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FLYERS TOP 25 IN THE LAST 25 YEARS: RON HEXTALL
In 1992, the Flyers traded former Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winning goaltender Ron Hextall to the Quebec Nordiques as part of the blockbuster deal that brought the rights to Eric Lindros to Philadelphia. Hextall spent one season apiece in Quebec and with the New York Islanders before being traded back to the Flyers in exchange for goalie Tommy Söderström.
During Hextall's in his second stint with the Flyers, he was more in control of his on-ice emotions than he had been his first few years. He was still an outstanding puckhandler and still battled to the hilt for each and every save while not yielding an inch around the crease. Unfortunately, the series of groin pulls and other injuries over the years began to rob him of some of his previous athleticism and most noticeably affected his second-shot recoveries. The second time around with the Flyers, Hextall was more of a sprawling goalie.
Nevertheless, Hextall was still an effective netminder for most of his second go-round with the team. His re-acquisition proved to be a valuable component in the Flyers' mid-1990s return to Stanley Cup contender status.
Hextall had a decent but not spectacular regular season during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 campaign. The team broke through after a five-year playoff drought to reach the Eastern Conference Final before losing a six-game heartbreaker to the New Jersey Devils.
The next year, 1995-96, was arguably the second-best season of his Flyers career despite Hextall's somewhat diminishing physical capabilities. Even as the team got upset by the underdog Florida Panthers in the second round of the playoffs after entering the postseason as the top seed in the East, Hextall was one of the Flyers' best players on the ice.
Following that season, the Flyers and Hextall narrowly avoided going to salary arbitration. An agreement was reached between the team and Hextall's agent, Steve Mountain, on the day of the scheduled hearing. Hextall then spent the rest of his playing career where it started.
Hextall's 1996-97 season did not measure up to his previous campaign, and he gradually became more of a split-time starter - first in tandem with Garth Snow, then with Sean Burke - rather than the clear-cut number one netminder. In his final year before retirement, Hextall became the backup to fellow veteran John Vanbiesbrouck.
Nevertheless, Hextall shined quite a few times during the final phase of his career. Most notably, he helped backstop the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals in combination with Snow. During that same season, Hextall memorably engaged in a toe-to-toe fight with Toronto Maple Leafs counterpart Felix Potvin.
Hextall was cut during the fight; not by a punch but rather when the two combatants accidentally butted heads and the back of Potvin's head connected with Hextall's face as Potvin leaned forward after Hextall's jersey got pulled over the Philly' netminder's head. This has led many in Canada to declare Potvin the winner of the fight but it was actually a fairly even tussle than the other players scuffling on the ice stopped to watch.
Hextall got the last laugh. Bleeding, he skated past taunting Toronto players and chirped them by smirking and pointing to the scoreboard, which indicated a 3-1 final score in the Flyers' favor.
Following his retirement as an active player in the summer of 1999, Hextall began his path toward a high-level front office career as he worked his way up the ladder. Through the end of the 2002-03 season, he was a pro scout for the Flyers. He then spent a three-year stint (2003 to 2006) as the organization's director of player personnel under general manager Bob Clarke.
When the Los Angeles Kings hired Dean Lombardi was hired away from a scouting job with the Flyers to become LA's general manager, Lombardi brought Hextall along with him to become the Kings' assistant general manager. During that time, Hextall's responsibilities included deep involvement in scouting, drafting and player development operations as well as being appointed the GM of the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.
Lombardi and Hextall worked together to assemble a Kings team - which had many past Flyers connections in coaching, playing and other capacities - that won the first two Stanley Cups in Kings' franchise history. Hextall got to celebrate the Kings' first Cup on the ice. In 2013-14, Hextall returned to the Flyers to be named assistant general manager and director of hockey operations.
During the first season of his front office return to Philadelphia (which overlapped with LA's second Stanley Cup season), Hextall was asked by long-tenured Flyers general Paul Holmgren if he would be interested in taking over the GM job following the season.
On May 7, 2014, Hextall became the seventh general manager in Flyers franchise history. He was preceded by Bud Poile, Keith Allen, Bob McCammon, Bob Clarke (first tenure), Russ Farwell, Clarke (second tenure) and Holmgren.
In recognition of his impact on the team during his playing days, Ron Hextall was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame in February of 2008.
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QUICK HITS: AUGUST 18, 2017
1) The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed 26-year-old left winger Alex Krushelnyski to an AHL contract for the 2016-17 season. He is likely to split time between the ECHL's Reading Royals and the Phantoms next season, moving up to the AHL club when there are injuries or Phantoms players are recalled by the Flyers.
Entering his fourth professional season, Krushelnyski has primarily been a bottom-six forward at the AHL level. In 49 career AHL games, he has produced three goals, five assists and eight points. Krushelnyski has seen action with the Norfolk Admirals, Hartford Wolf Pack and Binghamton Senators. He spent most of last season with the Sens, appearing in 43 games, but also played 15 games in the ECHL. At the ECHL level, he's typically played on scoring lines. In 145 career games, he's produced 134 points (49 goals, 85 assists).
Krushelnyski, who was born in Los Angeles, is the son of longtime NHL forward Mike Krushelnyski; a three-time Stanley Cup champion as a member of the Edmonton Oilers (1984-85, 1988-87, 1987-88) who also earned a Cup rig as an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98.
2) A member of the inaugural Flyers team of 1967-68, tough guy forward Forbes Kennedy celebrates his 82nd birthday today.
Recently, Kennedy participated in the Maritime NHLers 4 Kids Gala event. Kennedy said that the late Ed Snider was the best owner he played for during his long pro career and that he has no regrets about the role he played on the ice.
Back in January of this year, Kennedy attended the reunion of the surviving inaugural 1967-68 Flyers team members that was part of the Flyers' Golden Anniversary Celebration weekend. It clear how much respect -- even awe -- the later generations of Flyers players in attendance held for him. Everyone knew the stories about Forbie Kennedy's legendary toughness but to meet the man in person was a new experience for many.
3) The annual Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp gets underway in Atlantic City today. The camp runs until Aug. 21.
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