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Quick Hits: September 9, 2021
1) Today on the Flyers official website, we have a feature article on Travis Konecny. The lengthy offseason -- 158 days between the 2020-21 regular season finale and the 2021-22 regular season opener come Oct. 15 -- has given a chance to take a step back, put last season in the rearview mirror and hopefully start moving forward again.
We all know that the 2020-21 season was a major disappointment for the Flyers team as a whole and Konecny individually. That came on the heels of Konecny struggling to score during the 2020 playoffs in the Bubble in Toronto. However, it's easy to forget now that Konecny actually got off to a torrid start offensively last season -- hat trick in the season's second game, five goals and eight points through seven games.
People are tired of hearing about the Covid factor and the lack-of-practice effect being used as an excuse for teams and players. That is understandable. In Konecny's case, however, these issues probably contributed to his down season. While his Covid case, thankfully, was not nearly as severe as what new teammate Rasmus Ristolainen experienced, Konecny did have moderate symptoms.
On the physical side, there was a marked drop-off in Konecny's effectiveness for a full month after his return. It wasn't just that his goals and assists dropped off amid what was a teamwide disastrous month of March. For weeks, his energy level was noticeably lower on the ice. He generated fewer shots and from less-dangerous areas. When Konecny is on his game, he's often stirring the pot. Whether it's darting into the scoring areas or getting under the skin of opposing players, you notice him. In March, there were a lot of games where the player was not noticeable.
I don't think it's a coincidence that right after the Flyers finally got a mini-break in their schedule after playing 17 games in 31 days during March, Konecny rattled off a five-game point streak to start April. A bit of rest and some much-needed practice time did him a lot of good. Again, it wasn't just about points alone. Konecny was generating more overall (a combined 17 shots on goal) and higher quality shot attempts during that span.
He didn't truly sustain that upswing -- the Flyers as a whole and Konecny as an individual player had an inconsistent remainder of the season -- but Konecny did finish back on the upswing over the final seven games.
There's also the mental component of last season. Every player's day-to-day life routines were interrupted and some players handled that better than others. In Konecny's case, though, it had to be exceptionally tough. His fiancee, Karly, was pregnant with the couple's first child and Konecny spent a lot of time in isolation due to the team-wide COVID outbreak and his own illness. For the safety of Karly and their unborn child, Konecny spent a lengthy period quarantined in a room by himself.
It's easy to forget sometimes that these are human beings. I don't envy any of the players, but especially not Konecny in particular, for what it must have been like despite the team's illusory 11-4-3 start heading into March. Does it excuse everything? No, but it does offer at least a plausible partial explanation.
Konecny is now back in Voorhees, working out at the Skate Zone with teammates. Karly gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Rhett, back on Aug. 14. It's a new beginning for the family and a new hockey season for Konecny.
2) Lehigh Valley Phantoms broadcaster Bob Rotrock was Yariv Wolok's guest on the most recent Flyers Knitty Gritty Podcast. Bob broke down the many changes in Allentown since last season, including an all-new coaching staff as well as the prospective roster mix coming opening night. At least on paper, depending on how the Flyers NHL roster numbers game plays out in training camp and the degree to which injuries come into play, the Phantoms potentially could have a very deep and talented roster to further build off the 18-7-6 season posted by the 2020-21 roster.
3) Sept. 9 Flyers Alumni birthday: Len Hachborn
Offensively talented forward Len Hachborn was born September 9, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario. He spent parts of the 1983-84 and 1984-85 seasons with the Flyers after being selected by Philadelphia in the ninth round (184th overall) of the 1981 NHL Draft.
As a rookie for Bob McCammon's Flyers in 1983-84, Hachborn produced 11 goals and 32 points in 38 regular season games. He also dressed in three playoff games.
The following year, with Mike Keenan now at the coaching helm, Hachborn appeared in 40 NHL regular season games, notching 22 points (five goals, 17 points). The 5-foot-10 center appeared in four playoff games (three assists) during the 1985 playoffs as the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Final.
A series of injuries set back Hachborn during his time with the Flyers. In late January of 1984, he sustained a serious knee injury. The next season, Hachborn dealt with a badly bruised wrist, a sprained shoulder and minor injuries from a late January 1985 automobile accident.
Hachborn started the 1985-86 season back in the AHL with the Hershey Bears (12 goals, 34 points in 23 games). On Dec. 6, 1985, the Flyers sold his contract to the Los Angeles Kings. The player went on to appear in 24 games with the Kings.
Hachborn remained an active player through the 2000-01. His post-NHL travels took him not only through several additional AHL stops but also various clubs in Europe and other North American minor leagues.
As a youth, Hachborn was a close friend with fellow Brantford native Wayne Gretzky. After his playing days, Hachborn settled permanently in Portland, Maine. He was inducted into the Brantford area Sports of Fame at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre in September 2020.
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