RE-SIGNING VORACEK WAS A NO-BRAINER FOR FLYERS
When the Flyers had their locker clean-out day and series of press conferences at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, NJ, back in August, there was only one Flyers player for whom the assembled media stood up and formed a handshake line of sorts when his session was finished. That player was
Jakub Voracek.
One by one, Voracek exchanged well-wishes for the summer and referred to each person by name as he shook hands. It was a small gesture on both sides but one that showed how highly respected -- and why -- Voracek has become not only for his stellar play on the ice the last few seasons but for his unaffected and vibrant personality.
Over the course of the last year in particular, Voracek has not only continued to grow his game on the ice but has emerged as a team spokesman and leader by example. He arrived at training camp in the best shape of his career -- lighter, quicker and ready to get right down to business. He had a spectacular first half of the season and gave his all in each and every game right down to the bitter end. Even during the stretches of the second half where points became much harder to come by, Voracek never failed due to lack of effort.
Dealing with Voracek in the locker room is almost always a pleasure. He is funny, engaging and honest to a fault. He makes no excuses, dodges no tough questions with platitudes. There are also things he simply will not do -- throw a teammate or a coach under the bus, divulge anything about what gets said behind closed doors or on the bench -- but that is the mark of a good team player.
Throughout the course of the season, whenever he was asked about the Art Ross Trophy race -- which he led for much of the campaign but ultimately did not win -- Voracek always steered the conversation back to how the team was playing at the time. He would look reporters straight in the eyes and say that the Art Ross Trophy was meaningless to him unless it helped the team get into the playoffs.
It wasn't a platitude or false modesty. When very few outside the dressing room believed the 2014-15 Flyers had a prayer at a playoff spot -- and it seemed like some even within the room were rapidly losing hope -- Voracek did everything in his power to try to help turn the club's fortunes around. If anything, he started to take a little too much on his shoulders in the second half of the season. When he and
Claude Giroux endured a collective slump at even strength, it gnawed at the Czech star that he felt like he could do more.
In many cases, there is an invisible wall of sorts between players, the media and fans. No such wall exists with Voracek, no matter how much money he makes. He only knows how to be himself -- he's not filtered, suspicious or guarded -- and that is why people gravitate toward him.
Voracek frequently says genially profane or otherwise off-color things, especially when making small talk but sometimes also when the cameras are rolling and the microphones and tape records are turned on. The f-word is tossed off regularly and casually in his vocabulary, such as in Thursday's media conference call when he reported that he was playing golf when he learned about the Flyers and agent
Petr Svoboda coming to terms on an eight-year contract extension. Voracek reported that the news f-ed up his golf game.
On the flip side, Voracek is incredible around children, especially ones with special needs. In a lot of ways, he's still just a big kid at heart. He is comfortable around just about anyone and puts others at ease. It's always fun to watch him around kids who are star-struck at first and, within minutes, he has them laughing and talking about this, that and the other thing.
There were several occasions last season when Voracek's post-game media availability was delayed by lengthy periods of time -- at least 20 to 30 minutes -- because he was spending time with the kids from his charitable endeavor, "Voracek's Vault." Once a month, Voracek spends of his own money to rent out a suite at a Flyers game to host kids ranging from cancer patients at St. Christopher’s Children’s Hospital to a group of children with juvenile diabetes.
During Thursday's conference call, Flyers general manager
Ron Hextall said that the "Jake Voraceks of the world are few and few between," which is why he had no hesitation to commit eight years and $66 million beyond next season to keeping Voracek in a Flyers uniform.
The GM was referring not only to the on-ice component of what Voracek brings to the organization -- although that, of course, is the most important part -- but also to the total package of his value to the team in the dressing room and to representing the organization in the community. Voracek is pretty much one-of-a-kind but there are aspects of his personality that are reminiscent of
Danny Briere and
Pelle Lindbergh.
Voracek's contract extension was good news not only for the player himself and for the team but for those around the team as well. He is the type player that a team needs to go the extra mile - or in the case of new head coach
Dave Hakstol, an extra 4,000 miles -- to show that his contributions are valued.
