2003-04), the Toronto Maple Leafs (2005-06 and 2006-07) and the Kings (2007-08), Aubin has compiled an 80-83-16 record, 2.93 GAA and seven shutouts. He was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round (76th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren also on Thursday afternoon updated the condition of defenseman Derian Hatcher. Hatcher will begin the year on injured reserve and not be on the ice when training camp begins on Saturday.
"Derian's injury situation is something that has been talked about quite a bit this summer," Holmgren said. "He has been seen by our team doctors a number of times. Today, we are announcing that Derian will not be a player for the start of the season. He will be on the injured reserve list.
"Due to the class and character of Derian, we believe that it is important to continue to let Derian try to make his way back and we will give him as much time as he feels necessary to make a decision, if in fact, a decision is coming in terms of retirement. As of right now he still wants to play. Presently, our doctors don't believe he can. But as I stated, because we are talking about Derian Hatcher and what he has meant to our organization, we feel that allowing him this time to work his way back is the right thing to do. We will see how it goes."
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed 5’11”, 180-pound goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin to a one-year contract, according to general manager Paul Holmgren.
"Jean-Sebastien is a veteran goalie with quality NHL experience,” said Holmgren. “We feel his experience, along with his ability as a goaltender, makes him an ideal fit for our organization."
"I'm happy to come to a great organization like the Flyers,” said Aubin. “I know a lot of the guys on the team. They have a lot of faith in me and it is a really good fit for me to come here.”
Aubin, 31, appeared in 19 regular season games for the Los Angeles Kings during the 2007-08 season, posting a 5-6-1 record and 3.19 goals-against average. He also appeared in 12 AHL games last season, compiling a 6-4-0 record and 2.02 GAA with the Manchester Monarchs and Portland Pirates. He had a 9-3 record and 2.30 GAA in 12 playoff games as Portland advanced to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Finals.
In 218 career NHL regular season games over nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins (1998-99 through 2003-04), the Toronto Maple Leafs (2005-06 and 2006-07) and the Kings (2007-08), Aubin has compiled an 80-83-16 record, 2.93 GAA and seven shutouts. He was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round (76th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.
Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren also on Thursday afternoon updated the condition of defenseman Derian Hatcher. Hatcher will begin the year on injured reserve and not be on the ice when training camp begins on Saturday.
"Derian's injury situation is something that has been talked about quite a bit this summer," Holmgren said. "He has been seen by our team doctors a number of times. Today, we are announcing that Derian will not be a player for the start of the season. He will be on the injured reserve list.
"Due to the class and character of Derian, we believe that it is important to continue to let Derian try to make his way back and we will give him as much time as he feels necessary to make a decision, if in fact, a decision is coming in terms of retirement. As of right now he still wants to play. Presently, our doctors don't believe he can. But as I stated, because we are talking about Derian Hatcher and what he has meant to our organization, we feel that allowing him this time to work his way back is the right thing to do. We will see how it goes."
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Hatcher to miss camp, maybe longer
According to several sources, including the Daily News, defenseman Derian Hatcher is set to miss training camp because the knee problem which limited his playing time last year has not been solved.
Reports state that Hatcher will be placed on the long-term injured list.
Reports state that Hatcher will be placed on the long-term injured list.
Richards Gets the "C"
The Philadelphia Flyers rewarded Mike Richards on Wednesday, naming the young forward team captain.
Richards ranked third on the club with 28 goals to go with a team-leading 75 points and a plus-14 rating over 73 regular-season contests in 2007-08. He followed his best NHL campaign with seven goals and 14 points in 17 playoff games, including a penalty shot tally and a short-handed goal.
In three pro seasons, all with the Flyers, Richards has compiled 49 goals, 141 points and 193 penalty minutes in 211 games.
The 23-year-old native of Kenora, Ontario was given a mammoth 12-year contract extension during last season, a sign that the forward, an alternate captain at that time, might be groomed for a future leadership role with the club.
He became the 17th captain in franchise history and 16th man named to the post, taking over for now-departed free-agent defenseman Jason Smith, who wore the letter last year. Only franchise icon Bobby Clarke served two terms (1972-79; 1982-84).
Forward Simon Gagne and defenseman Kimmo Timonen were named alternate captains.
Gagne, heading into his ninth NHL season, missed all but 25 games last year due to post-concussion syndrome. Timonen recorded eight goals and 44 points in 80 regular-season games in his first season with the Flyers.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sinisalo
I've adopted this name as my avatar for the Flyers message boards as a sly homage to "Eklund" the mysterious uber-blogger with keen inside information who resides on hockeybuzz.com.
