From time to time, people ask me the whereabouts of former Flyers or Phantoms players who are no longer in the NHL or AHL. Following is a partial list of still-active players with past Flyers NHL (or at least AHL experience) who played in Europe last season and/or are signed to play overseas in 2012-13.
If there are additional still-active ex-Flyers players you want you know about, feel feel to post a question on the message board or drop me a line via Twitter.
Dmitry Afanasenkov -- He has mostly played in the KHL since last appearing in North America with the 2006-07 Flyers. The left winger spent last season in Switzerland with Fribourg-Gotteron but is slated to return to the KHL in 2012-13 with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
Johan Backlund -- After falling victim to injury and the roster number game over the last few years, the
Flyers loaned Backlund to Finnish team Kärpät Oulu in January of this year. The Swede played well enough to re-sign with Kärpät as a free agent after the season.
Oskars Bartulis -- Bought out by the Flyers shortly before the start of the 2012 free agency period, the Latvian defenseman recently a one-year contract with Ukrainian-based KHL club HC Donbass.
Jason Beckett -- A second-round bust drafted by the Flyers in the second round of the 1998 Draft, Beckett never reached the NHL. In recent years, he has bounced around minor league circuits in Europe, with a one-season stint in the EBEL. For the 2012-13 season, he is signed to play in the UK Elite League with the Nottingham Panthers.
Denis Bodrov -- A bust of a 2006 second-round pick, the defenseman has never emerged as more than an average KHL defenseman and had his ups and downs on the ice during an AHL stint with the Phantoms in 2009-10. Returned home for family reasons after the season. He's slated to play his third season with Spartak Moscow. Posted a KHL career-best 20 points last season but was a career-worst minus-17. He has only had one plus-rated season since moving up to the senior level of Russian hockey.
Pavel Brendl -- He has not changed much over the years; still has the hands to score goals in bunches when he sets his mind to it but remains a suspect skater and subpar defensive player with questionable work habits. He's bounced all around Europe since leaving North America. He spent the second half of last season
in Switzerland with the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, but was ineffective and disinterested. At least to start the 2012-13 season, he's returning to the Czech Republic to play for HC Pardubice.
Eric Chouinard -- The player whom Montreal chose over Quebec Remparts linemate Simon Gagne in the 1998 NHL Draft has found a long-term home in Germany's DEL following his disappointing NHL career in Montreal, Philadelphia and Minnesota. He's slated to enter his sixth season in the DEL; fourth with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers.
Andy Delmore -- Spent the 2010-11 season in Norway with Lørenskog IK and then split last season between Croatian-based EBEL team Medvescak Zagreb and Italian Serie A club SV Renon. He is slated to return to the EBEL in 2012-13 with Austrian team Graz 99ers.
Niko Dimitrakos -- During his brief time with the Flyers in 2005-06 and 2006-07, I once blogged that Dimitrakos "looks to be the type of player who is destined to do little in the NHL but may lead the Swiss League in scoring someday." Well, he's never done the latter, but Dimitrakos did have one highly productive offensive season (2008-09) in Sweden for Skellefteå AIK that he's been struggling ever since to duplicate. He's been around leagues and teams in recent years. He spent last season in Germany with Adler Mannheim and is slated to play for DEL team Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg in 2012-13.
Tomas Divisek -- The former Phantoms/Flyers forward
played a key role in HC Kometa Brno's surprise run to the Czech Extraliga finals last season. The now 33-year-old Czech forward will remain with Brno this season.
Jiri Dopita -- He is still an active player at age 43, playing for Czech minor league team HC Olomouc. Not-so-coincidentally, he is also the team's owner. Dopita dressed in 32 regular season games last season, recording 22 points.
Matt Ellison -- The forward the Flyers received from Chicago in exchange for fellow struggling young forward Patrick Sharp has gone on to become a top offensive player in his own right. Unfortunately for the Flyers, it's at the KHL level and not in Philadelphia. Ellison, who recently turned 29, will play his third season for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in 2012-13. Injuries limited him to 25 games (10 goals, 20 points last season) but he had a big year by KHL offensive standards in 2010-11, racking up 21 goals (tied for 9th in the league) and 50 points (9th in the league, one fewer point than Jaromir Jagr).
Robert Esche -- He spent the 2011-12 season in Switzerland's National League with Langnau after playing four years in the KHL with three clubs. The 34-year-old goaltender is currently a free agent.
Kyle Greentree -- An effective power forward at the AHL level, Greentree had a 24-goal season for the Phantoms in 2007-08 and dressed in two games with the Flyers that season. He later went on to have 39-goal (2008-09) and 30-goal (2010-11) seasons in the AHL. Injuries limited Greentree to 50 games with the Hershey Bears in 2011-12. He recently signed with Medvescak Zagreb of the EBEL.