As has been much reported the last few days, Hakstol flew to Prague in June on a one-day trip specifically to meet face-to-face with Voracek. If that does not speak volumes to how central the new coach considers Voracek to obtaining team-wide buy-in for Hakstol's short-term and long-term goals for the team, I don't know what does.
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RUMOR: ZEPP HEADING BACK TO DEL
With the Arizona Coyotes having signed Red Bull München goaltender
Niklas Truetle to a one-year entry-level contract and former Flyers/Phantoms goalie
Rob Zepp still a free agent as of the end of July, it was almost inevitable that rumors would swirl that Zepp may return to the DEL.
Sure enough, German site
Hockey News reported yesterday that Red Bull may be courting Zepp to return to the German league. As a member of Eisbären Berlin, the Canadian-born and raised Zepp won five DEL championships and also became a regular member of the German national team.
While Zepp played well enough last season to earn serious consideration at least as the number three goaltender on an NHL depth chart (i.e., the AHL/NHL swingman role he played last season for the Flyers), for whatever reason there has not been a deal forthcoming to date with an NHL organization. At bare minimum, he is a fine AHL starter and a mentor for younger goaltenders.
For example, after the Flyers elected to sign
Jason LaBarbera to replace Zepp, I had thought the Dallas Stars might be an ideal fit for Zepp. He could work in tandem with
Jack Campbell (who is still trying to hit his stride at the pro level) for the AHL's Texas Stars while also providing quality veteran insurance behind
Kari Lehtonen and
Antti Niemi at the NHL level. The fact that Dallas recently hired
Jeff Reese as the goaltending coach -- someone who enjoyed working last season with Zepp and vice versa -- was also something I thought might play in Zepp's favor.
Now that August has rolled around and Zepp remains unsigned, I would think a return to the DEL might be a more attractive option if there is no NHL swingman opportunity for him. Wherever he lands, he will make a good living and continue to receive a lot of playing time either in the AHL or a European league. Last but not least, no one can take away the way he belatedly lived out his dream of reaching the NHL no matter how long it took.
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TODAY IN FLYERS HISTORY FROM FlyersAlumni.org
1970: The Flyers sell the contract of
Claude Laforge to Denver of the WHL.
1977: The Flyers sign diminutive Bowdoin College standout forward
Alan Quinlan as a free agent.
1990: The Flyers sign
Mark Freer,
Tony Horacek,
Brian Dobbin and
Dale Kushner.
1995: The Flyers agree to terms on a new contract for goaltender
Dominic Roussel. On the same day, the organization signs
Todd Nelson as a free agent.
2000: The Flyers sign defenseman
Joe DiPenta as a free agent to a two-way contract.
Flyers Alum Birthday
Small and acrobatic goaltender
Wendell Young, who served as the Flyers backup goaltender during portions of the 1987-88 season, was born in Halifax, NS, on August 1, 1963.
On Aug. 31, 1987, the Flyers acquired Young and a 1990 third-round pick (
Kimbi Daniels) in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks for backup goaltender
Darren Jensen and defenseman
Daryl Stanley. Young appeared in six games for the Flyers during the 1987-88 campaign (3-2-0 record, 3.75 GAA, .866 save percentage).
The Flyers traded Young to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept 1, 1988 in exchange for a 1990 third-round pick (
Chris Therien). The Flyers also included a 1990 seventh-round draft pick (
Mika Valila) in the deal.
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FLYERS ALUMNI FANTASY HOCKEY CAMP
The Flyers Alumni will host a fantasy hockey camp from August 21-24 in Atlantic City, open to anyone age 21 and older. Instructors and Alumni participants will include
Bernie Parent,
Brian Propp,
Ian Laperriere,
Todd Fedoruk,
Andre "Moose" Dupont,
Dave "the Hammer" Schultz,
Joe Watson and
Bob "the Hound" Kelly.
Participation costs $3,000 apiece and you can
register a spot online. Over on the Flyers' Alumni website, there is
more information on camp-related activities and on-ice schedules.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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