Quick Hits: September 1, 2021
1) The Flyers' 2021 Development Camp will wrap up today at the team's official training facility in Voorhees. The highlight of the final day will be a 3-on-3 scrimmage. For a look at the takeaways from Day 3 of the camp,
click here.
2) The Wednesday edition of the Flyers Daily podcast features a one-on-one interview with recently signed center Derick Brassard. In another segment, Jason Myretetus and I discuss the value of teams conducting Development Camps in the summer and some of the players who could parlay their offseason into strong September camps. We also discuss some of the adjustments that prospect Samuel Ersson faces as a young goaltender moving from the SHL in Sweden to the American Hockey League game. The final segment features Flyers senior advisor Mike O'Connell discussing this year's Development Camp and his observations on various prospects in camp (a transcript of O'Connell's press conference follows at the end of today's blog).
3) Yesterday, the Flyers formally announced the creation of a new process to induct worthy candidates into the Flyers Hall of Fame. There will be an induction ceremony in 2021-22 for the first time since five-time NHL All-Star and two-time Stanley Cup champion Jimmy Watson went into the Hall in February 2016. The Hall selection process went dormant following the passing of Ed Snider a few months later, and remained inactive until the new process and committees were created this summer.
There is a two-step process for selection. First, a Nominating Committee creates a list of candidates based on criteria either tied specifically to the merits of a playing career with the Flyers or, via lifetime contributions to the organization as a whole.
The Nominating Committee creates a long list of candidates worthy of consideration and then narrows it down to a short list of nominees to be voted upon for 2021-22 induction. The process is intended to be repeated in future years. There is presently a backlog of viable candidates, which will take multiple years to work through.
The second phase is a vote by the Selection Committee, which is a separate entity. As tough as narrowing down the list on the front end of the process, the final vote on who gets inducted immediately is arguably even tougher to render. I do not know whether there will be only one inductee this coming season or more than one.
There are no "voting categories" per se, unlike the Hockey Hall of Fame's Player and "Builder" (coaches, GMs, owners, officials, etc.) designations and their separate categories for writers (Elmer Ferguson Award) and broadcasters (Foster Hewitt Award). In other words, the Flyers Hall of Fame selection criteria, both in the past and present, allow for players (Bernie Parent and Tim Kerr, for example) and overall service legacies within the organization (Ed Snider, Keith Allen, Fred Shero. etc) to be considered in the same candidate pool.
Both the Nomination and Selection Committees are comprised of current Flyers Hall of Fame members and other Flyers Alumni, members of the Flyers front office, broadcasters, and current/past members of the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA). I was extremely honored to be included as part of the nominating committee.
Once the 2021-22 inductee or inductees are selected, the Flyers will identify a home game this season at which the organization will conduct a pregame ceremony to enshrine the newest member(s) of the Flyers Hall of Fame.
Dave Scott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Spectacor and Governor of the Flyers, said in a statement, "We’re incredibly proud of our franchise’s storied history, and the Flyers Hall of Fame is an important way to honor individuals who have shaped the legacy of our organization. When young Flyers fans visit our arena, they see names like Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, and Eric Lindros displayed in the rafters and have an opportunity to learn about the legends who have made the Flyers one of the NHL’s truly great hockey franchises. That’s what this tradition and this process is all about – celebrating and building the legacy of the Philadelphia Flyers for generations to come.”
4) The third annual Gritty 5K will take place on Nov. 6, 2021. Proceeds benefit Flyers Charities. Participants will run or walk on the typical 3.1 mile course that starts at the Wells Fargo Center complex, loops through the Navy Yard, heads up Broad Street and back to the Wells Fargo Center. For the second straight year, there will also be a virtual participation aspect. Last year, runners from all 50 states and 10 different countries participated virtually. For more information,
click here.
5) Today in Flyers History: September 1, 1988
On this date 33 years ago, the Flyers traded backup goaltender Wendell Young and a 1990 seventh-round pick (forward Mika Valila) to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a third-round pick in the 1990 Entry Draft. The Flyers used the pick two years later on incoming Providence College freshman defenseman Chris Therien. "Bundy" would go on to play the most regular season games (753 regular season games plus 99 playoff games) of any defenseman in franchise history and his cumulative traditional plus-minus rating (+126) ranks eighth among defensemen in team history.
6) Today in Flyers History: September 1, 2020
One calendar year ago today, the Flyers earned a 4-3 overtime victory over the New York Islanders in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The win forced a sixth game of the series and staved off elimination.
For the second time in the series, Philadelphia was unable to protect a two-goal lead in the third period. Fortunately, for the second time, the Flyers rescued a victory in overtime. Scott Laughton's deflection of an Ivan Provorov point shot found the net at 12:20 of the extra frame.
