Chris Pronger has been tabbed the 18th captain in franchise history. The Flyers made the decision official on Friday night, ending almost three months of speculation as to who will wear the “C” following the trade of Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings. It will be the third time that the native of Dryden, Ontario will be officially required to handle team business, after previous captaincies with St. Louis (1997-2003) and Anaheim (2007-08). He’s the fifth defenseman in Philadelphia history to earn the letter, after Ed Van Impe (1968-73), Eric Desjardins (2000-01), Derian Hatcher (2005-06) and Jason Smith (2007-08). …
Then and Now: Janne Niinimaa
What do Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, and Janne Niinimaa all have in common? They were all drafted in the 1993 NHL Entry draft. How many were drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers? Only Janne Niinimaa. Pronger went second, to the Hartford Whalers, while Timonen could be considered the hidden gem of the draft going 250nd to the Los Angeles Kings. Well, we know what Pronger and Timonen are doing with their careers now, but what about Niinimaa? Before the aforementioned question is answered, let us remember Niinimaa’s brief time spent in Philly. Spending three seasons with Jokerit in the SM-liiga after …
Vokoun and Flyers already linked
With all this talk about Tomas Vokoun possibly being the best value for a goaltender upgrade for a potential Flyers’ Stanley Cup run, I thought I’d return to my role as Flyers Faithful historian and tell you how the current Florida Panthers goaltender and the Orange and Black are already linked. On February 6, 1997 — 14 years ago tonight — the Montreal Canadiens came to the CoreStates Center for what figured to be a routine mid-season tilt between two Eastern Conference clubs headed for playoff berths. At this point, since the franchise-altering Mark Recchi-for-LeClair-Desjardins-Dionne deal was consummated almost two years …
Flyers’ best defense still needs more offense
It’s mid-January. The Philadelphia Flyers are in first place in the Atlantic Division and tops in the Eastern Conference, and are challenging for the best overall record in the NHL. The Devils are struggling to rise above the flames of their own personal Hades. The Islanders are sinking. The Rangers are good but not good enough, gasping for air and cramping up in the 21st mile. The Penguins are still hanging about in the rear view, still furiously waddling and flapping but unable to take off. Doesn’t matter though. Things can’t be totally perfect. I know it’s really nitpicking at this …
Five Reasons I Love the Flyers: Matt B
Matt B is a diehard Flyers Fan and blogger from New Jersey. He runs the funny Flyers blog, Down Goes Spezza. He can also spews his comedic talents on Twitter as well. He has provided us with his five reasons he loves the Flyers. 1. The Legion of Doom I’m turning 22 during the first week of the 2010-2011 campaign making me far too young to remember the days of the original Broad St. Bullies, but I grew up with these guys. My first memories as a kid of hockey involved watching the Legion of Doom destroy everything during the …
Flyers’ bottom five games in new buildings
To celebrate the fact that the Penguins will open up the new CONSOL Energy Center tonight by welcoming the Flyers, I’ve decided to dip into the history machine again and pull out what I think are the five best and worst games the club has played in new arenas. Yesterday’s post featured the best game. Today, I write about bottom five games. 1. December 6, 1992 – Senators 3, Flyers 2 @ Ottawa Civic Center Pelle Eklund and Claude Boivin scored for the Flyers but the story was that a club in the middle of their five-year playoff drought brought …
Flyers’ top five games in new buildings
To celebrate the fact that the Penguins will open up the new CONSOL Energy Center on Thursday by welcoming the Flyers, I’ve decided to dip into the history machine again and pull out what I think are the five best and worst games the club has played in new arenas. Today’s post will feature the best game. The worst games will be published tomorrow. 1. February 3, 1996 – Flyers 7, Blues 3 @ Kiel Center The bad news was that feared sniper Brett Hull scored the first and last goals of the game. The good news was how Philly …