Quick Hits: August 21, 2021
1) The Flyers announced yesterday that they have re-signed restricted free agent forward Connor Bunnaman to a two-year contract extension. The first year of the contract (2021-22) is a two-way deal that will pay him $750,000 if he plays in the NHL and $125.000 if he is in the AHL. For 2022-23, it's a one-way arrangement that pays $750,000 whether Bunnaman is in the NHL or the AHL.
Bunnaman, 23, dressed in 18 games for the Flyers last season and 15 for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Overall, the organization's fourth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft has appeared in 39 NHL games and 106 AHL games. He also dressed in four Stanley Cup playoff games for the Flyers in 2020.
2) Today in Flyers History: Flyers Close Out 2020 ECQF
One calendar year ago today, the Flyers closed out their first round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens with a 3-2 victory in Game 6. Carter Hart (31 saves on 33 shots) outplayed his childhood idol, Carey Price (14 saves on 17 shots), and took first-star honors for the second time in the series. The Flyers never trailed in the clinching game, as first period goals by Ivan Provorov and Kevin Hayes plus a second period tally by Michael Raffl (3rd goal of the playoffs) were enough to overcome two goals by Montreal's Nick Suzuki.
One game earlier, Suzuki incurred the Flyers' wrath by taunting Hart after scoring what proved to the game-winning goal midway through the third period of Montreal's 5-3 win in Game 5. Despite Suzuki scoring twice in Game 6, the Canadiens never fully recovered from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1.
The Flyers played Game 6 without the services of top-pairing defenseman Matt Niskanen, who served a one-game suspension for a Game 5 cross-check that broke Canadien forward Brendan Gallagher's jaw. Gallagher was unavailable for Montreal in Game 6.
3 Here is the schedule for Day 2 of the 2021 Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp at the Class of 1923 Arena:
10:00-10:45 AM – Team New Balance (orange jerseys) practice 11:00-11:45 AM – Team Yuengling (black jerseys) practice 12:00-12:45 PM – Team Toyota (grey practice jerseys/camo game jerseys) practice 1:00-1:45 PM – Team River Rock (white jerseys) practice 2:00 PM – Game – Team New Balance vs. Team Yuengling 3:30 PM – Game – Team Toyota vs. Team River Rock
4) Today in Flyers History: Aug. 21, 1980
The Flyers playing career of Bob "the Hound" Kelly came to an end after 741 regular season games and 101 playoff games that included scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in the third period of Game 6 of the 1975 Cup Final against the Buffalo Sabres. Although best known for being a relentless forechecker, aggressive hitter and willing fighter, Kelly also produced a pair of 20-plus goal seasons in the NHL. Kelly never played an AHL game, going directly from the Ontario Hockey Association's Oshawa Generals to the Flyers. The Hound spent the next decade in the Flyers' lineup.
On Aug. 21, 1980, on the heels of the Flyers' North American pro sports record 35-game unbeaten streak and trip to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Flyers traded the 29-year-old Kelly to the Washington Capitals for a 1982 third-round draft pick (Bill Campbell). That summer also marked the end of Andre "Moose" Dupont's Flyers career, leaving Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Reggie Leach, Rick MacLeish and Jimmy Watson as the five remaining players from the Cup-winning team of 1974-75.
Kelly, a player who cared nothing for personal stats, had grown very accustomed to playing on a winning team. He'd been to four Stanley Cup Finals (1974, 1975, 1976 and 1980) plus three additional Stanley Cup semifinals (1973, 1977, 1978) with the Flyers. Going to Washington meant that he'd see an expanded offensive role, in which he delivered a career-best 26 goals and 62 points plus 157 penalty minutes in 1980-81. However, he was miserable playing for an awful Capitals team that finished in last place, 27 points behind the Flyers and a whopping 40 points behind the Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders.
Kelly felt that too many of his Capitals teammates went through the motions and did not care enough about trying to improve as a club. He did not get along well with new head coach Bryan Murray, who replaced Gary Green early in the 1981-82 season. Rather than hanging on and being content to be a part-time player on a losing team, Kelly retired after dressing in 16 games.
5) The Flyers Warriors are in Long Island this weekend to compete in the Long Island Warriors Classic. The Flyers' affiliate in the USA Hockey Warriors program's first game of the tourney is at 1:00 p.m. today against the Long Island Warriors.