After a scoreless first period, a controversial Mathew Barzal power play goal at 1:20 of the second period -- challenged for goaltender interference but upheld -- gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead. Later, a Claude Giroux deflection at 15:45 and a James van Riemsdyk goal on a 3-on-1 rush at 18:18 sent the Flyers to the second intermission leading 2-1. Matt Niskanen added an early third period insurance goal but late goals by Brock Nelson scored from distance at 15:46 and Derick Brassard from the doorstep at 17:19 forced overtime.
Carter Hart earned the win with 29 saves on 32 shots. Semyon Varlamov took the loss with 28 saves on 32 shots.
7) Dating back to their 2020 playoff series through the regular season series between the two clubs this past season, nine of the last 15 games between the Flyers and Islanders have been decided beyond regulation. Three of the seven games in their 2020 playoff series went to overtime, with the Flyers winning all three (New York won all four games that were decided in regulation (4-0, 3-1, 3-2, 4-0). During their eight-game season series with the Islanders in the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 regular season, the Flyers posted a 3-1-4 mark.
8) Sept. 1 Flyers Alum birthday: Harry Zolnierczyk (1987).
9) Netflix features a new documentary series called "Untold: Crimes and Penalties", which focuses on the Danbury Trashers team from the defunct United Hockey League (UHL); a lower minor league circuit beneath the AHL level and roughly comparable with the ECHL of the time. As with the ECHL, the UHL was a fight-filled league in which a player collecting 300 PIM in a season might not even get him in the top five and 250 PIM wouldn't be in the top 10.
The Trashers, who lasted two seasons (2004-05 to 2005-06), were owned by mobster Jimmy Galante of Genovese crime family infamy. Galante entrusted his then 17-year-old son, A.J., to be the general manager and run the day-to-day operations of the hockey team.
Galante envisioned his team becoming something of a latter-day version the Charlestown Chiefs; the roughest, toughest team in a league known for regular fisticuffs. They brought in beefy former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Roman Ndur, former Philadelphia Phantoms and Johnstown Chiefs (among many other teams) enforcer Garrett "Rocky" Barnett as a playing assistant coach, rugged forward Gerry Hickey and even Brad Wingfield (who previously posted a professional hockey record 576 penalty minutes in a single season for the Elmira Jackals).
Apart from Burnett, several other players with Philadelphia Phantoms ties spent time playing for the Trashers. Two members of the 1998 Calder Cup winning squad and Spectrum fan favorites Frank "the Animal" Bialowas and defenseman Dave MacIsaac later had stints with Danbury. So did power forward Francis Belanger, who had a 10-game NHL stint with Montreal in 2000-01 after leaving the Flyers' organization.
National Hockey League player Mike Rupp, then a member of the Phoenix Coyotes, played in Danbury in 2004-05 when a season-long lockout caused the cancelation of the NHL season. Wayne Gretzky's younger brother, Brent, brought along his famous surname and a point-per-game season to the Trashers in their first year. Feisty and skilled undersized former Hershey Bears center Bruce Richardson led Danbury in scoring (87 points) and collected 138 PIM.
The Trashers were a winning team during their short existence. They posted a 44-29-7 record and reached the second round of the playoffs in their inaugural season. In their second and final year, they won the Eastern Division with a 48-17-11 record and reached the finals in the playoffs before losing to the Kalamazoo Wings in five games.
The Netflix documentary is highly entertaining, and you'll see some familiar faces amid the colorful story. It's definitely worth a watch.
10) On a somewhat similar note, there is good documentary material fodder to be mined from future WWE mogul (then third-generation regional WWWF promoter and TV announcer) Vince McMahon's foray into minor-league hockey team ownership of the Cape Cod Buccaneers in 1981-82. McMahon had similar ideas to tinker with hockey rules in similar fashion to his original ideas behind the infamous XFL as an alternative to the NFL. However, his ideas for rule changes like eliminating icing and offside to allow the puck to be played anywhere at any time in order to ratchet up the entertainment level were shot down quickly by the league and the other owners.
McMahon also wanted to add elements of pro wrestling to the marketing of his hockey team. Specifically, he encouraged his players to record colorful promos about what they were going to do to whatever opposing team or designated tough-guy player was the next to come to the Cape Cod Coliseum. The Bucs players were less-than-enthusiastic about that idea.
The Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL) itself was a shambles, with two separate teams that had the same owner among its many quirks. Amid constant in-fighting, the one the other owners and league officials could agree upon is that they wanted to get rid of the maverick McMahon as soon as possible.
