QUICK HITS: JULY 12, 2016
1) The Flyers announced the signing yesterday of 24-year-old Russian forward Roman Lyubimov to a one-year entry-level contract. Earlier in the day, the team announced the re-signing of restricted free agent forward Jordan Weal to a two-way contract.
A versatile, righthanded shooting player who can either center or play wing, Lyubimov also offers good size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), above-average skating ability, some grit and a commitment to playing two-way hockey. He was one of the better young two-way forwards in the KHL during his time with CSKA Moscow, and plays more of a north-south North American style than a stereotypical big-rink brand of hockey.
Lyubimov has not often been used in five-on-five scoring roles in his career but he can finish when he gets an open chance. Playing a mostly fourth-line role for the bronze-medal winning Russian team at the 2016 IIHF World Championships, Lyubimov chipped in eight points (four goals, four assists) in 10 games. In the KHL, he scored five shootout goals over the past two seasons.
However, Lyubimov's primary role is to play a responsible game without the puck and to use his size and strength on the forecheck. He averaged roughly a credited hit per game over the last two regular seasons and playoffs in the KHL. Flyers general manager Ron Hextall indicated that he foresees Lyubimov being assigned similar tasks over here.
All NHL entry-level contracts are two-way deals and Lyubimov's age makes it a one-year deal. The Flyers would not need waivers to send the player to the Phantoms. However, the Russian national team player did not leave a well-established role with CSKA and reportedly turn down other NHL offers with a goal of playing in the American Hockey League next season. He will have a chance in training camp to win an NHL job.
The Flyers' recent track record of signing players from Europe is pretty good. Forwards Michael Raffl and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare were signed by Philadelphia as free agents after getting good in-season reviews from Flyers' European-based scouts and then performing well at the World Championships in front of larger contingents from the Flyers.
While now-departed defenseman Evgeny Medvedev did not make the hoped-for impact last season after the Flyers had to outbid other clubs for his services, he played a handful of very strong games for the Flyers. In particular, Medvedev played a Thanksgiving weekend game at Madison Square Garden where he was arguably the best defenseman on the ice for either team. Medvedev's problem was not one of NHL-level ability but rather one of inconsistency in his play both with and without the puck.
2) Consisting of Robert Hägg (the team captain), Ivan Provorov, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Radel Fazleev, Linus Högberg and Carsen Twarynski, the "Team Barber" squad won the 3-on-3 tournament on Monday that concluded the on-ice portion of the Flyers' five-day development camp. Aube-Kubel and Hägg have now been on the tournament winning side three times.
The other teams in tourney were Team Ashbee (captain Tyrell Goulbourne, Travis Konecny, Garrett McFadden, Danick Martel, David Bernhardt, Connor Bunnaman, Ondrej Vala), Team Clarke (captain Cole Bardreau, Wade Allison, Brennan Menell, Mike Vecchione, David Drake, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Anthony Salinitri) and Team Parent (captain Reece Willcox, Oskar Lindblom, Travis Sanheim, Mark Friedman, Pascal Laberge, David Kase, Tanner Laczynski).
3) The annual Trial on the Isle for the Flyers' Development Camp players is in Stone Harbor, New Jersey today. The schedule is as follows:
9 a.m. - Prospect beach activities, 96th St. Beach
10.30 a.m. - Prospect water sports session, Yacht Club of Stone Harbor
12:15 p.m. - Kids “Hooked on Hockey” clinic, Stone Harbor Elementary School
1:15 p.m. - Prospect autograph session, Stone Harbor Elementary School
3:15 p.m. - Prospect beach volleyball tournament, 96th St. Beach
4) Flyers Hall of Fame left winger Brian Propp recently did a Q&A interview with Fred Isbell on the topic of hockey and social media. Among Flyers -- and NHL -- Alumni of the 1980s to early 1990s, five-time NHL All-Star selection Propp is among the most active online. To read the interview,
click here.
5) July 12: Flyer in memoriam -- "Cowboy" Bill Flett (July 21, 1943 - July 12, 1999). A wildman with a gentle soul and caring heart, the former Alberta cattle rancher and rodeo cowboy enjoyed a 40-goal season for the Flyers in 1972-73 and was part of the Stanley Cup winning squad the next year. Flett was not a fast skater but was a bull in front of the net who had an overpowering heavy shot.
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2016 FLYERS ALUMNI GOLF INVITATIONAL
The 2016 Flyers Alumni Golf Invitational will be held on July 18 at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The event will raise money for the Flyers Alumni Association, Flyers Charities and BLOCS.
The Golf Invitational will offer a round of golf, lunch, cocktail reception and dinner program.
Subject to changes and additions, the following Flyers Alumni -- widely representing every decade of team history -- will be attending: Ray Allison, Bill Barber, Frank Bathe, Craig Berube, Brian Boucher, Jesse Boulerice, Danny Briere, Terry Carkner, Lindsay Carson, Jeff Chychrun, Bob Clarke, Bill Clement, Steve Coates, Riley Cote, Doug Crossman, Barry Dean, Eric Desjardins, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Doug Favell, Todd Fedoruk, Ross Fitzpatrick, Mark Freer, Larry Goodenough, TJ Gorence, Paul Holmgren, Ed Hospodar, Mark Howe, Kerry Huffman, Bob "the Hound" Kelly, Tim Kerr, Orest Kindrachuk, Mike Knuble, Ian Laperriere, Mitch Lamoureaux, Neil Little, Brad Marsh, Phil Myre, Bernie Parent, Dave Poulin, Brian Propp, Chris Pronger, Luke Richardson, Don Saleski, Dave "the Hammer" Schultz (attending but not golfing), Ilkka Sinisalo, Derrick Smith, and Joe Watson.
For more information,
click here.
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