Jan Hlavac -- He is slated to start the 2012-13 season in the Czech Republic for the Jaromir Jagr-owned HC Kladno club, but has an agreement with the club that he can leave at any time if he lines up a higher-paying contract outside the Czech Extraliga. Hlavac with the subject of last week's
Across the Pond feature at NHL.com.
Petr Hubacek -- A flash-in-the-pan for the 2000-01 Flyers, he was soon forgotten in Philadelphia but has continued to play in Europe ever since. He spent over a decade in the Czech Extraliga, but moved during last season to Finnish club JYP Jyväskylä and was part of the supporting cast on a championship team. The soon-to-be 33-year-old center is unsigned for the 2012-13 season.
Lars Jonsson -- A failed reclamation project for the Flyers in the mid 2000s who was originally selected by Boston with the 7th overall pick of the 2000 NHL Draft, Jonsson has been with Brynäs IF Gävle ever since. He won a Swedish championship with BIF last season. Currently injured, he has one season remaining on a three-year contract with BIF.
Tomi Kallio -- He only had a seven-game trial with the Flyers in 2002-03 after being released by Atlanta. Ever since, the little Finnish forward has played in the Elitserien in Sweden and occasionally appeared in international competition for Team Finland. Enjoyed eight-plus highly productive years for Frölunda. Last season, he moved on to play for the Växjö Lakers and will return for his second season in 2012-13.
Sami Kapanen -- The majority owner of Finnish SM-liiga club KalPa Kuopio, in which former Flyers teammates Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell are minority owners. Took a year off as an active player during the 2010-11 season due to chronic injury issues. Returned to the ice last season and missed significant time, but still managed to generate 25 points in 35 regular season games. He will try to play again this season, and has suited up in a pair of games for KalPa this month during the European Trophy tournament. Sami's son, Kasper, is a rapidly up-and-coming young forward in the KalPa system and was a standout for Finland's national U16 team last year.
Pat Kavanagh -- A surprise 2nd-round pick by the Flyers in 1997, Kavanagh played only 14 games in the NHL (8 with Philly in 2005-06 during a second go-around as a member of the organization). He's played in Europe since 2006, making stops in several different countries. Kavanagh spent last season in Austria's EBEL with the Vienna Capitals. He's signed for the 2012-13 season with Italian Serie A team Val Pusteria.
Lasse Kukkonen -- I profiled him recently in
Across the Pond at NHL.com. The shot-blocking specialist is set to play for Swedish Elitserien club Rögle BK Ängelholm next season after three seasons in the KHL for Metallurg Magnitogorsk and Avangard Omsk. Kukkonen is still a regular on Team Finland, frequently wearing an A as an alternate captain.
Joonas Lehtivuori -- Released by the Flyers organization before the start of last season after being sent home from the Adirondack Phantoms at his request the previous season, Lehtivuori had a decent season in Sweden for Modo. He'll return to the team in 2012-13. Former Flyers defenseman Ulf Samuelsson is Modo's head coach, while Peter Forsberg serves as the organization's assistant general manager (Markus Näslund is the GM).
Glen Metropolit -- A third-line/fourth-line plugger in the NHL, Metropolit has been
a top offensive player when playing in Switzerland's National League A. Won an NLA scoring championship in 2005-06 to get back in the NHL. He's been back in the Swiss circuit the last few seasons, where he resumed being one of the league's leading leading scorers. Transferred from EV Zug after last season and will play for HC Lugano next season.
Freddy Meyer -- Played half of last season in Sweden's Elitserien for Modo, but left the club in the latter part in the season due to ongoing concussion problems. Announced his retirement at age 31 and accepted an assistant coaching position with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs.
Petr Nedved -- Still
playing in the Czech Extraliga at age 40, Nedved is the captain of HC Bili Tygri Liberec (the Liberec White Tigers). He led the league in scoring last year, which is a reflection both of the weakness of the league nowadays and of his own renewed vigor and commitment to the game. After the club team season, he went on to post three goals and five points for the Czechs at the World Championships.
Janne Niinimaa -- It looks like his career is finally over at age 37. Chronic back injuries have crept up on him in recent years. Niinimaa played very well when healthy for Swedish club Luleå HF in 2010-11 but was ineffective in a brief
stint in Switzerland last season with the lowly Rapperswil-Jona Lakers.
Antero Niittymäki -- Niitty is
the subject of this week's NHL.com Across the Pond. He contemplated retirement this summer due to chronic hip problems that have resulted in the implantation of an artificial joint in one of his hips. However, he has opted to continue his career in Europe, and signed a one-year contract on Monday with Finnish club TPS Turku.