HockeyBuzz's own Paul Stewart played for the Buccaneers, which folded midway through its lone season. He told that story a few years ago in his
blog entitled "Walk Like a McMahon".
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Mike O'Connell transcript
After Tuesday's Development Camp session in Voorhees, Mike O'Connell spoke to the media via Zoom. The recently hired senior advisor to Chuck Fletcher on player development discussed his reasons for stepping down from the LA Kings after 15 seasons to come to the Flyers. He also discussed his observations from the Flyers' camp and specific players.
The 65-year-old O'Connell is one of the most experienced hockey men in the business and has worn many hats over the years: a longtime NHL defenseman (860 GP from the mid-70s to 1990), NHL assistant coach and interim head coach for the Bruins, NHL assistant GM (Bruins, under Harry Sinden) and GM (Bruins, 2000-01 to 2005-06), director of player development (Kings) and senior advisor to the GM in Los Angeles for 15 years. Former Kings general manager Dean Lombardi helped Chuck Fletcher recruit O'Connell to come work for the Flyers.
Below is a transcript of O'Connell's media availability, courtesy of the Flyers' Brian Smith and Allie Samuelsson:
Mike, this is probably the first time you had a chance to look at the Isaac Ratcliffe, can you tell us your impressions of him? Is there anybody that has surprised you in camp? It's only been a few days, but anybody that's open your eyes and maybe showing you something you didn't expect?
Well, I'll get to Isaac first. He's big guy, for sure. Again, I'm just getting to know all these players for the first time and it takes a little while since we have so many players in. Enthusiastic. He's got a great range. He has an NHL body. So far, from what I've seen with this, I think if we can really help define his game, what we feel is going to be best for him to have the best impact on not only his career, but the success of the Flyers. I think that's what we have to help him just identify his game.
A lot of these players come up through junior ranks. They have success. The first three or four years, sometimes it takes a little time to understand what he can do, what's part of his game is going to be a successful transition to the National Hockey League. We'll be working on that with him. So far so good for me. He’s an extremely likable young man and works hard.
With regards to the who's impressive, a lot of young impressive athletes here. For the most part, the attention to detail and how they follow directions has been outstanding. They're very willing. I really look forward to working with them all and getting them to realize the dreams that they started back when they were young, young men, so young kids. I look forward to digging in with these young men.
In regards to York and Zamula, the guys said they've been roommates this weekend. Was that done on purpose? Because maybe the Flyers see them as a potential pair down the road either in Philadelphia or this season in the American League and you want to start building that chemistry.
I don't know if that's the case or not. Sometimes maybe they're comfortable together. They're both outstanding prospects. Different games each of them, but they probably know each other from the last couple of years. It's probably it’s familiarity. If we can build the chemistry off ice as well as on the ice for these guys, they both have successful careers ahead of them it looks like. If that chemistry off ice relates to really good chemistry on ice or vice versa, I'm all for it. Both these players are important to us. We have to make sure we do everything we can to make these the best players that we can for the Flyers.
You mentioned just in regard to those two guys being different styles of play, different games. What has stood out about each of them individually and then maybe as you've seen them as a pair together?
They're both high IQ players. They both see the ice very well. Different skill sets, of course. Egor is a much bigger player, stature-wise. Very smooth with the puck. Probably not as dynamic as Cam is. Both very smooth. Cam is a little bit more dynamic. Quicker hands, probably more of a compact player of course, but both are extremely smart. One has length. One doesn't have the length, but I think that Zamula’s length is going to really help him defending. Cam’s foot speed and agility is getting in and out of tight situations and being able to make the quick plays are going to be very effective. Both are going to, I think, have great capabilities that have been extremely effective on not only in the NHL, but on a winning NHL team.
One of the players who's probably closest to maybe making that full-time jump to the NHL is Morgan Frost. He's got time in the NHL before. He was in the NHL when he got hurt. He’s coming off the surgery and been rehabbing. Do you see a lot of rust in his game coming off of the layoff? Where do you think he stands at this camp in terms of health and just his all-around game?
I'm a little bit of a disadvantage. I really don't know Morgan that well as a player. I met him a few times off ice and worked with him a little bit on the ice. I'm just getting really familiar with what his game is all about. But I've had lengthy discussions with the development team as well as upper management about where this guy could end up. Very, very quick. Sees the ice extremely well. He looks like he's going to be a point producer in the NHL to me. Whether he's rusty now or not, I don't know. I haven't been following his career. I'm digging in a little bit with watching his games from last year and watching his practice habits so far this year.
