While us penguins continue to wilt in the usual Northeastern Summer heat, pining for the days when a cool iceberg awaits our collectively scorched behinds, thoughts about the upcoming (and too far off) season still seep their way into our Sun-addled brains. This is the first in a five-part series which intends to examine the ways the Flyers front office, though publicly professing to want to win the Cup by any means necessary, just ends up conducting business as usual year in and year out. It could have been said any time over the last 25 years: At the end of the painful …
Flyers preseason schedule revealed
The Philadelphia Flyers announced their 2011-12 preseason schedule on Monday. Included is a return to the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. DATE OPPONENT ARENA TIME Tue., Sept. 20 @ Toronto Air Canada Centre TBD Wed., Sept. 21 vs. Toronto Wells Fargo Center 7 p.m. Thu., Sept 22 vs. Detroit John Labatt Centre TBD Fri., Sept 23 @ Detroit Joe Louis Arena TBD Mon., Sept 26 vs. NY Rangers Wells Fargo Center 7 p.m. Thu., Sept 29 vs. New Jersey Wells Fargo Center 7 p.m. Quoth Peter Luukko: “London truly is our home away from home. The fan support in …
Renewing the case for Tim Kerr
With the recent announcement that former Flyers defenseman Mark Howe will be among the class enshrined this coming November into the Hockey Hall of Fame, it’s a given that thoughts will turn to other members of those 1980s teams who might deserve a shot at immortality. One such overlooked player is Tim Kerr, an oak of a man who patrolled the area around the crease and left defenders and goaltenders alike struggling for ways to stop him during the latter half of the decade. Below is a dressed-up re-print of a column I wrote for The Phanatic Magazine back in …
Another One Bites the Dust
Once again, a minor-league hockey club within getaway distance has decided to fold its tent. The New Jersey Devils announced on Wednesday that their ECHL affiliate in Trenton will suspend operations, starting with the 2011-12 season. A release on the team’s website said the Devils are “restructuring the organization’s player development system to be more in line with other NHL franchises.” The Trenton Devils are the only club in the ECHL, which is the next tier down from the American Hockey League, which is wholly owned by their NHL parent club. Founded as the Trenton Titans in 1999 as an …
Phantoms to switch divisions as AHL realigns
The American Hockey League took one more step towards mimicking the NHL on Tuesday, announcing a realignment plan that moves all 30 of its member clubs from four to six divisions. Adirondack, which had been placed in the eight-team East Division of the Eastern Conference last season, now moves into the newly-created Northeast Division but remains in the Eastern Conference. The Phantoms will be joined by the Albany Devils, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Springfield Falcons and the re-branded Connecticut Whale. Here is the full breakdown, thanks to the AHL’s release: Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Manchester Monarchs (LA) Portland Pirates (PHX) Providence …