Leights reaches to cover a puck

Homer Do’s and Doh’s: Pitkanen Trade v. Briere Signing and Pronger Trade v. Leighton Extension

Paul Holmgren became the interim General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers on October 22, 2006. That interim title was removed only weeks later on November 11. Holmgren was able to take a team that finished last in the National Hockey League, and rebuild it to make a deep run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals the very next season. Yes, some of Holmgren’s moves have been amazing, but he’s also a guy who has gotten this organization into some hot water with the salary cap and was forced to make deals that were head scratchers to say the least. If you enjoyed …

Team Hartnell's Justin Williams and Simon Gagne battle Team Richards' Steve Eminger and Cory Perry at Operation Hat Trick.

Players Giving The Fans What They Want

The blame game has been a big part of the current NHL lockout. Is the league at fault? The players? Both? Believe what you will, but one thing has been made certain: the players want to play. They miss the game and they know their fans miss it, too. Need proof? Consider the slew of pick-up and charity games that have been popping up recently. Spurred by a request from TSN’s Cabbie Richards, Mike Richards and Andrew Ladd organized an impromptu street hockey game in Winnipeg back on November 13 (similar to what Brandon Prust did in Montreal back in …

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Then and Now: David Laliberte

Ryan Callahan has played five seasons with the New York Rangers. Before the start of the 2011-2012 NHL campaign, Callahan was named the Rangers’ captain, an honor he holds at the moment as well. His first season as captain of New York was also his first 50-point year in the NHL, as he was just one goal shy of the 30-goal plateau. Not bad for a right winger who was picked 127th overall in the fourth round of the 2004 NHL Draft. The last right winger selected before Callahan came just three picks earlier, as the Philadelphia Flyers chose David …

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Trenton Update: 11/16-11/22

The Trenton Titans split their two games in Elmira against the Jackals last weekend to snap a long losing streak. The six-game losing streak that lasted three weeks, and saw five losses to the Reading Royals, has dropped the Titans to 12th in the Eastern Conference. Trenton looks to win three out of their last four with two home games this weekend against a pair of opponents who aren’t the Royals or Jackals. The Titans ended their losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Jackals last week at First Arena. After failing to score a single goal for the Kalamazoo Wings …

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Homer’s Do’s and Doh’s: Carle Trade v. Briere Signing and Pronger Extension v. Leighton Extension

Paul Holmgren became the interim General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers on October 22, 2006. That interim title was removed only weeks later on November 11. Holmgren was able to take a team that finished last in the National Hockey League, and rebuild it to make a deep run all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals the very next season. Yes, some of Holmgren’s moves have been amazing, but he’s also a guy who has gotten this organization into some hot water with the salary cap and was forced to make deals that were head scratchers to say the least. If you enjoyed …

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Then and Now: Mattias Timander

The Philadelphia Flyers acquired defenseman Mattias Timander late in January of 2004 from the New York Islanders in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. The Isles used the Flyers’ draft pick, which Philly obtained by swapping a pair of picks with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2003 draft, to draft defenseman Chris Campoli, who played in 233 games for New York before also playing for the Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal Canadiens. Of the 40 games Timander played for the Islanders’ franchise during the 2003-04 campaign, 35 were for the Isles’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport …

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Then and Now: Petr Nedved

Dennis Seidenberg has had a respectable career. He has represented his native Germany three times at the Olympics and won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011. In addition to that, Seidenberg helped the Carolina Hurricanes make a deep and unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009. The blue liner was snagged by Philly in the 2001 draft and was dealt to the Phoenix Coyotes during the first season back after the last lockout. In exchange for the 24-year-old defenseman the Flyers acquired a 34-year-old center in Petr Nedved. Philly completed the trade with Phoenix in …

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Trenton Update: 10/12-10/18

Last season, the Trenton Titans finished dead last out of the 20 teams in the ECHL with 21 wins and 52 points over 72 games. During their time at the bottom of the league last year, the squad only produced one winning streak that was three games or longer. Just three games into the 2012-13 season the Titans have already matched that total, as they sit atop the “E” with a record of 3-0-0. Six other teams in the league are undefeated, but none of those clubs have played three games yet. Head coach Vince Williams believes there are several …

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Then and Now: Jamie Fritsch

Jamie Fritsch only played one game in the NHL. Unfortunately for Philadelphia Flyers’ fans, his big break could have waited a little bit longer. Similar to this season, the Flyers played the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 playoffs, as the Pens held the fourth seed in the East and Philly finished fifth. During the 2008-2009 season, however, Philly had a hold on the fourth seed in the East going down the stretch while the Pens had to hope for a shot at home-ice advantage. Going into their final game of the season, all the Flyers needed to do was register a point …

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Then and Now: Eric Meloche

One of the most unfortunate trades for the Philadelphia Flyers in recent years was there decision to ship Patrick Sharp off to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Matt Ellison. As part of the deal the Orange and Black received the Hawks’ third-round pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, which Philly gave to the Montreal Canadiens and saw the Habs select center Ryan White, while the Flyers also gave Chicago forward Eric Meloche. Everybody knows what happened to Sharp and Ellison, but the career of Meloche isn’t as noteworthy. In the 2012-2013 season, Meloche is set to join his fourth different team in his second different …