But I like what I see. He's a young player. He has all the tools. We just have to do what we can to get him in those game situations where he can show them off and help the team. I wish I could give you a better answer on that. Unfortunately, I don't know him as well yet. Give me a couple of weeks and I'll have a better answer for you by then.
Obviously, you spent a long time in the Los Angeles Kings organization, what drove your decision to move to Philadelphia? How much of a role did the presence of Dean Lombardi play?
Well, that's a good question. I think that the real reason I made the move. I was extremely happy in Los Angeles and they are a great organization. We've had some great success there and really enjoyed the people I worked with out there. It came time for me to make a decision on if I wanted to do my job correctly, I need to spend a certain amount of time in whether it be LA, or Philadelphia. I made the decision that I had to be little close to my family.
I've got a growing family. I've got six grandkids. As you know, in this business and been in this business for a long time, you miss quite a bit. I think it was my time to stop missing as much so I made the decision. I told Los Angeles I most likely wouldn't be coming back. Then Dean reached out and we've had a great run, myself and Dean. We've similar backgrounds growing up in the Massachusetts-Boston area. He played a role in this.
I met with Chuck and really like what they have in place here. It worked out. I'm extremely happy to be here and be part of the Flyers organization. Growing up in Boston when you tell people you're going to move over to the Flyers, there's a little bit of a grumble because of the intense rivalry the Bruins and the Flyers have had over the years. A couple Flyers hats and a couple flyers t shirts has kind of push that aside and my family's embraced it. I’m really looking forward to becoming an important part of the Flyers structure and hopefully, help them win a Cup down the road.
First, just in general terms with the camp. Is there a little bit of a different emphasis in this year development camp as opposed to a typical one? Just based on the fact that normally it's the beginning of July, the end of June, with a lot of homework for players to work on the offseason whereas now it's right before camps.
Absolutely. Good question. There is a difference because these guys are two weeks away from starting the season. We backed off the time constraints or the time period we're on the ice. We want to make sure that they're going in the season feeling healthy. Whereas you said, development camp is usually held late June, usually early July. We get a hold of them and we can probably give them a little bit more work. We're very cognitive. We want to make sure we give these players as much as we can. We don't want to overdo it with them. We want them coming into the season healthy, so they have a great showing at training camp. Give them, especially the players who are signed, the ability to make the teams they want. They want to do the best they can at camp and have the best showing. It's a different camp altogether.
Also, we want to make sure that we give our young players, the recent draft picks who haven't been to these development camps, the opportunity to understand what the Flyers are about and how the development is going to work for them. Really what's important to be a Flyer. What you need to, what you need to understand if you're going to play for the Philadelphia Flyers. You have to do this, this and this to play. A little bit of education for the younger players, but also as well as the older players who've been around. There's an emphasis of getting these guys into proper shape physically, mentally, emotionally, for the start of the training camp.
When you look at a young player, just drafted like Tuomaala, for example, who's skating jumps out, hands jump out. How important is developmentally to keep in mind all along that the overall game, the physical and the mental side of it too that has to develop at certain point?
It's extremely important. He's a fun player to watch. Every time he gets on the ice, he kind of brings me out of seat watching this kid go. Very enthusiastic. We just want to educate him as much as possible in a short period of time. He's going to be a fun player to watch and fun player to develop. Language has increased and improved dramatically since he's been here. Hopefully, we'll send him the right message when he leaves us. We'll just get to spend a little bit of time with him over the course of this year and kind of watch how he develops. Help him develop. We're looking forward to having this young man in the organization for a long time.
If could ask you about a player on the Flyers’ NHL roster? I believe you have some experience with Martin Jones. Could you maybeu just tell us a little bit about him as a player and as a goalie?
Sure. When he started when I was in Los Angeles, but he started in Manchester, where our minor league team was for many years. We had a goalie coach. Actually Kim Dillabaugh, currently our goalie coach here, worked with him and I of course, got to know Marty. Marty became a LA King. From the relationship we built in development camps, the relationship continued.
He had some outstanding years in San Jose. We didn't get to see him as much because of the trade, but outstanding hockey. I watched a lot of his hockey when he's in San Jose. Wasn't the greatest structure to play goalie for last year in San Jose. I think that the structure, the defensive structure of a team, has a huge impact of a goaltender’s performance. When we signed him, I was extremely happy for him. He's an outstanding teammate, an outstanding person. Understands the roles of a number one goal. He understands the role of a number two goalie. He also understands how to be a great teammate. He works hard in practice. Dedicated himself to his profession. I think he could be a big, big plus here for the Flyers.
You probably didn't get a chance to Wade Allison very much, if at all, last season. What have you seen of him and what you've liked about him so far from what you've seen at camp?
