Quick Hits: August 28, 2019
1)The Flyers' training camp will be featured in a four-part "Behind the Glass" series on NHL Network, debuting on Wed. Sept. 25. Per a press release, the show will look at the progression of camp and the reduction of the roster until the opening-night squad is named.
"Within less than four weeks, Flyers players will report to camp, undergo endurance and skill tests, play in preseason and exhibition games in the U.S. and Europe, compete for roster spots, and ultimately prepare for the team’s season opener on October 4.
Throughout the series, "Behind The Glass" will shadow Flyers president of hockey operations & general manager Chuck Fletcher and new head coach Alain Vigneault for behind-the-scenes insight into their evaluations on the more than 50 players competing for 23 roster spots.
Behind The Glass will also spend a training session as part of a 'day in the life' with defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who calls Philadelphia his home during the offseason. The show will also profile newly acquired forward Kevin Hayes as he begins his first season with the Flyers and feature 21-year old goalie Carter Hart, following his dynamic rookie season and his first training camp as the team’s number-one goaltender.
NHL Network’s cameras will travel with the Flyers to the Czech Republic, following winger and Czech native Jakub Voracek as he prepares for the team’s season-opening game in his home country against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 4 as part of the 2019 NHL Global Series."
2) The week-long "Line Play" series continues today on the Flyers' official website, taking a look at the Flyers potential third line before the start of camp. If one does not assume ahead of camp that a rookie forward will make the opening night roster, the recent left wrist injury suffered by veteran Tyler Pitlick limits the choices for completing the projected third line. As such, I used Michael Raffl as the default third member of the line, along with James van Riemsdyk and Nolan Patrick.
For a pre-camp projection of the first line: click here.
For the second line, click here.
3) Veteran goaltender Mike McKenna officially announced his retirement via Twitter on Tuesday. He was leaning toward retirement after last season but wanted to take the summer to think it over and weigh his options.
Back on April 13, two days after celebrating his 36th birthday, McKenna made the final appearance of his pro career. Tabbed by Lehigh Valley Phantoms interim head coach Kerry Huffman to make the start in a home game against the Hartford Wolf Pack, McKenna made the most of it.
The veteran stopped 29 of 31 shots in regulation and overtime before going 2-for-2 in the shootout of a 3-2 Phantoms victory. Afterwards, he was visited in the locker room by his two young daughters and posted a picture of the moment on Twitter, still wearing his pads and flanked by his kids at his locker.
McKenna played 14 pro seasons. His journeys took him through eight NHL in-season rosters (he appeared in games with seven teams, including one start for the Flyers last season), 12 AHL teams (excluding franchise relocations and repeat stints) and an ECHL team.
McKenna knew the drill very well of the professional life of a journeyman goaltender. He was good enough to keep finding employment -- indeed, good enough to be a potential future American Hockey League Hall of Fame inductee -- but was never an NHL team's hotshot prospect or quite able to stick in the NHL as a long-term backup. Nevertheless, McKenna plowed ahead, year after year.
McKenna periodically served as a backup in the NHL -- 35 NHL games played, but dressed in many others as the reserve on the bench or on the roster but a healthy scratch as a 3rd goalie. Nevertheless, the time always came where the NHL parent team wanted to move a prospect along in his development and McKenna has often been auditioning for his next job before his impending departure.
At the NHL level, McKenna appeared in a total of 35 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars and Ottawa Senators (for him he won a game last season against the Flyers) and one start for Philadelphia. He was traded to the Canucks on Jan. 2, 2019, and placed on waivers the following day before being claimed by the Flyers.
"Every game, I prepare for the same way, whether I'm starting or backing up. You don't want to be tossed into a game and not be ready for it. There are things that are beyond your control, but the same thing can happen if you starting a game. It's your job to be ready. That's just what you do," McKenna said on January 4 after the Flyers claimed him.
"I have a burning desire to go out there and compete. I'm not just out there to collect a check. I'm out there because I have pride and I passion in what I do. The game is a challenge and it should be a challenge. I just find that the feeling you get when you go out and you do well is something that you can't compare to anything outside the sporting world. It's something we all chase."
