If it wasn't for him, a lot of current hockey fans around my age would never have become hockey fans. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it's a thing.

When he was fully healthy, he was the best player I've ever seen next to Mario and Gretzky (I've never seen Orr). When he really wanted to score a goal, it was next to impossible to stop him.
- jmatchett383

Ok so the guy who scored in the World Cup yesterday...his was like Mario Goetz or something.

The announcer called him Super Mario. I was livid.

Well, if it weren't for him, the hockey fans of your age may have been drawn to hockey by Peter Forsberg
- Jsaquella

The hype, alone, surrounding the Lindros trade attracted attention to a franchise that was still trying to climb out of the dark ages AND build a new arena.

Lindros' arrival to Philadelphia cannot be understated.

Ok so the guy who scored in the World Cup yesterday...his was like Mario Goetz or something.

The announcer called him Super Mario. I was livid.
- Giroux_Is_God

Yeah, I saw that. Caught the last 10 minutes or so.

A 0-0 soccer game for 107 minutes. What a thriller!

Ok so the guy who scored in the World Cup yesterday...his was like Mario Goetz or something.

The announcer called him Super Mario. I was livid.
- Giroux_Is_God

I think the announcer thought the goal scorer was actually Super Mario from the video, but in 128-bit graphics mode.

The hype, alone, surrounding the Lindros trade attracted attention to a franchise that was still trying to climb out of the dark ages AND build a new arena.

Lindros' arrival to Philadelphia cannot be understated.
- johndewar

Exactly. I wasn't a hockey fan until the whole Lindros hype happened.

It would be like if this crippled guy the Sixers just picked turns out to be a superstar and leads them to a championship. I'll be happy for them, but it won't make me a basketball fan. It would have to be something like them acquiring the reincarnation of 25-year-old Michael Jordan for me to MAYBE get interested.

I think the announcer thought the goal scorer was actually Super Mario from the video, but in 128-bit graphics mode.
- johndewar

Come on, now. Mario would be playing for the USA, Italy, or the Mushroom Kingdom, not Kaiser World. Use your head.

- wolfhounds

laughton has a giant noggin

Come on, now. Mario would be playing for the USA, Italy, or the Mushroom Kingdom, not Kaiser World. Use your head.
- jmatchett383

/+1 Fire ball Flower

Manning might be a bit better choice as a spare. He has a more well rounded game than Lauridsen who would really only fit as an injury replacement for Grossmann.
- BiggE

Very true. Although Schultz is a more well rounded 7th guy than they have generally had, after the run of Liljas, Gills and the like.

The hype, alone, surrounding the Lindros trade attracted attention to a franchise that was still trying to climb out of the dark ages AND build a new arena.

Lindros' arrival to Philadelphia cannot be understated.
- johndewar

Meh... it was okay.


There! I understated it.

Maybe. But Lindros, the trade for him, was such a big story, it was more than just a superstar player. It was like the coming of Christ, or at least Christ's brother who never skated with his head up.
- jmatchett383

True. But winning provides a fanbase. The mid 1980's Flyers teams were beloved without widely hyped superstars.

The hype, alone, surrounding the Lindros trade attracted attention to a franchise that was still trying to climb out of the dark ages AND build a new arena.

Lindros' arrival to Philadelphia cannot be understated.
- johndewar

It created a buzz, certainly.

Still the Flyers had a very loyal fanbase and a return to the playoffs wouldhave generated a good buzz as well...and had Forsberg remained and become a superstar as a Flyer, that would have generated a similar attention, albeit at a slower pace.

True. But winning provides a fanbase. The mid 1980's Flyers teams were beloved without widely hyped superstars.
- Jsaquella

Yes, but those early 90's teams sucked out loud.

And they were trying to sell luxury boxes in a new arena.

Having a big, handsome guy the hockey pundits were calling "The Next One" absolutely helped.

Meh... it was okay.


There! I understated it.
- mayorofangrytown

Yes, but those early 90's teams sucked out loud.