First off, he's a terrific, enthusiastic kid. Very personable. Loves the game. Right off the bat, watching his first couple of workouts, it was really his shot that impressed me. Boy, he's got an incredible release. An NHL shot. Those are my first impressions after watching him a few times.
Just in some of the drills, he's got some things that I think we can really help him with. Experience will really help him, but he's a hockey player. Looks the part. He looks in great shape. We just have to make sure we put him in those right situations. Give him the necessary confidence that the young players need. They come up and they come down.
We've got to make sure we fill in those times when his confidence might lack or he might get too confident. I think he's got a really good chance to be an outstanding NHL player. Get him to use that shot. Get him in the open spots. Get him to understand where his spot is on the ice, where he's going to score the most. Looks like a scorer to me. I'm excited about his future.
Going back a little bit to your time in the Kings organization, you had a lot of success there and you kind of held a different number of different hats while you were within the organization. Were there kind of any takeaways you had from your time in that organization that you might bring over to the Flyers? Or are you kind of just right now learning the structures and then you'll kind of take things as they go?
Well, that's a good question. I think your job evolves over time. I was there for 15 years. When Dean first brought me in, I think he had an idea what I was going to do, but I don't think he really understood what it might evolve into. We did a lot of different things. I guess what I did really learn and really came to understand, which is extremely important in development of young players, is really establishing those relationships with those young players. To get them to buy in. You've got to sell them. They have to buy what you're selling, I guess. That is really the key, understanding their game, understanding where they are in their career, understanding where their weaknesses and their strengths are.
Start with their strengths and through positive reinforcement, just basically their relationship. When it gets to those certain times, when it's a difficult time for the players, they're going through a tough time, either with the coach or with their career or when their confidence is low. They can rely on you to help them and help pull them through. It just continues like that. That's really the number one thing. I think as you go forward in any kind of career, you find a way to realize that every player is different.
The way you teach one player is different from the way you approach another player. I think that just that experience that I've had dealing with the number of draft picks that came through or free agents that came through. I look forward to bringing that experience here to the Flyers. Hopefully build those relationships, have some fun and win some games.
In regard to Allison again, we talked to him the other day he said he really felt refreshed mentally because he actually got the train because he had some injuries and was doing rehab as well as training. Just in your experience of development, how much better can that make a player when he doesn't have that mental baggage of having to rehab an injury and not trusting his shoulder, his arm, his knee, his ankle, whatever, and how much can that benefit a player moving into the season as he's looking to learn and continuous development?
It's huge. Huge for him to come in being healthy, feeling good, feeling fresh, and not worried about injuries. These young players today, there's so much maintenance that goes into their game even when they're healthy. If we can eliminate that maintenance required when a player is injured and just have him focus on his performance. Have him basically take the rest he needs and to be able to rest his body. To come to the rink fresh every day, focused and feeling healthy about it. You go to work and you're banged up.
You've got to take care of that before you have to perform. It's an added weight. Young player trying to prove himself in the best league in the world makes it even more difficult. Having him fresh, having him in the right frame of mind physically is only going to promote his mental health and his confidence. To deal with all the little setbacks are going to happen when you're playing in the best league in the world or trying to play in the best league in the world. The mistakes they’re going to make and how to get through them. To remove that whole physical part of it, the whole injury [concern] part of it, is huge.
How important is it for the veteran guys, the older guys use this as a little bit of a boost for getting ready for training camp rather than just being there for the younger guys? Is there a difference there between the veterans pushing the younger guys? Or is it more of them to just be ready for camping, pushing for a roster spot?
I've had the pleasure of dealing with hockey players all along. No matter what team you've ever played on, most players have been a rookie at one time and a veteran at one time. It's just part of playing the game. You're a first year Bantam. Then you’re a second year Bantam and you have first year Bantams coming in. There's a responsibility that they learn from the older guys to try to help them through.
It's just a continuing process that you do. From when you really start getting serious about the game, you're a rookie. You're maybe a veteran for one year or two years, then you move on. You go to high school, or you go to college or whatever. That's no different than right now in the development camp. Some players have been here for three or four years. They understand what these young kids are going through.
Basically, from what I see so far, they've been outstanding. They lead the drills. They want to do the drills correctly. They clean up after themselves. They show the utmost respect for the trainers. It just happens perpetually. As an organization and as developers, we have to help set that tone as well to make sure that there's healthy respect for the people who helped them get better, the people who run the facility, the coaches as well as the trainers and everyone.
It's a good question, but I think it just happens organically. The fact that there's hockey players that have been through it all along. They've been great to all the players as expected.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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