Nitty Sits Again
Word from the internets and the Philly news cartel that backup goaltender Antero Niittymaki will miss up to four weeks after surgery to repair another hip problem.
Why wasn't this done earlier in the Summer?
And why was Brian Boucher traded to San Jose last year? This is a prime example where his continued presence with the Phantoms could have avoided a touchy situation.
Why wasn't this done earlier in the Summer?
And why was Brian Boucher traded to San Jose last year? This is a prime example where his continued presence with the Phantoms could have avoided a touchy situation.
Where Do They Go From Here?
The start of the NHL regular season is 26 days away, and training camps for all 30 teams are set to begin later this week. It’s the perfect time to come out of hibernation for the first official Flyers post of the 2008-09 campaign.
I don’t think one can argue at the success of last season. Old-school conventional hockey wisdom says that clubs are judged on their play in a reverse fashion, from back to front.
That makes the Flyers’ trip to the Eastern Conference finals look that much better when weighed against the six-and-ten-game losing streaks they had to plod through in December and February.
It puts a shine on a fourth-place finish in the Atlantic Division and it casts the embattled head coach in a more flattering light.
It makes the contributions of Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Braydon Coburn, Randy Jones, Joffrey Lupul and the departed R.J. Umberger stand out against the spate of suspensions and mini-scandals created by questionable hits and subsequent suspensions stretching from September to January.
It’s not surprising that the Flyers, looking to go full-stop after the disastrous 2006-07 season, corrected course so quickly, and managed to shock more than a few fans, writers and higher-seeded opponents.
But does it make for a logical progression from one season to the next? Team history suggests the current edition of the
Remember the lockout-shortened 1995 season…
After five straight years out of the playoffs and a dismal 3-7-1 start, the Flyers rip off win streaks of eight and nine games, then win the
The following year, with the “Legion of Doom” line firmly entrenched, the Flyers gut out some troubles with an early injury to Lindros and inconsistent play mid-season to win the
How about 1986…
In the previous year under rookie head coach Mike Keenan, the Flyers’ marauding band of kids rocketed to the top of the NHL with a club-record 53 wins and 113 points. They took down the Rangers in three, the Islanders in five and the Nordiques in six before succumbing to key injuries and the dynastic Oilers in the finals.
That next season, a 15-2-0 start and franchise-best 13-game win streak was overshadowed by the sudden death of Pelle Lindbergh in mid-November Keenan and the team pressed on, and wound up winning 53 games again with another division title. However. the strain of the mourning process plus a suddenly-opportunistic Rangers team featuring proverbial “hot goalie” John Vanbiesbrouck overwhelmed them in a first-round defeat.
It is a 30-team league these days, with no less a shortage of playoff hopefuls looking to take down the newest club vying to become one of the NHL’s elite.
The burden of expectation now fully rests with this year’s edition of the Flyers. We will see how the lessons of last season wear on the young forward core, on the reconstituted defense, and on starting goaltender Martin Biron.
Particular scrutiny will also fall on John Stevens and his assistants, now that sage veteran Terry Murray has departed for the top spot in
On the other side, there are a deluge of positive questions which might lead one to believe the best is yet to come.
Who knows how good the Flyers could be with all cylinders firing at the same time? Granted, injuries are an everyday fact of life and almost every player will miss time.
Still, what impact will Simon Gagne have if he puts in a full season at his goal-scoring best? Or if Lupul doesn’t miss a month and a half because he avoided a hit from his teammate? Or if Danny Briere finds a consistent two-way game through the middle 40 contests? Or if the defense matures and leads as expected? Or if Stevens is able to instill a sense of urgency behind the scenes that allows the club to play a full 60 minutes without mental lapses?
It’s a telling sign that some quarters have revealed the Flyers made the best non-move in the entire Eastern Conference simply by having a presumably fully recovered Gagne at their disposal. He should more than make up for the financial decision to cut Umberger loose.
The path for the club’s ascension, in the Atlantic Division at least, has become less steep. Salary cap concerns hit the Penguins hard. The Rangers are undergoing a roster resection. The Devils did what they always do, and the Islanders look like they will be the platform upon which the other four teams raise themselves.
If the Flyers really are hungry for more, as this year’s slogan suggests, they have from the drop of the puck in the first practice through an open-ended conclusion to prove it.
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