Bill Meltzer Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSS
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QUICK HITS: JUNE 4, 2018
1) Every year in the NHL Draft, there are players who fly under the radar and are much more highly regarded within certain scouting circles than their modest Central Scouting, ISS or THN rankings would suggest.
Last year, one such player was Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds center Morgan Frost. Many of the mainstream outlets ranked him in the mid-second round draft range before the Flyers took him with the 27th overall pick. This season, Frost was the first runner-up for the Ontario Hockey League most valuable player award as he racked up 112 points in the regular season and an additional 29 points in the playoffs.
This year, a player to watch as the Draft approaches -- not necessarily from a Flyers standpoint, but in terms of upward mobility in the Draft and then in the season(s) to follow -- is Swedish forward Jonatan Berggren. The leading scorer across the Swedish junior hockey ranks with the Skellefteå AIK J20 team (57 points in 38 games), Berggren was also dominant at the Under-18 World Championships (five goals, 10 points in 7 games) for bronze medal winning Team Sweden. He dressed in 10 regular season games and two playoff matches at the SHL level for Skellefteå, receiving very limited ice time in most of his appearances.
Berggren stands only about 5-foot-10 but is deceptively strong at 185 pounds with a powerful lower body and utterly fearless about venturing into the "greasy" areas of the ice. He is an excellent skater who can push the pace and keep the puck on his stick. The teenager is good at shielding the puck and cutting across the circle into the slot. He is a good passer but also willing to shoot the puck. Berggren's shot isn't overpowering by any means but it is accurate and released quickly.
At the North American pro level, he'd had some adjustments to make to find the soft areas of the ice -- which has also been the case in his limited SHL action so far -- but it should not be a huge concern for the long-term because his game suggests a high hockey IQ. He'll figure it out, although he will probably need a few more seasons -- perhaps two in the SHL and at least half a year in the AHL -- to be NHL ready.
Long term, he stands an above-average chance of being one of those "little guys who plays big" but also has the speed one would hope to see from a smaller player. McKeen's (who ranked him 28th) described him as a player, who "with a little bit more physical development", could be a 30-goal scorer in the NHL. I would agree with this assessment. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I like his chances of doing so better than some players who are generally ranked ahead of him in many of the outlets, such as Martin Kaut, Rasmus Kupari and Serron Noel.
As of now, most of the prognostications for Berggren's eventual draft spot are late in the first round or early in the 2nd -- a bump up from where he was projected midseason, and likely a product of his big showing at the U18s. However, his game is such that he is a viable selection candidate from the middle of the first round onward.
2) Today in Flyers History: One June 4, 2010, after winning Game Three of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final in overtime, the Philadelphia Flyers made an early statement in Game Four that they were driven to send the series back to Chicago knotted at two games apiece. The message came through loud and clear with a 5-3 victory.
3) June 4 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Derian Hatcher (1972), Len Barrie (1969), Brandon Manning (1990).
4) A few weeks ago, the Flyers signed 2015 fifth-round pick David Kase to an entry-level contract. With the 2018 NHL Scouting Combine taking place in Buffalo, it harkened back to Kase's experiences at the 2015 Combine in the same locale. He fared very poorly in the physical testing -- not a surprise because he was one of the smallest and physically immature attendees -- but he impressed the Flyers by his dogged determination to complete every test.
Kase's persistence at the Combine underscored his same competitiveness on the ice. Now he's under NHL Entry Level contract whereas many of the players who outdid him in the bench press, vertical jump. etc. It's a case study in why there's more than meets the eye to the Combine, and why the physical test scores should not be the main takeaway.
5) The first offseason edition of the FlyerBuzz podcast on Flyers Radio 24/7 is now available for online listening or download.
Our first offseason episode of FlyerBuzz is now available! @bsmithflyers and @billmeltzer discuss the CHL and AHL playoffs and who's best positioned themselves for career advancement heading into training camp. Check it out! https://t.co/F2OTOfOduv
— Flyers Radio 24/7 (@FlyersRadio247) June 2, 2018
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2018 Flyers Charity Classic
The 2nd annual Flyers Charity Classic will take place on July 15, 2015. There have been some changes this year -- new bike routes, staggered start times, the creation of a Flyers Alumni Team, more entertainment and Fanfest activities, etc. -- but the basic setup is the same. As with last year, the event is sponsored by Toyota.
The Charity Classic is a city-wide event incorporating a 5k walk/run through the Philadelphia Navy Yard, a 10-mile family bike ride through the Navy Yard and FDR Park, and two bike rides – a 50K and a 100K – spanning the sights and sounds of Broad Street, through historic Valley Forge Park leading back through MLK Drive to the Wells Fargo Center Complex.
In addition to the Classic, families of participants and fans alike will have all-day access to the Flyers Fan Fest: family-friendly outdoor games, inflatables, street hockey, food and more. After-party live entertainment will be provided by Chico's Vibe.
The biggest participating team last year, both in terms of number of participants and funds raised, was the Ides of Marsh, captained by Brad Marsh. An avid long-distance cyclist, Brad and members of his family will be doing the 100k bike ride again this year. However, there will be team members taking part in all of the different events and everyone will be together later in the day for the after-party.
Last year, I did the 5k walk/run as an Ides of Marsh member and, thanks to the generosity of my HockeyBuzz readers, family members and friends, raised $425. I also lost weight over the summer getting ready for it. This year, my wife is also planning to take part with me in the family 5k, and our goal is raise money than last year as well as to lower my 5k finish time from last year (although the events are strictly for enjoyment, not a competition).
The Flyers Alumni Team, as with the Ides of Marsh, is open to the public to join and there will be able opportunity for fans to interact with their favorite Alumni during the day, even if they participate in a different event.
With more names to come, the confirmed participating Flyers Alumni Team members to date are as follows: Danny Briere (family 5k walk/run), Terry Carkner (family 10-mile bike ride), Bob Clarke (5k walk/run), Doug Crossman (5k walk/run), Paul Holmgren (100 k bike ride), Kerry Huffman (5k walk/run), Joe Kadlec (5k walk/run), Bob "the Hound" Kelly (5k walk/run), Ian Laperriere (100k bike ride), Neil Little (family 10-mile bike ride), Jim McCrossin (100k bike ride), Bernie Parent (family 10-mile bike ride), Dave "the Hammer" Schultz (5k walk/run) and Joe Watson (family 10-mile bike ride). Chris Therien (5k) is organizing a team within the Alumni Team called Bundy's Chariot of Flyers.
Fans can also sign up for a team captained by Flyers Hall of Fame inductee Brian Propp. Brian's group is called Team Guffaw.
All proceeds raised from registrations and team fundraising benefit Flyers Charities and the Flyers Alumni Association and the various non-profit organizations they support throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. The Flyers Alumni component will be donated toward the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation's goal to build a new rink in the Delaware Valley for use by the Snider Hockey kids.
In terms of individual fundraising, there is an escalating scale of rewards offered:
$50 – Flyers ball cap.
$200 – pair of upper of level tickets to a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game for the 2018/19 season + Flyers ball cap.
$400 – pair of lower level tickets to a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game for the 2018/19 season + Flyers ball cap.
$1,000 – pair of Flyers tickets in the Alumni Party Suite, a Flyers jersey autographed by the Flyers Alumni + Flyers Ball Cap.
The game tickets will be for a mutually agreed upon Philadelphia Flyers home game in October of the 2018/19 season.
There is also a team fundraising incentive component, with Flyers Charities offering donations to a charity of the participating team's choice. More information is available here.
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