As noted first on
Euroflyers' blog, Johan Backlund has been much slower to recover from postseason hip surgery than initially anticipated. He is six weeks behind schedule in his projected timetable at the time of the surgery.
Originally slated to be on crutches for two weeks, the 29-year-old contender for the Flyers' backup goaltender spot remained on crutches for eight weeks at home in Sweden.
Backlund is now back in the Philadelphia area, where he is slated to begin physical rehabilitation under the Flyers' auspices. He still hopes to be ready for the start of training camp on Sept. 11, but that will depend on what the doctors say and how rapidly the rehab progresses.
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Back on June 22, former Flyers goaltender Wayne Stephenson passed away in Madison, Wisc., after a lengthy illness. He was 65.
A bronze medalist with Team Canada at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, Stephenson was best known in the NHL as the capable backup to Hall of Famer Bernie Parent. The Fort William, Ontario native was good enough to have been the starting goalie on many NHL teams. He was a frequent starter in St. Louis before coming to the Flyers, and a starter on the talent-starved Washington Capitals after his five-season stint with Philadelphia came to an end.
Stephenson started in place of the injured Parent for much of the 1975-76 season and was the starting goaltender both during the Flyers historic victory over the Red Army and their unsuccessful attempt to defend their two consecutive Stanley Cups in the Final against the Montreal Canadiens. He also started nine playoff games the following year.
The highly intelligent, highly competitive Stephenson frequently chafed about playing second fiddle to Parent. The two men were never particularly close although there was mutual respect. Years after his career ended, Stephenson finally conceded that he was a backup to Parent for a good reason -- Bernie was the superior goaltender and deserved the lion's share of playing time.
After his playing days ended in 1981, Stephenson went on to a successful career in banking and made his permanent home in the midwestern US. When he became terminally ill, his sons attended the closing ceremony at the Spectrum on their father's behalf.
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