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Quick Hits: May 7, 2022
1) Sami Kapanen spoke with members of the Philadelphia media on Friday via Zoom from his home near Kuopio, Finland. He discussed the path that brought him back to the Flyers' organization for his new role as European league development coach and pro scout. Among other topics, he also discussed the development of 2021 second-round pick Samu Tuomaala and what the player will need in order to be a successful pro and, perhaps eventually, an NHLer.
Immediately after the Zoom presser, Kapanen had a 20-minute conversation with Jason Myrtetus and me for Flyers Daily. Many of the questions in this interview were geared toward discussing some Kapanen's hockey philosophies.
Among other topics, Kapanen discussed the value of young athletes playing multiple sports before focusing exclusively on hockey, the fact that (unlike when he played successfully in the NHL despite being one of the smallest players in the league) lacking height is no longer considered a huge obstacle to a pro career like it was in the mid-1990s, why there are so many successful Finnish pro players despite the country's relatively small population; the influence of Finnish goalie coaching methods on Russia and other hockey countries; and how seeing the game from so many different sides (as a player, coach, team owner, general manager, national broadcaster, player agent and now a development coach and scout) has given him a broader understanding and appreciation of both the big-picture and fine details of the sport.
The Flyers Daily interview will go live on Monday morning as part of the weekly "Mondays with Meltzer" edition of Flyers' Daily. Video of the Zoom interview with the beat writers is below:
Watch live as Flyers European Player Development and Pro Scout Sami Kapanen meets with the media to discuss his new role in the organization. https://t.co/cKIaWkxFeX
2) The Flyers Quebec Pee Wee team is departing tomorrow for the Quebec International Pee Wee Tournament. The tourney will open on Sunday with a game against the Quebec-based team that Simon Gagne coaches,
3) Today in Flyers History: May 7, 2000
A hat trick by Flyers defenseman Andy Delmore spurs the team to a 6-3 home win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Daymond Langkow, Dan McGillis, and Mark Recchi also scored for the Flyers. Brian Boucher made 29 saves to earn the win.
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