Quick Hits: August 20, 2022
1) The bronze medal and gold medal games at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship will be held on Saturday following Finland's 1-0 win over Sweden and Canada's 5-2 win over Czechia in the semifinal games on Friday. The SWE vs. CZH game for the bronze will start at 4:00 p.m. while the Canada vs. Finland gold medal game is at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
Tyson Foerster came close several times in the semifinal game to extending a goal streak to four straight games. Ultimately, he collected an assist on a Kent Johnson put-back of a rebound opportunity that started with a prime scoring chance for Foerster. The tally gave Canada a 1-0 lead in the first period. Foerster skated 15:51 of ice time.
Teammate and fellow Flyers prospect Elliot Desnoyers was back on Canada's fourth line in the semifinal game after moving up to the third line for a portion of the quarterfinal game in the absence of injured forward Ridly Greig (who is out for the remainder of the tourney with an upper body issue). Desnoyers had a near-miss scoring chance in the first period of the semifinal game and saw penalty killing duties for Canada on the way to 8:53 of ice time. He was on the ice for the one of the Czechs' two goals in the third period.
In the Sweden vs. Finland semifinal, a Kasper Puutio power play goal at 5:18 of the second period stood as the only tally of the game for either side. The Finns outshot the Swedes for the game, 28-23, including a 12-7 edge in the middle period. Sweden went 0-for-2 on the power play including a critical lost opportunity on a 5-on-3 in the second period.
Flyers prospect Emil Andrae, who was named as one of Sweden's top three players in the tournament, logged a team-high 24:22 of ice time in the semifinal game despite being lost for two minutes to a first-period boarding minor. He had three shots on goal in the game, all on the power play.
2) Games get underway on Saturday at the annual Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp. After morning practice sessions, the games will pit Team KLYR (coached by Bill Barber, Dave Poulin and Brad Marsh) against Team Yuengling (coached by Danny Briere and Dave Brown) followed by Team River Rock Academy (coached by Mark Howe and Mike Knuble) vs. Team Toyota (Mark Recchi, Keith Jones and Joe Watson).
In the evening, camp attendees will go to the Phillies vs. Mets game at Citizens Bank Park; hopefully a better game than Friday's disappointing performance with Aaron Nola on the mound for the Phillies.
3) Today in Flyers History: Three major trades in Flyers history happened on Aug 20, spread across a span of 19 years.
* Aug. 20, 1982: The Flyers acquired defenseman Mark Howe from the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Ken Linseman and Greg Adams. There were also draft picks exchanged in the blockbuster deal with the Flyers sending 1983 first-round (David Jensen) and third-round (Leif Karlsson) selections to the Whalers and receiving a 1983 third-round (Derrick Smith) puck. The Whalers immediately flipped Linseman to the Edmonton Oilers for Risto Siltanen and prospect Brent Loney.
* Aug. 20, 1997: The financially strapped Tampa Bay Lightning declined to match the Flyers' offer sheet on restricted free agent center Chris Gratton (five years, $16.5 million with $9 million front-loaded into the first year). In return, the Lightning received the Flyers' first round picks in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 first-round picks as compensation. The draft picks were then immediately returned to the Flyers in a trade for Mikael Renberg and Karl Dykhuis.
* Aug. 20, 2001: After sitting out the 2000-01 season as an unsigned restricted agent while demanding a trade, Eric Lindros was traded to the New York Rangers. In return, the Flyers received defenseman Kim Johnsson, winger Jan Hlavac, prospect Pavel Brendl and a 2003 third-round pick (Stefan Ruzicka).
4) Aug. 20 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Shawn Cronin (1963), Pat Murray (1969).