Quick Hits: July 19, 2023
1) On Tuesday, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms announced four staff moves. Most notably, the team named John Snowden as an assistant coach. Snowden, a longtime minor league forward and product of the USNTDP program, spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies. Previously, Snowden won the Kelly Cup as the head coach of the ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers. Snowden, 41, will replace Riley Armstrong, who was recently named the Flyers' director of player development.
The Phantoms also announced the hiring of Chris Gratton -- not the former Flyers center of the latter 1990s but, rather, the 25-year-old Pottstown, PAM native who played as a defenseman for the SUNY Potsdam hockey team from 2018 to 2022 -- as a strength and conditioning coach. Gratton worked last season with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.
Lehigh Valley promoted Jake Rogers to head equipment manager after he spent the last two seasons as the club's assistant equipment manager. Jon Evans, who has worked with both the Phantoms and the Phillies' AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, as a locker room/clubhouse attendant, will serve as Rogers' assistant equipment manager.
2) Riley Armstrong is Jason Myrteteus' guest on Wednesday's edition of Flyers Daily. The Flyers new director of player development talks about his philosophy on how he can help prospects maximize their potential, the keys to connecting with today's young athletes and much more. The 38-year-old former San Jose Sharks player was as active player as recently as 2015-16, so he's not all that far removed from his own playing days. After serving as the head coach for the Maine Mariners and two seasons as a Phantoms assistant coach under Ian Laperriere, Armstrong moved over to the full-time developmental side. To listen to the 20-minute conversation, click here.
3) The Flyers offseason Community Caravan tour will make a stop today in Ocean City at noon at the Ocean City Sports and Civic Center. Along with the usual giveaways, games and music, Flyers Alumni Association members Dave "the Hammer" Schultz, Bob "the Hound" Kelly, Todd "Fridge" Fedoruk, Scott Hartnell, and Steve Coates will all be on hand to sign autographs.
4) Today in Flyers History: On July 19, 2010, the cap-strapped Flyers traded left winger Simon Gagne to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Matt Walker. The trade brought to an end a contentious saga that unfolded behind the scenes after the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. Jay Greenberg's Flyers at 50 told the entire story -- including how Tampa failed to disclose to the Flyers that Walker had a chronic hip issue -- but a summary follows below.
The Flyers were in bad shape in terms of salary cap planning, and general manager Paul Holmgren asked Gagne to waive his no-trade clause. The player, who had thought he'd spend his entire career in Philadelphia, was hurt and angered by the request after he'd just battled through injury to make some major contributions in the Flyers' run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. Things got contentious between the Flyers and Gagne's agent, former NHL goalie Bob Sauve.
In the meantime, the Boston Bruins presented a trade offer to the Flyers. They proposed a one-for-one trade of goalie Tim Thomas for Gagne. Thomas was coming off an injury and highly regarded young goalie Tuukka Rask had stepped up in his place. However, the Flyers were unable to accept the proposed trade. For one, the cap numbers would have been a virtual even exchange in 2010-11 and Thomas' deal had a longer term to run. More urgently at that point, the Gagne side remained unwilling to waive the no-trade.
Finally, Gagne came around to the idea of a trade: with one very big condition. The player would treat it as if he was a free agent. He'd select his own destination, and then waive the no-trade when the Flyers worked out a deal. After Gagne received phone calls from Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis encouraging him to come to Tampa, Gagne made his choice. Sauve informed Holmgren that Gagne would accept a trade to Tampa Bay. The Flyers were not given permission to shop for other offers to potentially increase the price.
Tampa general manager Steve Yzerman pounced. He offered right-handed defenseman Walker and a 2011 fourth-round pick for Gagne in a deal that amounted to the Flyers trading a long-time impact player for a third-pair defenseman with a contract Tampa wanted to unload. With no leverage, the Flyers agreed to the trade.
Gagne, who had a lengthy injury history of his own, never again played at his peak level after 2009-10. A neck injury limited him to 63 games for Tampa in 2010-11 (17 goals, 40 points) although he was healthy enough in the playoffs to post 12 points in 15 games. After the season, he moved on to LA Kings as a free agent. The injury issues continued, and Gagne played in only 34 regular season games (17 points) and four playoff games but the team won the Stanley Cup. Gagne got the ring he coveted and his name on the trophy.
Gagne, who turned 33 during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, started a second campaign in Los Angeles. On Feb. 26, 2013 (three days before his birthday), Gagne was traded back to the Flyers for a 2013 fourth-round draft pick (Justin Auger).