And they were trying to sell luxury boxes in a new arena.

Having a big, handsome guy the hockey pundits were calling "The Next One" absolutely helped.
- johndewar

Not saying it didn't. But had they made the playoffs with Forsberg, Ricci, Duchesne, Huffman and Hexy that next season, it would have generated a lot of interest in the team.

It's certainly arguable that they would have been a playoff team sooner had they not made the Lindros trade, and that could have gotten similar results in terms of drawing fans back.

If it wasn't for him, a lot of current hockey fans around my age would never have become hockey fans. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it's a thing.

When he was fully healthy, he was the best player I've ever seen next to Mario and Gretzky (I've never seen Orr). When he really wanted to score a goal, it was next to impossible to stop him.
- jmatchett383

This naturally leads me to:
The top 10 players I ever witnessed!!

1. Bobby Orr
Skated as well Bure, had a shot like MacInnis, passed as well as Gretzky, played D as well as Lidstrom and wasn't afraid to mix it up as well. Hands down, the best player I ever saw.

2. Mario Lemieux
Basically a bigger, stronger version of Gretzky. Imagine the numbers he would have put up if he had been surrounded by Messier, Kurri, Coffey, and Anderson in his prime.

3. Wayne Gretzky
The best pure playmaker I ever saw, he had eyes in the back of his head.

4. Eric Lindros
Yeah, he was that damn good. Absolutely unstoppable in his prime.

5. Nick Lidstrom
Next to Orr, the best all around defenseman I have ever seen.

6. Bobby Clarke
Not the most talented guy on this list, but no one, NO ONE, played harder than Clarke. He could singlehandedly will a team to victory. Also, next to Gretzky and Orr, he was the best pure passer, I ever saw.

7. Ray Bourque
Another amazing, all around dman, who could just do it all. And he did it with class too!

8. Guy Lafleur
The flower was the dominant offensive player of the late 70s. Just imagine the numbers he might of put up if he had actually believed in training and didn't smoke 2 packs of cigs a day!

9. Jaromir Jagr
This guy knows where the fountain of youth is. Now if he would only let me in on it! All kidding aside, next to Lindros, and perhaps Gordie Howe, he's the most lethal combo of skill and strength that has ever played the game.

10. Mark Messier
Next to Clarke, he might have had the strongest will to win that I ever saw. Played his best in the biggest games.

Honorable mention:
Bryan Trottier
Denis Potvin
Larry Robinson
Phil Esposito
Mike Bossy
Sergei Federov
Steve Yzerman
Peter Forsberg
Joe Sakic

On Town Hall night it was stressed (when I think Chris Pryor was asked about why they'd limited the invitees--I don't have my notes with me) that they wanted to be sure that each player had plenty of one-on-one coaching. That there were be a lot of drills and a lot of individual coaching and not a lot of scrimmaging. It was about beginning the process of educating them about what they want to have as the Flyers way of doing every little thing. And about them getting to know the coaches and the organization and being comfortable with them and able to really spend the time learning and absorbing.

Not saying it didn't. But had they made the playoffs with Forsberg, Ricci, Duchesne, Huffman and Hexy that next season, it would have generated a lot of interest in the team.

It's certainly arguable that they would have been a playoff team sooner had they not made the Lindros trade, and that could have gotten similar results in terms of drawing fans back.
- Jsaquella

Unfortunately, we'll never know if any of this would have come to pass.

But we do know that 88 helped sell luxury boxes and bring new fans into the sport.

Unfortunately, we'll never know if any of this would have come to pass.

But we do know that 88 helped sell luxury boxes and bring new fans into the sport.
- johndewar

Certainly. I'm not trying to downplay the impact of Lindros.

