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FLYERS ALL-PROVINCE, ALL-NATIONS FANTASY TEAMS
With no end in sight to the coronavirus pandemic and the corresponding NHL pause, here's a way for Flyers fans to pass the time: I have created an updated version of the Canadian province, All-nations Flyers fantasy teams that I did in the summer of 2012. Readers had fun debating the starting lineups and then voting on a winner of head-to-head matchups. Let's do it again.
The rules: All teams consist of three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender plus a head coach selection. In order to be eligible for inclusion on a team the play must either have been born in that province/ nation OR raised there OR have played there during his junior hockey career.
For example, Hearst, Ontario native Claude Giroux is eligible either for Team Ontario or Team Quebec because he played his junior hockey in the QMJHL for the Gatineau Olympiques. Rod Brind'Amour is eligible either for Team Ontario (born in Ottawa) or Team British Columbia (raised in in Prince Rupert and Campbell River, BC). Sean Couturier was raised in Bathurst, NB and internationally represents Canada but was born in Arizona, so he is eligible either for "Team Maritimes" or Team USA. You could also put Couturier on Team Quebec if you so desired, because he played in the QMJHL for Drummondville.
The goal is to create as competitive of a tourney as possible with some flexibility in creating the rosters. Therefore, I am assigning Couturier to Team Maritimes, as much to beef up one of the thinnest rosters in the tourney as to represent the fact that, in real life, he is more closely associated with Bathurst than his American birthplace.
Second rule: Every roster selection must be associated with a specific season of his Flyers career. For instance, if you pick Jaromir Jagr for Team Czech Republic, you get the 2011-12 version of the player and not Jagr from the pre-Flyers pinnacle of his prime. If Sergei Bobrovsky is your Team Russia goalie, you get the 2010-11 (or 2011-12) version of him, and not the Columbus Blue Jackets version that won the Vezina Trophy twice.
For the coach selection, he must either have been a Flyers coach or a former Flyers player who moved on to coaching.
When we are done selecting rosters, we'll do a round-robin preliminary round and playoff tournament to determine winners via reader vote. These are the rosters I chose.
Team Ontario
LW: Bill Barber -- Callendar, ONT (1975-76 season)
C: Eric Lindros -- London, ONT (1994-95 season)
RW: Tim Kerr -- Windsor, ONT (1986-87 season)
D: Chris Pronger -- Dryden, ONT (2009-10 season)
D: Bob Dailey -- Kingston, ONT (1977-78 season)
G: Bob Froese -- St. Catherines, ONT (1985-86 season)
Coach: Mike Keenan -- Bowmanville, ONT
Team Quebec
LW: Simon Gagne -- Sainte-Foy, PQ (2005-06 season)
C: Claude Giroux -- Hearst, ONT (2017-18 season)
RW: Danny Briere -- Gatineau, PQ (2010-11 season)
D: Andre "Moose" Dupont -- Trois-Rivieres, PQ (1974-75 season)
D: Eric Desjardins -- Rouyn-Noranda, PQ (1996-97 season)
G: Bernie Parent -- Montreal, PQ (1973-74 season)
Coach: Terry Murray -- Shawville, PQ
Team Manitoba
LW: Pat Falloon -- Foxwarren, MAN (1995-96 season)
C: Bobby Clarke -- Flin Flon, MAN (1975-76 season)
RW: Reggie Leach -- Riverton, MAN (1975-76 season)
D: Travis Sanheim -- Elkhorn, MAN (2019-20 season)
D: Ted Harris -- Winnipeg, MAN (1974-75 season)
G: Ron Hextall -- Winnipeg, MAN (1986-87 season)
Coach: Fred Shero -- Winnipeg, MAN
Team Saskatchewan
LW: Scott Hartnell -- Regina, SASK (2011-12 season)
C: Brayden Schenn -- Saskatoon, SASK (2015-16 season)
RW: Brian Propp -- Neudorf, SASK (1984-85 season)
D: Ed Van Impe -- Saskatoon, SASK (1973-74 season)
D: Brad McCrimmon -- Plenty, SASK (1985-86 season)
G: Glenn "Chico" Resch -- Moose Jaw, SASK (1986-87 season)
Coach: Keith Allen -- Saskatoon, SASK
Team Alberta
LW: Murray Craven -- Medicine Hat, ALTA (1987-88 season)
C: Ron Sutter -- Viking, ALTA (1988-89 season)
RW: "Cowboy" Bill Flett -- Vermillion, ALTA (1972-73 season)
D: Braydon Coburn -- Calgary, ALTA (2007-08 season)
D: Tom Bladon -- Edmonton, ALTA (1975-76 season)
