QUICK HITS: AUGUST 27, 2017
1) Schedule note: Flyers Rookie Camp gets underway on Mon. Sept 11, with the Flyers Rookies vs. Islanders Rookies game taking place at the Wells Fargo Center on the 13th. Flyers veterans must officially report for the start of full training camp on Sept. 15 but it is typical for most everyone to be on hand ahead of the reporting date.
2) The Four Nations U20 prep tournament wrapped up on Saturday. Flyers 2017 sixth-round pick Olle Lycksell had a rough final game, as did the entire Swedish team, in a 6-1 blowout loss to Finland. Lycksell was minus-three in the game with 2 PIM. Flyers 2017 third-round pick Kirill Ustimenko, who is being groomed for U20 international play a year from now. served as Russia's third-string goalie for the round-robin tournament and did not appear in a game.
3) Flyers defense prospect Linus Högberg was in the lineup for the Và¤xjö Lakers as the SHL team shut out Swiss National League team HC Davos, 3-0, in Champions Hockey League action on Saturday. On Sunday, Flyers goalie prospect Felix Sandström will be in goal for Brynà¤s IF Gà¤vle against Polish team ComArch Krakow. The game is a probable mismatch, so the biggest challenge for Sandström will be to deal successfully with long stretches without seeing any pucks come his way before he has to make a save.
4) Preseason hockey is underway in the QMJHL, while the Western Hockey League preseason begins on Tuesday of this week and the Ontario Hockey League slate starts on Friday.
5) By request, here is a repost of the Flyers 2017-18 directory of prospects in the CHL. Europe and the NCAA (originally published on Aug. 3).
Ontario Hockey League: Morgan Frost (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds), Connor Bunnaman (Kitchener Rangers), Isaac Ratcliffe (Guelph Storm), Matthew Strome (Hamilton Bulldogs), Maksim Sushko (Owen Sound Attack), Anthony Salinitri (Sarnia Sting).
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League: German Rubtsov (Chicoutimi Sagueneens, AHL eligible if the Flyers opt to place him with the Phantoms instead), Pascal Laberge (Victoriaville Tigres), undrafted/unsigned training camp invitee Ivan Kosorenkov (Victoriaville Tigres).
Western Hockey League: Nolan Patrick (Brandon Wheat Kings if he is not in the NHL), Carter Hart (Everett Silvertips), Carsen Twarynski (Kelowna Rockets).
NCAA: Wade Allison (Western Michigan (NCHC) sophomore), Tanner Laczynski (Ohio State (Big-10) sophomore), Cooper Marody (University of Michigan (Big-10) junior), Brendan Warren (University of Michigan (Big-10) junior), Wyatt Kalynuk (University of Wisconsin (Big-10) freshman), David Drake (University of Connecticut (Hockey East) senior), Terrance Amorosa (Clarkson University (ECAC) senior).
USHL: Noah Cates (Omaha Lancers, committed to University of Minnesota-Duluth starting in 2018-19), Matej Tomek (Waterloo Black Hawks, left University of North Dakota after two seasons and will have two seasons of NCAA eligibility left come 2018-19).
SHL: Felix Sandström (Brynà¤s IF Gà¤vle), Linus Högberg (Và¤xjö Lakers), David Bernhardt (Djurgà¥rdens IF Stockholm), David Kase (Mora IK).
J20 SuperElit (Swedish junior hockey): Olle Lycksell (Linköpings HC J20, top junior club of the Linköping team in SHL).
MHL (Russian junior hockey): Kirill Ustimenko (MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg, parent team is Dynamo St. Petersburg of the VHL; the top Russian minor league below the KHL).
VHL (Russian minor league hockey): Ivan Fedotov (Toros Neftekamsk).
5) August 27 Flyers Alumni Birthdays: Adam Oates (1962), Mark Botell (1961), Evgeny Medvedev (1982), Ryan Bast (1975).
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FLYERS 25 IN THE LAST 25 YEARS: WAYNE SIMMONDS
Flyers right winger Wayne Simmonds celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday (Aug. 26). The power forward, who has steadily blossomed into NHL stardom since coming over to Philadelphia, will enter his sixth season with the Flyers in 2017-18.
The defending Bobby Clarke Trophy winner as Flyers MVP, the alternate captain is also coming off his first All-Star Game selection. He's also been honored with the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award (2015-16) for the insights he's offered the local media. The Flyers Fan Club chose him as the Gene Hart Memorial Award (work ethic, heart and dedication) winner his first year with the team (2011-12).
From a statistical standpoint, he has already scored 28-plus goals (30-plus in each of the last two seasons) five times as a Flyer. He has brought a physical brand of hockey, and plays both ends of special teams with a particular prowess as a netfront presence on the top power play unit. "Simmer" has emerged as an emotional leader in the dressing room and has an excellent work ethic. One of the pound-for-pound toughest players in the NHL, he willingly and routinely goes to battle on behalf of teammates.
At first glance, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Simmonds does not look like he'd be one of strongest players in the NHL from a physical standpoint. His long legs look downright skinny and his musculature in general is sinewy rather than bulky. Nevertheless, Simmonds wins the decided majority of his battles in the trenches. He is also downright fearless.
The Sarborough, Ontario native is a classic late bloomer. As much as his talent, it has been his will and work ethic that have enabled Simmonds to work his way up from an obscure prospect to becoming a multi-season 30-goal and 60-point player in the National Hockey League.