On Town Hall night it was stressed (when I think Chris Pryor was asked about why they'd limited the invitees--I don't have my notes with me) that they wanted to be sure that each player had plenty of one-on-one coaching. That there were be a lot of drills and a lot of individual coaching and not a lot of scrimmaging. It was about beginning the process of educating them about what they want to have as the Flyers way of doing every little thing. And about them getting to know the coaches and the organization and being comfortable with them and able to really spend the time learning and absorbing.
- bodiva88

I like they are focusing their time on players they actually have investment in already and not using the camp as a scouting opportunity.

Ok so the guy who scored in the World Cup yesterday...his was like Mario Goetz or something.

The announcer called him Super Mario. I was livid.
- Giroux_Is_God

Mario Gotze. I thought it was a great call in the moment.

This naturally leads me to:
The top 10 players I ever witnessed!!

1. Bobby Orr
Skated as well Bure, had a shot like MacInnis, passed as well as Gretzky, played D as well as Lidstrom and wasn't afraid to mix it up as well. Hands down, the best player I ever saw.

2. Mario Lemieux
Basically a bigger, stronger version of Gretzky. Imagine the numbers he would have put up if he had been surrounded by Messier, Kurri, Coffey, and Anderson in his prime.

3. Wayne Gretzky
The best pure playmaker I ever saw, he had eyes in the back of his head.

4. Eric Lindros
Yeah, he was that damn good. Absolutely unstoppable in his prime.

5. Nick Lidstrom
Next to Orr, the best all around defenseman I have ever seen.

6. Bobby Clarke
Not the most talented guy on this list, but no one, NO ONE, played harder than Clarke. He could singlehandedly will a team to victory. Also, next to Gretzky and Orr, he was the best pure passer, I ever saw.

7. Ray Bourque
Another amazing, all around dman, who could just do it all. And he did it with class too!

8. Guy Lafleur
The flower was the dominant offensive player of the late 70s. Just imagine the numbers he might of put up if he had actually believed in training and didn't smoke 2 packs of cigs a day!

9. Jaromir Jagr
This guy knows where the fountain of youth is. Now if he would only let me in on it! All kidding aside, next to Lindros, and perhaps Gordie Howe, he's the most lethal combo of skill and strength that has ever played the game.

10. Mark Messier
Next to Clarke, he might have had the strongest will to win that I ever saw. Played his best in the biggest games.

Honorable mention:
Bryan Trottier
Denis Potvin
Larry Robinson
Phil Esposito
Mike Bossy
Sergei Federov
Steve Yzerman
Peter Forsberg
Joe Sakic
- BiggE

I never saw some of the guys you mentioned (Orr/Clarke/LaFleur) and I don't think I ever saw Bourque live. But I hate that people say, "Well, if Mario had played with all those superstars like Gretzky did..." I guess playing on a team with only guys like Jagr, Francis, Murphy, Coffey, Stevens (pre-coke and hookers), and Recchi really held him back.

Very true. Although Schultz is a more well rounded 7th guy than they have generally had, after the run of Liljas, Gills and the like.
- Jsaquella

No doubt, I like the signing very much.

I just wanted to throw out my opinion about a subject that was thrown out there in the last blog.

I'm really not worried about the lack of young forward prospects that the Flyers have. I suppose it's easy to be careless with forwards, they seem to be a dime a dozen and they find their way into the NHL much faster then defenseman. With Alt, Gostisbehere and Hagg headed to the AHL this upcoming season, right now is the time to evaluate these kids. Let's not get greedy, at least not yet. If these players are not right for us, let them at least build some value first. We have such a young forward core with the big club already that I'm not really concerned with our lack of young forward prospects. There is plenty of time to build in that area and right now I think Ron Hextall is building from the net out. I haven't agreed with our lack of off season but I do agree with that. Defenseman just need more time the grow, forwords do not need as much time.

I like they are focusing their time on players they actually have investment in already and not using the camp as a scouting opportunity.
- johndewar

Me, too. I have a lot of notes on the Town Hall but only got to blogging the Commissioner's breakfast and panel. I'm about 2 weeks behind. Good thing I'm not worried about making a living on the internet.