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Then and Now: Ossi Vaananen

After playing the 2007-2008 season in the Elitserien, defenseman Ossi Vaananen returned to the NHL to play for the Philadelphia Flyers. The Finn signed a one-year contract worth $1 million for the 2008-2009 campaign. Vaananen participated in a total of 46 games for Philly. He registered nine assists and ten points overall. The blue liner also deposited his final goal in the NHL (go to :55), which came in the first period of the Flyers’ 5-4 shootout win over the Anaheim Ducks on January 2nd, 2009. The contest also featured Josh Gratton’s lone goal for the Orange and Black, as …

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Trenton Update: 10/19-10/25

The Trenton Titans suffered their first loss of the season last weekend, but they’re still ranked near the top of the ECHL standings early in the season. The Titans were able to start off the season 4-0-0 before they recorded their first loss in Cincinnati on Saturday night. Trenton hopes a pair of home games against the Toledo Walleye this weekend will allow them to gain ground in the division, conference, and league. On Friday night, the Titans walked into the Ford Center and left with a 4-3 victory over the Evansville IceMen, an affiliate for both the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets. Luke Pither’s …

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Then and Now: Lasse Kukkonen

One of the many trades Paul Holmgren made during the 2006-2007 season was one that resulted in Lasse Kukkonen coming to Philadelphia from the Chicago Blackhawks. In exchange for Kyle Calder, the Flyers acquired Kukkonen and Chicago’s third-round draft pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, with which Philly picked Garrett Klotz. After he posted five goals and nine assists in 54 games for the Hawks, Kukkonen went pointless in his first 20 regular season games for his second different NHL team. In May of 2007, Kukkonen signed a two-year contract to stay with the Flyers. The blue liner cost Philly a cap hit of $875,000 for both of the seasons …

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Then and Now: Andrew Alberts

Scott Hartnell often flirts with dirty play on the ice, but it doesn’t result in much more than trash talk or an action to irritate his opponent. Over the span of his 13-year professional career, the left winger has only been suspended once. In a game against the Boston Bruins on November 26, 2007, one of Beantown’s defensemen dropped to their knees to make a play on the puck near the boards. With the defender on his knees, Hartnell checked the blue liner which resulted in the defenseman’s head being slammed into the glass. Hartsy received a two-game suspension for his hit …

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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 …

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CBA 101: The Bonus Cushion and Bonus Overages

One aspect of the upcoming  (It is coming right? Eventually?) new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that I am particularly interested about is the concept of Bonus Cushions and Bonus Overages. I’ve seen a number of people assume that the Bonus Cushion will exist, because it has before and, well, why wouldn’t it? I’ve also seen a seemingly equal number of people that don’t believe it will be included. Cue, the mumbo jumbo Section 50.5(h): (h) Accounting for Performance Bonuses. No SPC may contain Performance Bonuses except in accordance with Section 50.2(b)(i)(C) above. For purposes of a Club’s Upper Limit and Lower Limit, as …

Pipe Down, Dan Carcillo

Blackhawks’ Carcillo still living in the past

This past weekend, the Chicago Blackhawks held their annual Convention, a weekend-long event that gives fans an opportunity to interact with players, coaches, and alumni about two months before the hockey preseason begins. Different panels featuring those affiliated with the team are hosted, and fans are able to participate, both in person and interactively via Twitter and the team’s Facebook page. Why is this of any interest to Flyers fans, you might ask? Well, our old friend Dan Carcillo — currently with the Blackhawks — had some choice words for his former team. When speaking of the 2010 Stanley Cup …

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Then and Now: Kyle Greentree

Kyle Greentree has played in 373 AHL games, but has only taken part in four NHL games. Two of his four games in the NHL were with the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2007-2008 season. Although he has yet to register a point in the NHL, Greentree has four 20-goal seasons in the AHL. After his third season at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Greentree joined the Philadelphia Phantoms for the end of the 2006-07 season. The left winger deposited two goals in eight games, as he scored in back-to-back contests. Greentree’s presence on the team didn’t matter much, as Philadelphia …

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Then and Now: Josh Gratton

Tim Ramholt never played a game for the Philadelphia Flyers. In fact, the only NHL game Ramholt ever took part in was as a member of the Calgary Flames in the club’s  4-1 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks on November 29, 2007. In the 2008-09 season, Ramholt was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization, taking part in seven games for the Philadelphia Phantoms before being shipped to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Chris Gratton’s cousin, winger Josh Gratton. Potting two goals and three assists in seven contests to start that season with the Milwaukee Admirals, Gratton split time between …

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Then and Now: Matt Ellison

In the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games for their first title in 49 years. The team from The Second City had nine players record at least 10 points in their 22-game playoff run. One of those players was forward Patrick Sharp, who tied Dustin Byfuglien for a team-high 11 goals and finished third in points behind Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Sharp used to be a member of the Philadelphia Flyers until December of 2005, when he and Eric Meloche were traded to the Blackhawks for Matt Ellison and …

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