Quick Hits: August 18, 2023
1) Today marks the start of the annual Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp at the University of Pennsylvania. After tonight's opening reception at Level 28 (at AKA University City), all four participating teams will have practices tomorrow morning at the Class of 1923 Arena, followed in the afternoon by the first two games in the yearly Alumni Fantasy Cup tournament: Team KLYR (orange jerseys) vs. Team Neumann (white) at 2 p.m. EDT and Team River Rock (black) vs. Team Toyota (camouflage) at 3:30 p.m. EDT.
This year's Alumni coaches: Brad Marsh, Mark Recchi and Joe Watson (Team KLYR), Mark Howe and Dave Poulin (Team River Rock Academy), Keith Jones, Bob Kelly, Glenn "Chico" Resch (Team Neumann University) and the duo of Ian Laperriere and John LeClair (Team KLYR). Training staff: Dave Culp, Joe Rivera, Turk Evers, Rob Pomroy, Dave "Sudsy" Settlemyre.
As with last year, I will be writing a day-by-day camp journal for FlyersAlumni.net. Last year, on the second evening of camp, the Flyers Alumni coaches and camp participants attended a Phillies vs. Mets game in a party suite at Citizens Bank Park, with various Phillies Alumni stopping by to hang out with with our group. This year, with the Phillies on the road, the Alumni group will head to a mystery location. I've been let in the secret but can only say that it'll be a pretty cool experience.
The opening reception at Level 28 is always fun, too. I look forward to seeing friends I've made from covering past camps on behalf of the Flyers Alumni Association as well as making some new friends. Legendary Flyers public address announcer Lou Nolan is always on-hand throughout the camp, and he serves as PA announcer for all the Fantasy Cup games.
Sunday will feature a busy slate of games: Team KLYR vs. Team Toyota (10:00 a.m. EDT), Team Neumann vs. Team River Rock (11:30 a.m. EDT), Team River Rock vs. Team KLYR (3:30 p.m. EDT), Team Toyota vs. Team Neumann (5:00 p.m. EDT). After Sunday's game, there will be yearly Farewell Reception on the upper level of the Class of 1923 Arena, catered by Bacio Kitchen (the same caterer that prepares the food at the yearly Friday Night Fights event).
As per usual, there will be a Hot Stove Q&A session with Flyers Alumni. The moderator, at always, is Steve Coates. Coatesy, of course, recently retired after a long broadcasting radio and TV broadcasting career but always participates in major Alumni events.
On Monday, the 3rd place game will be held at 10:30 a.m. EDT and the championship game starts at noon.
This past year, as part of the Alumni's 12 Days of Christmas giving program, the Flyers Alumni held a contest for one free registration at the 2023 camp (a $4,000 value). The winner: Geoff Patterson from Cobden, Ontario.
Geoff, a longtime Flyers fan, is a retired manager from the Parks and Recreation Department, who is active in playing senior hockey. Geoff serves as the communications director and the play-by-play radio broadcaster for the CCHL’s Pembroke Lumber Kings.
All games and practices at the Class of 1923 Arena are open to the public and free to attend. It's a good opportunity to for interested Flyers fans get some photos/autographs with the Flyers Alumni when they are not tending to their teams as well as take in the games themselves. If you can make it, feel free to stop over and say hello. I'll be in the pressbox (a pressbox with one or, at max, two people sitting there) on the main entrance side of the building.
2) On the Friday edition of Flyers Daily, Jason Mytetus discusses the carryover of things from last season that can now reasonably be considered "knowns" heading into the 2023-24 season. For example, we now know that Noah Cates' strong 16-game NHL cameo late in the 2021-2022 season was the real deal, and that he showed last season he could handle playing center after previously playing left wing. To listen to the 17-minute program, click here.
3) Aug. 18 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Bruce Cowick (1951), Brian Dobbin (1966), Forbes Kennedy (1935), Ossi Và¤à¤nà¤nen (1980).
4) In memoriam: Dale Hawerchuk (April 4, 1963 - Aug. 18, 2020).