By this point, Gagne was no longer close to the All-Star caliber player he'd been in his first stint with the Flyers. However, he could still skate, remained a responsible defensive forward, and had enough offense left in him to chip in 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 27 games. Most of all, though, he was happy to be back "home".
Gagne was a free agent again in the summer of 2013. He told his agent that he didn't want to sign elsewhere and would wait for an offer for the Flyers, who had told him they'd circle back to him once they figured out their cap for 2013-14. Unfortunately, it did not work out.
The Flyers invited veteran forward Daniel Cleary to camp on a tryout basis, and were planning to offer the player a two-year contract. Ultimately, Cleary elected to re-sign with the Detroit Red Wings. By that point, the Flyers had already told Gagne they were looking elsewhere.
Gagne told Greenberg in Flyers at 50 that he was disappointed the Flyers didn't offer him a new contract but understood by that point in his life that hockey is a business. He sat out the 2013-14 season to try to heal injuries and get back to peak condition. He also spent time with his family and did some French commentary as a studio analyst on TV broadcasts. In the meantime, Gagne was dealing with a very painful personal situation.
Simon's father, Pierre, was ailing and his condition was deteriorating. Simon accepted a training camp invite from the Bruins and made the club as a fourth-line left wing. His heart, however, was in Quebec. When Pierre passed away, Simon took a leave of absence from the Bruins after playing 23 games (three goals, one assist). He soon elected to retire rather than returning to play.
The research for Flyers at 50 was completed before Simon Gagne's brief NHL return in Boston and the passing of his father. However, I had the opportunity to ask Simon a couple of questions on "Simon Gagne Night" (Nov. 17, 2015) at the Wells Fargo Center. He had a media availability session during the first intermission after dropping the ceremonial first faceoff and receiving a standing ovation prior to the game. I asked him what his thoughts are about his Flyers days and whether the way his two stints ended put a damper on those memories.
"My memories are happy memories," Gagne said. "I loved being a Flyer. I loved my teammates and the fans. Not everything in life happens just the way you want. I wish it ended different but that won't erase all the happy years. That's what I think about. Life is short and there was a lot more good than bad here."
I asked him if his dad's passing gave him added perspective.
"Yes, of course. My dad was happy when I became a Flyer. We talked a lot during my career here. Happy memories," Gagne said.
5) The late Pierre Gagne was his son Simon's idol, first hockey coach and biggest supporter. When he was young, Pierre had been a promising junior hockey player for the Quebec Junior Aces and had attended the Flyers' 1967 training camp as a tryout player for the Flyers or the AHL's Quebec Aces. He was not offered a pro contract. After hockey, Pierre Gagne became a longtime police officer in Quebec.
However, over the years, Pierre remained in periodic contact with one of his old teammates and friends, Simon Nolet. Although Nolet's friendship with Pierre Gagne was a non-factor in why the Flyers ultimately drafted Simon with the 22nd overall pick of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, there's a humorous related story.
The night before the Draft, Nolet had dinner at the same restaurant as the Gagnes. Nolet came over, shook Pierre and Simon's hands and chatted awhile.
"You guys better draft my kid if you can," Pierre joked.
Nolet laughed, too. According to Nolet's interview with Greenberg for Flyers at 50, Philadelphia had Simon Gagne internally ranked in their top 10 for the Draft. The organization was not expecting him to still be on the board at No. 22.
Neither did the Gagnes. They'd been led to believe that the Montreal Canadiens, selecting 16th overall, planned to take Simon if he made it that far. In fact, earlier that evening, a Canadiens scout told Pierre Gagne that he thought the chances were strong that his son would be Montreal's pick.
The next night, as the Canadiens announced the 16th overall pick in French and English, Simon started to stand up as general manager Rejean Houle said, "from the Quebec Remparts..." and then sheepishly slunk back down as Montreal announced Gagne's Remparts teammate Eric Chouinard (later a two-stint Flyer himself) as their pick.
Eric Chouinard, the son of former Atlanta/Calgary Flames star Guy Chouinard, went slightly ahead in the 1998 Draft of his consensus range. While he and Gagne were with the Remparts, they had something of a rivalry. They were by no means enemies, but they also weren't close friends. There was an unspoken competition that, in hindsight, pushed each to elevate his game but also created some tension. Simon Gagne told Greenberg in Flyers at 50 that he and Chouinard actually grew much friendlier with one another after the Draft than they were as Quebec teammates. They got along very well when their pro careers overlapped twice in Philadelphia.
6) July 19 in memoriam: Jack "Bucky" McIlhargey, two-stint Flyers defenseman, assistant coach and scout (March 7, 1952 - July 19, 2020).
7) July 19 Flyers Alumni birthday: Tomas Divisek (1979).