Bill Meltzer Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSS
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QUICK HITS: JUNE 7, 2018
1) Swedish forward Isac Lundeström is one of the safer candidates for selection in the range of the 14th to 20th picks of the first round of the 2018 Draft.
Lundeström is already a regular in the SHL for Luleå HF and has been for two full seasons. He plays a mature and well-rounded game with good playmaking ability. At the World Junior Championships for silver medalist Sweden, he played a consistent all-around game and is the type of player in whom most coaches are quick to gain trust because of his reliability without the puck as well as his smarts with the puck. He can find an open teammate to create a scoring chance or can put the puck to soft ice to make for a forechecking opportunity rather than a potential turnover by forcing a low-percentage play.
While he is not a swing-for-the-fences talent, he would likely be a first-round pick even in a year that is a bit deeper in centers than the 2018 Draft.
2) Congratulations to the Flyers PR team for winning the 2018 Dick Dillman Award, presented annually by the PHWA to honor the work of outstanding NHL public relations staffs in each conference. The Western Conference winner is the Dallas Stars.
Both PR teams are eminently deserving as they are -- by a country mile -- the top two in the NHL, year after year. I've dealt with the Stars staff periodically over the years, and they've always been great, especially Ben Fromstein.
I know the Flyers guys better and, for the last two seasons (and again for next season) will be working closely with them as a contracted contributing content provider for the organization.
Zack Hill, the Flyers longtime senior director of communications, has upheld the almost impossibly high standard set for many, many years by Joe Kadlec.
Even in the most stressful and pressure-packed situations, Zack remains calm. He puts out information in the most timely manner possible, while remaining equally sensitive to the deadlines that the media members work against and the availability of those working in management as well as the players and coaches. It’s a delicate and extremely difficult balancing act, but Zack makes it look easy. He knows when it’s time to be serious but also has a knack for breaking up down time or stress with a joke or anecdote.
Zack's chief lieutenants are Joe Siville (director of public relations), Brian Smith (manager of Broadcasting and Media Services) and Ryan McDonald (video coordinator).
Joe is the guy I work with the most closely on a week-to-week basis, planning content for the Flyers official website. I always enjoy our interactions on article topic ideas. Joe also wears a lot of other hats in addition to managing the website, including press conference duties and writing press releases.
Brian is the one who delivers statistical/ historical data upon request by the media, handles the credentialing, puts together the daily collection of Flyers-related news, and is the de facto manager of the Flyers 24/7 Radio station. Brian and I cohost the FlyerBuzz podcast on Flyers Radio 24/7 and it is always a pleasure to record a new installment.
I haven't known Ryan nearly as long as the other guys. However, this season, I saw that he does a great job at assembling video segments and compiling related footage.
3) Today in Flyers History: June 7, 1995
In Game 3 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Final, the Flyers trailed 2-1 until the latter stages of the third period when Rod Brind'Amour knotted the score. At 4:19 of overtime, Eric Lindros took a cross-ice pass from Mikael Renberg and wired a shot from just above the circle past Martin Brodeur to cut the Flyers' series deficit to two games to one.
The game was tied at 1-1 after the first period after Kevin Dineen quickly responded to a Claude Lemieux goal. Randy McKay restored a one-goal lead for the Devils at 2:53 of the second period, setting the stage for the Flyers’ dramatic late comeback victory. Winning goalie Ron Hextall stopped 31 of 33 New Jersey shots while Martin Brodeur turned back 22 of 25 Flyers’ shots.
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CHARITY CLASSIC: WIN A TREK BIKE, FLYERS TICKETS, JERSEY OR MEMORABILIA
Trek Bicycles has signed on as the official bike sponsor of the 2018 Toyota Flyers Charity Classic. The captain of the Ides of Marsh team, Brad Marsh, will be giving away a free brand new Trek FX2 bike to a member of the team via a random drawing. All Ides of Marsh team members are automatically eligible to win. In total, there will be five prizes given away, including Flyers tickets, jerseys and memorabilia.
Here is how it works: Everyone who is currently registered for the Ides of Marsh will be entered into the draw. Likewise, everyone who registers prior to July 6 will also be registered in the draw, and anyone who refers new registrants will receive an additional per-person entry for the prizes with no limit.
Deadline for entries is July 6 at midnight. Another incentive: When registering as an Ides of Marsh member, use promo code IDESOFMARSH and you will receive a $10 discount off of your registration fee. To register, click here.
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