Quick Hits: July 25, 2019
1) The 2019 World Junior Summer Showcase gets underway tomorrow with a game between the USA Blue and USA White split squads. Game time is 5:30 p.m. EDT. Flyers prospects Joel Farabee, Bobby Brink and Cam York are all assigned to the USA Blue squad. Friday's game is not televised but a stream will be available for purchase on HockeyTV.com, as will all games until July 30, when Team Canada takes on a pared-down Team USA roster. Daily television coverage NHL Network begins on August 1 and runs through the USA vs. Canada rematch as well a showdown between traditional arch-rivals Team Sweden and Team Finland on August 3.
2) The weeklong off-season deeper dive series on the Flyers' official website continues today with a look at Travis Sanheim's breakthrough season last year and the reasoning behind the two-year bridge deal he signed this summer. Previous articles in the series:
3) Two-stint former Flyers forward R.J. Umberger tweeted out some sad news this week. Speaking on behalf of the entire HockeyBuzz community, our thoughts are with the entire Umberger family as RJ's mother battles an especially aggressive form of cancer.
I’m not one to post much personal stuff on twitter but I do believe in the power of prayer. My mom was diagnosed this past week with Lung cancer that has metastasized to her brain. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she fights this awful disease!! Thank you ðŸ™
— RJ Umberger (@Umby18) July 24, 2019
4) Today in Flyers History: On July 25, 1988, the Flyers acquired young defenseman Terry Carkner from the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for defenseman Greg Smyth and a 1989 3rd-round draft pick (John Tanner). This deal proved to be one of the better ones during the latter portion of Bob Clarke's first tenure as Flyers general manager.
5) Today in Flyers History: On July 25, 1984, the Flyers signed rugged free agent defenseman Ed "Boxcar" Hospodar. He spent the entire 1984-85 and a portion of 1985-86 with the Flyers, before being traded to Minnesota. Hospodar then returned to the Flyers as a free agent in the summer of 1986 and spent the 1986-87 season with the team. Hospodar was a sixth/seventh defenseman during his time in Philly, dressing in 50 regular season games his first year (seven points, 130 penalty minutes) and 45 (four points, 136 PIM) in his return engagement in 1986-87. Most notably. Hospodar dressed in 18 playoff games in 1985 as the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Final, in five during the 1987 run back to the Stanley Cup Final, and he was centrally involved in the pregame brawl in Montreal prior to Game 6 of the Wales Conference Finals.