When the Flyers claimed McKenna off waivers from Vancouver, he readily admitted that there was a juggling act between his passion for his career and his love of his family that was part and parcel of his life. McKenna and wife Rachel have two daughters (Kenlin and Adeline) and a dog (Bauer). The hockey life is a taxing one not only for players such as McKenna but can also tough for their family members.
"The carousel keeps going and I keep getting a ticket. We don't know what is going to happen with that [beyond this season]. Thankfully, my wife is doing an absolutely incredible job in holding the family together," McKenna said.
With all due respect to Brian Elliott, who was a deserving local PHWA chapter nominee for the Masterton Trophy (his second nomination, as he was previously nominated by the St. Louis PHWA when he played for the Blues), I personally would have lobbied for McKenna as the Philadelphia nominee if I still had a vote in it. I am no longer have membership in the PHWA because my direct working relationship with the Flyers precludes it.
I felt that, if Ian Laperriere won the Masterton in a season where he didn't play any games due to career-ending post-concussion symptoms, McKenna could be the Philly nominee this year despite only playing in one game for the NHL team. His journey of following his childhood dreams of playing pro hockey and, through that passion, winding up everywhere from Cedar Park, Texas to Omaha to Portland, Maine and a host of locales for anywhere from a couple games to a couple years was a story worth recognizing.
McKenna wasn't around Philadelphia or Allentown for long, but he instantly became a favorite with teammates, coaches and the media. He's very personable, extremely bright and has a good sense of humor. He's down-to-earth and has a very honest perspective to offer. At whatever point he decides to pursue post-playing opportunities, he would be a natural for broadcasting or for coaching if that's where his interests would be. He is also a blogger and has some writing talent as well as social media savvy.
It's always good to have options in life, and nothing is more precious than family. Whatever is next for Mike McKenna, I know he'll be a success.
4) Today in Flyers History: On Aug. 28, 1989, the Flyers acquired the NHL rights to highly regarded young Czech defenseman Jiri Latal from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 1991 seventh-round draft pick (later traded back to the Flyers and used on the selection of the late Russian forward Andrei Lomakin).
Latal was born in Olomouc, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) on Februarly 2, 1967. Originally drafted by the Leafs with the 106th overall pick of the 1985 Draft, the Flyers traded a 1991 seventh-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Latal's rights.
Latal was a fast-rising star in Czechoslovakia before the Velvet Revolution marked the end of the communist regime and it became easy for players to come to North America without defecting (or obtaining permission from the government and national hockey federation).
The young defenseman played three years for Sparta Prague in what is now the Czech Republic and two for Dukla Trencin in what is now Slovakia. Latal played a prominent role for Team Czechoslovakia at the 1985, 1986, and 1987 World Junior Championships, winning a pair of silver medals and being named to the tournament all-star squad in 1987.
When Latal arrived in Philadelphia at age 22, he came with a lot of hype as a potential star defenseman with considerable offensive upside. He started out in the AHL with the Hershey Bears in order to get acclimated but was clearly too good for that level. In 22 games for the Bears in 1989-90, Latal racked up 10 goals and 28 points. He was then called up to the big club.
Unfortunately, the player struggled in the NHL with both consistency and injuries, including knee surgery, a separated shoulder and cracked ribs. Latal did not like the much more physical nature of the North American game on the small rink and sometimes became skittish when pressured by NHL-caliber forecheckers.
Latal, who had been touted as someone with two-way upside, ended up having trouble defensively in the NHL. Injuries limited him to just 92 games over three years. However, Latal's undeniable puck skills occasionally shined. He posted a respectable 12 goals, 36 assists and 48 points for subpar Flyers teams that missed the playoffs each season.
After a serious knee injury and decreased playing time with the Flyers Latal returned to Europe. He played part of a season in Norway, one full season in Finland and three additional seasons in the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, further injury issues kept him out of the lineup more than he was available to play -- Latal only suited up in a combined 31 games in 1993-94 and 1994-95 and he retired before his 28th birthday.
Following his playing days, Latal served for a time as the Under-20 level general manager of Team Czech Republic. He assembled the squad that competed in the 2009 World Junior Championships.