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Atlantic Watch: Season Preview

After a painful 3 1/2 months, the NHL will finally return to action this weekend. That being said, the schedule is much shorter, which makes every game that much more important. If you want to make the playoffs, you most likely won’t be able to afford any losing streak of severe length. Since no games have taken place yet, let’s take a look at the Flyers’ schedule for the next week and recent news related to the team, as well as what the rest of the division has done lately. For the Flyers, several stories have occurred this week that …

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Then and Now: Adam Oates

Adam Oates entered the league quietly and left the league just the same, but the former center was rewarded for his playing career recently when he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. After he joined the Detroit Red Wings during the 1985-1986 season as an undrafted free agent out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Oates went on to finish 16th on the all-time points list with 1,420. Known as one of the game’s greatest playmakers, Oates finished sixth on the all-time NHL assists list with 1,079, which is more than Gordie Howe and Mario Lemieux. Oates was one of …

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Then and Now: Nolan Baumgartner

After the New York Islanders picked Brett Lindros ninth overall in the 1994 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals selected defenseman Nolan Baumgartner. The four players picked after the Canadian d-man were former San Jose Shark and New Jersey Devil Jeff Friesen, Wade Belak, Mattias Ohlund, and Ethan Moreau. All four of those players turned out to play more seasons in the NHL than Baumgartner, who totaled 10 years at hockey’s highest level. Baumgartner suited up for the Caps, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and the Pittsburgh Penguins before he became a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006. The blue liner signed …

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Then and Now: Lars Jonsson

The first six picks in the 2000 NHL Draft were players who played several years in the league and enjoyed either popularity or notoriety. The group of Rick DiPietro, Dany Heatley, Marian Gaborik, Rostislav Klesla, Raffi Torres, and Scott Hartnell are recognizable names across the NHL for several reasons. With the seventh overall pick in 2000, however, the Boston Bruins selected defenseman Lars Jonsson, who only played in eight NHL games. The blue liner played all his games in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, as he never suited up for the team that drafted him. Jonsson appeared in a string …

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Trenton Update: 11/23-11/29

The Trenton Titans lost two of their three games this week, as their record dropped to 7-9-1 to put them two points ahead of both the Wheeling Nailers and Evansville IceMen, who are in last place in the Eastern Conference. The Titans played both squads below them in the Eastern Conference standings this week and went 1-1-0. Despite being ranked so low in the conference a pair of wins this week can help Trenton gain ground, as they play a team that is sixth in the standings, but only four points ahead of them. The Titans’ lone win of the …

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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Homer’s Do’s and Doh’s: Richards Trade v. Carter Trade and Richards Trade v. Nodl Waiver Loss

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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Homer’s Do’s and Doh’s: Our favorite and least favorite deals under Paul Holmgren

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 …

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Then and Now: Joe Sacco

Joe Sacco played for four different teams in the NHL over 12 seasons before he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers’ organization in January of 2003. Sacco split time with the Flyers and the Philadelphia Phantoms during the 2002-2003 campaign. After producing four goals and three assists in six games in the AHL, Sacco was called up to the Flyers and spent the rest of the season in the NHL. He had a total of six points in 34 games for the Flyers with five assists along with 20 PIMs and an even plus/minus rating. The right winger’s only …

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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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