Simmonds played Junior A hockey for the Brockville Braves after being bypassed in the Ontario Hockey League draft, and was also bypassed in his first year of NHL Draft eligibility. Joining the OHL's Owen Sound Attack and posting 23 goals, 49 points and 112 penalty minutes in 66 games during the 2006-07 season, Simmonds started to attract NHL attention. The Los Angeles Kings selected Simmonds in the second round (61st overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft.
At his Simmonds' first camp with Los Angeles, general manager Dean Lombardi discovered the draftee sleeping in his car hours ahead of reporting time. Simmonds, who was staying with friends across town, didn't want to take any risks of getting caught in traffic. Each day, Simmonds was the first player on the ice each day and often the last to leave. Although still quite raw in many aspects of his game, the young man's work ethic and athleticism made a strong impression on the Kings.
Rewarded with his first pro contract, Simmonds played one more season of junior hockey for Owen Sound and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in 2007-08 and earned a spot on gold medalist Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.
Simmonds was willing to work his way up from the minor leagues if he had to, but set an ambitious goal of making himself too valuable to cut at LA's 2008 training camp. Kings coach Terry Murray, general manager Lombardi and assistant GM Ron Hextall could not help but be impressed by what they saw. Through will as much as skill, Simmonds earned an NHL roster spot with the Kings out of training camp in 2008-09. He went on to dress in all 82 regular season games (nine goals, 23 points, 73 penalty minutes).
Over the next two seasons, Simmonds became a reliable third-line player for LA, bringing energy, speed, penalty killing and a physical presence as well as hints of goal-scoring ability (16 and 14 goals, 40 and 30 points respectively in 2009-10 and 2010-11). On June 23, 2011, the Kings traded Simmonds, top prospect Brayden Schenn and a 2012 second-round pick to the Flyers in exchange for center Mike Richards. Lombardi later admitted that it pained him to deal the 23-year-old Simmonds but felt Richards could be the final piece for the Kings to advance from Stanley Cup contender to champions.
Simmonds' role grew steadily after his arrival in Philadelphia, rapidly becoming a top-six forward and a regular as the net-front forward on the top power play unit.
In 2011-12, Simmonds eclipsed his previous career highs as he notched 28 goals and 49 points for the Flyers in the regular season, while totaling 114 penalty minutes. In the 2012 playoffs, he added six points (one goal, five assists). During the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Simmonds produced 15 goals, 32 points and 82 penalty minutes in 45 games.
After the season, the player signed a six-year contract extension with Philadelphia.
Simmonds hit the 60-point mark for the first time in 2013-14, and also bettered his previous career high in goals, tallying 29 times. During the Flyers' hard-found seven-game loss to the New York Rangers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Simmonds scored a hat trick in Game Six and five points (four goals, one assist) overall in the series. The next year, a late-season leg fracture cost Simmonds a shot at his first 30-goal season in the NHL but he tallied 28 goals overall (14 on the power play) in 75 matches.
On the final weekend of the regular season, shortly before the passing of Flyers co-founder and longtime chairman Ed Snider, it was an emotional Simmonds who promised a playoff spot clinching win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in honor of Mr. Snider. The Flyers' right winger then went out and scored the tying and winning goals to secure a postseason berth.
In 2016-17, the Flyers took a step backwards in the standings. The team missed the postseason despite rattling off a 10-game winning streak in late November to mid-December and enjoying a 25-11-5 record (55 points) at the Wells Fargo Center.
Simmonds, however, churned out one of the best individual seasons of his career. In addition to posting 31 goals (16 on the power play) and maintaining his typical level of physical play, he assumed regular penalty killing duties for the first time since leaving LA. Simmonds took pride in performing the unglamorous task with the same gusto he brought to the offensive side of the game.
Dressing in all 82 games for the fourth time in his career, Simmonds was a shoo-in for the 2016-17 Bobby Clarke Trophy. As a bonus, Simmonds also claimed MVP honors in his first NHL All-Star Game.
Wayne Simmonds has always been a hockey player and man who walks the walk both on and off the ice. People talk about hard work, sacrifice and selflessness but Simmonds lives by it. He's always been one of the most charitable of Flyers players, always quite generous with his time and willing to reach out to others when he learns of people in need, especially kids.
Simmonds also cares about Hockey Fights Cancer even more than the average NHL player because his beloved grandmother, Catherine Mercury, passed away from breast cancer in 1995. He has explained that the reason why he often sports a Toronto Blue Jays cap when out and about in public is because his "Nana" was a diehard Blue Jays fans and it's one of his ways of honoring her memory.
In general, Simmons is an emotional person who wears his heart on his sleeve. What you see is what you get with him. His place in Flyers annals is already secure and he still has more of his personal "Philadelphia Story" to author.
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FLYERS CYCLING JERSEYS AND SHORTS
Are you a cycling enthusiast and a Flyers fan? Flyers-themed cycling jerseys, as sported by many of the riders in the recent 2017 Toyota Flyers Charity Classic bicycling events, are available on Voler.com. Proceeds from the Charity Classic go to Flyers Charities and the Flyers Alumni Association's pledge to held Snider Hockey build a new community rink.
Want your own Flyers bicycling jersey and shorts as sported in recent Toyota Flyers Charity Classic? Click here: https://t.co/lPfNsjPEyI pic.twitter.com/LKURVWQvjq
— Flyers Alumni (@FlyersAlumni) August 18, 2017