G: Carter Hart -- Sherwood Park, ALTA (2019-20 season)
Coach: Vic Stasiuk -- Lethbridge, ALTA
Team British Columbia
LW: Ron Flockhart -- Smithers, BC (1981-82 season)
C: Rod Brind'Amour - raised in BC (1993-94 season)
RW: Mark Recchi -- Kamloops, BC (1992-93 season)
D: Jimmy Watson -- Smithers, BC (1975-76 season)
D: Joe Watson -- Smithers, BC (1974-75 season)
G: Darren Jensen -- Creston, BC (1985-86 season)
Coach: Pat Quinn (longtime Vancouver resident when he coached the Canucks)
Team Maritimes (NB, NS, PEI)
LW: Al MacAdam -- PEI (1973-74 season)
C: Sean Couturier -- raised in Bathurst, NB (2017-18 season)
RW: Forbes Kenney -- born in NB, raised in PEI (1967-68 season)
D: Randy Jones -- Quispamsis, NB (2007-08 season)
D: John Stevens -- Campbellton, NB (1986-87 season)
G: Wendell Young -- Halifax, NS (1987-88 season)
Player/Coach: John Stevens (Campbellton, NB)
Team USA
LW: John LeClair -- St. Albans, VT ( 1996-97 season)
C: Jeremy Roenick -- Boston, MA (2001-02 season)
RW: Paul Holmgren -- St. Paul, MN (1979-80 season)
D: Mark Howe -- Detroit, MI (1985-86 season)
D: Shayne Gostisbehere -- Pembroke Pines, FL (2017-18 season)
G: Brian Boucher -- Woonsocket, RI (1999-2000 season)
Coach: Peter Laviolette -- Frankin, MA
Team Sweden
LW: Pelle Eklund -- Stockholm (1989-90 season)
C: Peter Forsberg -- Örnsköldsvik (2005-06 season)
RW: Mikael Renberg -- Piteå (1994-95 season)
D: Kim Johnsson -- Malmö (2003-04 season)
D: Kjell Samuelsson -- Tyngsryd (1987-88 season)
G: Pelle Lindbergh -- Stockholm (1984-85 season)
Coach: Ulf Samuelsson -- Fagersta (NHL assistant coach, AHL and SHL head coach)
Team Finland
LW: Ilkka Sinisalo -- Valkeakoski (1984-85 season)
C: Ville Leino -- Savonlinna (2010-11 season)
RW: Sami Kapanen -- Kuopio (2003-04 season)
D: Joni Pitkänen -- Oulu (2005-06 season)
D: Kimmo Timonen -- Kuopio (2007-08 season)
G: Antero Niittymäki -- Turku (2008-09 season)
Coach: Tomi Kallio -- Turku (coach/scout after playing days)
Team Russia
LW: Andrei Lomakin -- Voskresensk (1991-92 season)
C: Alexei Zhamnov -- Moscow (2003-04 season)
RW: Valeri Zelepukin -- Voskresensk (1998-99 season)
D: Ivan Provorov -- Yaroslavl (2019-20 season)
D: Dmitri Yushkevich -- Chrepovets (1992-93 season)
G: Ilya Bryzgalov -- Togliatti (2011-12 season)
Coach: Slava Butsayev -- Moscow (CSKA Moscow head coach)
Team Czech Republic
LW: Jakub Voraccek -- Kladno, CZE (2014-15 season)
C: Vaclav Prospal -- Ceske Budejovice, CZE (1996-97 season)
RW: Jaromir Jagr -- Kladno, CZE (2011-12 season)
D: Petr Svoboda -- Most, CZE (1995-96 season)
D: Miroslav Dvorak -- Hluboka, CZE (1982-83 season)
G: Roman Cechmanek -- Gottwaldov, CZE (2000-01 season)
Coach: Milos Holan -- Bilovec, CZE (head coach in Extraliga, including Sparta Prague)
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Quick Hits: April 3, 2020
1) Best wishes for a happy birthday and many even happier returns to the day go out to legendary Flyers goaltender Bernie Parent, who celebrates his 75th birthday today. The Hall of Fame netminder won back-to-back Vezina Trophies, back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophies and back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Flyers 1973-74 and 1974-75. Later, he served as goaltending coach, confidant and father figure to the late Pelle Lindbergh.
2) There is an encouraging update to yesterday's item on former Philadelphia Phantoms forward Andre Payette. He is now back in a safe place and his family in Canada has gotten in contact with him. He has a very long road ahead of him but a vital first step has been taken.
3) Today in Flyers History: On April 3, 1980, Reggie Leach hits the 50-goal milestone for the second time in his Flyers career, and do so in grand fashion. Leach records a hat trick in a 4-2 comeback win at the Spectrum against the Washington Capitals. LCB linemate Bobby Clarke assists on all four Flyers goals, including a late second-period goal by defenseman Jimmy Watson (fifth of the season) that sends the game to third period tied at 2-2 before Leach scores twice more in the final stanza.
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