MELTZER'S MUSINGS: JUNE 10, 2015
1) At a jointly held press conference at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA, on Tuesday, the Flyers and Phantoms announced that the PPL Center will be the host venue for an NHL exhibition game on Sept. 21 between the Flyers and New York Islanders. It will be the first NHL game ever held in the Lehigh Valley. Last year, Flyers players participated in a mixed-squad scrimmage with Phantoms players at the inaugural hockey event at the PPL Center.
The game in Allentown will mark the start of the Flyers' 2015 preseason schedule. The rest of the preseason schedule will be released on Wednesday. In recent years, the Flyers had typically opened their schedule in London, Ontario, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In each of the last two years, the Flyers had done split-squad games with one group remaining at home for a game at the Wells Fargo Center and the other going to Canada for the game in London, Ont.
2) Today in 1995: The Flyers tie up the Eastern Conference Final at two games apiece with a rousing 4-2 road win over the New Jersey Devils. It is the Flyers' second straight road win in the series after dropping the first two matches at the Spectrum. Mikael Renberg takes first-star honors.
Goals by Shjon Podein, Renberg, Rod Brind'Amour (shorthanded, game-winner) and Eric Desjardins provide the offense despite Philly being held to 19 shots for the game by the Devils' smothering defensive style. Ron Hextall stops 32 of 34 shots to earn the win in goal. Renberg earns first-star honors.
For other notable June 10th events in franchise history, visit the Flyers Alumni official website.
3) The greater Philadelphia area will be getting its first team in North American Hockey League (the 22-team junior league, not the long-defunct professional minor league of the same name) this fall. The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees have relocated to Aston, PA, where they will become the Aston Rebels.
The team will play its home games at the Ice Works in Aston, which is managed and partially owned by Broad Street Bullies era Flyers defenseman Jimmy Watson.