Well my power came back on at home this morning so it looks like I will be able to watch the Olympic hockey after all. I also got a long email from Doc Emrick yesterday afternoon who will be the lead play-by-play on NBC again this year. He reports that LA's Dustin Brown is still a question mark for US because of a hit. Another observation of his is that the women on every hockey team are just super nice because they normally don't get much attention and that he also saw former Flyer captain Kevin Dineen who is coaching Canada's women. Before the NHL players fly to Sochi tomorrow there is one more day of action so I am back in the pressroom right now (10:30 AM) at the WF Center as the Flyers finish up their pre-Olympic schedule with an afternoon tilt with my two old buddies’ (Brian Burke and Bob Hartley) Calgary Flames in their only visit to Philadelphia this year.
There is a big scouting contingent on hand with 15 scouts on the list from eleven different teams including Mark Howe (Detroit), Chris Patrick (Washington), Les Jackson and Dan O’Brien (both Dallas), Pat Verbeek and Jamie Pushor (both Tampa), Bill Guerin and Don Waddell (Pittsburgh), Mark Dobson (Winnipeg), Pierre Gauthier and Ryan Stewart (both Chicago), Larry Carrier (Montreal), Frank Effinger (Phoenix), John Ferguson Jr. (San José). and Shawn Dineen (Nashville). Today will be a good day for hob nobbing!!!
Paul Holmgrem, Ron Hextall, and pro scout Al Hill were all seen at "the Rock" last night for Oilers/Devils game but there are no scouts from either New Jersey or Edmonton here today -- at least on the pressbox list.
The Flyers lineup looks like this for this afternoon which is the same as in Thursday night's win over Colorado:
19 Hartnell - 28 Giroux - 93 Voracek 40 Lecavalier - 10 B. Schenn - 17 Simmonds 9 Downie - 14 Couturier - 24 Read 12 Raffl - 18 Hall - 36 Rinaldo
44 Timonen - 5 Coburn 41 Meszaros - 22 L. Schenn 8 Grossmann- 32 Streit
35 Mason 29 Emery
Scratches: Gustafsson, Rosehill, Gill
In lieu of flowers, the family said donations in Allen’s name can be sent to Flyers Charities, Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19148. Those wishing to send condolences to the family can send them to Joyce Allen, Sunrise of Newtown Square, 333 S. Newtown Street Rd., Apt. 306, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.
In case you missed it you can read my HockeyBuzz tribute to Keith, a friend for almost 45 years, at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Scoop-Cooper/The-passing-of-Keith-Allen-A-fond-farewell-to-Keith-the-Thief/86/57781.