You may recall, late last season, we picked up on an occasional series that Canada’s TSN ran featuring recently-retired ref Kerry Fraser fielding questions from the public and offering his take on various issues. It’s our pleasure to bring it back for another season. ********************************************************************** Hi Kerry, On two occasions this past weekend, I saw two different players drop the gloves, throw some punches and on one occasion (Malkin) lose his jersey in the process. In both of these cases, the players were assessed roughing penalties. What weighs in the ref’s decision to not call a fighting major or to …
Philadelphia Flyers 2011-12 season preview
Perpetual winners but constantly in a state of flux, the Philadelphia Flyers of 2010-11 followed up a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Finals with an equally perplexing 11-game playoff course which ended in a four-game sweep to the Boston Bruins. Cue the massive moves necessary to alter team chemistry. Peter Laviolette, who is entering his second full season and third year at the helm, is again tasked with bringing order to the chaos — much like he did when he stepped in for John Stevens in December of 2009. Unlike in previous years, the pressure to turn things around …
Sestito suspended four games
The National Hockey League once again made its punitive presence known to the Philadelphia Flyers, as forward Tom Sestito has been told to sit out for the remainder of the preseason (two games) and two additional regular-season games. It was not an unexpected move, as the fiery bottom-six winger, who was fighting for a roster spot (somewhat literally) even posted a message on his Twitter account earlier in the day saying he was fortunate to not have the book thrown at him as a repeat offender. Sestito, who has apparently been waived by the Flyers on Wednesday, was banned due …
Campbell issues statement on Flyers-Rangers flap; Simmonds, Avery unpunished
It was only a matter of time, that the maelstrom of reaction from all sides today, crossed with some very stern words from GLAAD, caused a lengthy response from the National Hockey League. NHL discipline czar Emeritus, Colin Campbell, issued a statement this evening regarding an incident during Monday night’s preseason contest between Rangers forward Sean Avery (Caucasian-Canadian) and Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds (African-Canadian). Allegedly, anti-gay and racial slurs were exchanged in heated discussions between both players. Campbell’s statement said the league has looked into the allegations but has not been able to substantiate what was said and by whom. …
Mair, Nylander gone; Hartnell to have heart tests
Farewell to Adam Mair and Michael Nylander, as both players were released from their tryout contracts on Sunday. The club’s current contract situation, already crowded and up against the limit, was a significant factor in the decision — as was the fact that neither player really meshed well in limited action. One nugget that made us sit up and take notice came when Scott Hartnell was limited to just over nine minutes of ice time in Friday’s preseason win over Detroit. Well, it wasn’t due to poor play, or a different line rotation. Apparently, Hartnell had an elevated heart rate …
Jagr scores, Flyers beat Red Wings
Jaromir Jagr recorded his first goal in his return to the NHL, and the Philadelphia Flyers posted a 3-1 decision over Detroit in an exhibition contest at Joe Louis Arena. Jagr, late of the New York Rangers who left for the Kontinental Hockey League’s Avangard Omsk in 2008, lit the lamp with 1:52 remaining in the first period to give the Orange and Black a 2-1 edge. James van Riemsdyk and Matt Read also tallied for the Flyers, who dropped the opener of the back-to-back contests on Thursday by a 4-3 count. That game, contested at the John Labatt Centre …
Simmonds statement on banana incident
On Friday morning, Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds issued a statement regarding an incident in Thursday night’s preseason game in London, Ontario. During Detroit’s 4-3 shootout victory, an unidentified fan at the John Labatt Centre threw a banana on the ice in Simmonds’ direction while he was attempting a shot in the round. “It was unfortunate that this incident happened but I am above this sort of stuff. This is something that is out of my control. Moving forward, this incident is something I will no longer comment on so I can just focus on playing hockey for the Philadelphia Flyers.” …
NHL comes down hard on Shelley
While it wasn’t the first test for new NHL discipline czar/vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan, it was the one where he showed his mettle. On Thursday evening, Philadelphia Flyers forward Jody Shelley was suspended for the remainder of the preseason and the first five games of the regular season for his questionable hit on Toronto’s Derek Boyce during the second period of Wednesday’s 4-2 preseason loss. It was a ruling based on the new protocols surrounding Rule 48, which aims to penalize the severity of the impact of boarding infractions, rather than the bodily location of the hit. Shelley …
2012 Winter Classic video
and I quote Glen Quagmire: “Allllllriiight” The NHL’s worst-kept secret is about to be revealed during a Monday afternoon press conference at Citizens Bank Park…so says an NHL.com story and a press released sent out by the Phillies this afternoon. Unless it’s to say that several high-ranking members of the organization are actually aliens from the race of ancient-Egyptian-looking gods from the original Stargate movie, we’re finally getting confirmation of the 2012 Winter Classic.
Thoughts on the preseason opener, brotherhood
As the Philadelphia Flyers began their 2011-12 preseason on Tuesday night with a 4-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, it got me thinking about the close-knit nature of the sport in direct contrast to its international reach. Despite a pool of talent now stretching from Kelowna to Kazakhstan, some things never change. Skating for the Flyers, Blake Kessel and Brayden Schenn. Skating for the Leafs, Phil Kessel and Luke Schenn. Thus, a rivalry was born. Or is it? When I started watching the NHL, back in 1985, its population was almost totally homogeneous: White North Americans made up roughly 95 percent …