Vaclav Pletka -- He has been playing back home in the Czech Extraliga (minus a very brief stint in Russia) ever since the Flyers sent him packing before the end of the 2001-02 season. Now 33 years old, Pletka has remained a solid -- if one-dimensional -- offensive talent at that level. He split last season between Ceske Budejovice and Plzen, and will return to HC Plzen for the 2012-13 season.
Mika Pyörälä -- Things didn't work out too well for him in his one North American season in Philadelphia, but he immediately resumed his mantle as one of the better two-way forwards in Europe upon his return. After two strong seasons in Sweden for Frölunda, he was one of the more sought-after free agents in Europe this summer. He ultimately signed a deal with KHL club Amur Khabarovsk. Pyörälä remains a regular for Team Finland in international play, typically playing a defensive forward role at the World Championships. Along with Kukkonen and Ossi Väänänen, he was a member of Finland's gold-medal winning team at the 2011 Worlds.
Branko Radivojevic -- "Radio" has played in the KHL since last playing in the NHL for Minnesota in 2007-08. He tallied 27 points in 43 games for Atlant last season. The Slovakian winger changed teams in the off-season, and is slated to play for Spartak Moscow in 2012-13.
Randy Robitaille -- He has played mostly in Switzerland and Russia since last being seen in the NHL with Ottawa in 2007-08. Set to play his second season with the KHL's Metallurg Novokuznetsk in 2012-13.
Jared Ross -- Spent last season in the DEL with ERC Ingolstadt, averaging an even point per game (23 goals, 29 assists in 52 games). Will return to Ingolstadt in 2012-13.
Stefan Ruzicka -- The 27-year-old Slovakian winger has been in the KHL since 2008-09, where he has become an upper-echelon scoring forward. Had his best season to date last year for Spartak Moscow, compiling 22 goals and 40 points (more goals and the same number of points as Nikolay Zherdev produced last season). He will return in 2012-13 for his fifth season with Spartak. He played for Slovakia in the 2009 and 2011 Worlds.
Mike Siklenka -- Better known for his time as a rugged defenseman with the Philadelphia Phantoms than his one-game NHL stint with the Flyers, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Siklenka has primarily played in Austria's EBEL since the mid-2000s. In 2012-13, he's slated to play his third season with Klagenfurter AC.
Radovan Somik -- The Slovakian forward has become a mainstay for Czech Extraliga club HC Pardubice, where he won a championship last season. Now 35 years old, he will return in 2012-13 for his sixth season with the club.
Patrick Thoresen -- The small but speedy Norwegian couldn't buy a goal in the NHL for the Oilers or Flyers, but he has been an offensive star at every other level -- Swedish Elitserien, QMJHL, AHL, Swiss National League, KHL and IIHF World Championships. Playing on the top line for Team Norway, he had a
dominant 2012 World Championships, with 18 points in 8 games. During his four seasons back in Europe after leaving Philly, Thoresen has received several offers from NHL teams to return to North America. However, the proposals always have been two-way contracts, with no assurances of being placed in the mix to compete for a regular NHL job. In Europe, Thoresen enjoys top-line ice time, plays in all situations and earns more money than he would on the AHL portion of a two-way contract. He will return to SKA St. Petersburg in 2012-13 for his second season with the KHL club.
Jussi Timonen -- Kimmo's younger brother has become a mainstay for KalPa Kuopio's blueline since returning from North America. He will play his fifth consecutive season with the club in 2012-13.
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen -- After two years with Modo, where he served as team captain last season for head coach Ulf Samuelsson's club, the Norwegian defenseman has switched Swedish teams. He'll play for Färjestads BK Karlstad in 2012-13. In international competition, Team Norway relies on him to be a physical defensive defenseman.
Ossi Väänänen -- The affable (off the ice) defenseman is the team captain for Finnish club Jokerit Helsinki, slated to play his third season with the club. Before that, the game but slow-footed defender spent one season in the KHL after finishing up his NHL career with the Flyers and Canucks in 2008-09. Now 32, Väänänen still plays on the Team Finland blueline on an annual basis at the World Championships.
Nikolay Zherdev -- He had an uneven 2011-12 season in the KHL for Atlant Mytishchi, playing dominant hockey during some stretches and then becoming invisible for 5-6 games at a time. In other words, Zherdev hasn't changed a bit. Statistically, he had a decent year (16 goals, 40 points) for Atlant last season and he'll return to the club in 2012-13. Despite his bouts of inconsistency, Zherdev played in the KHL All-Star Game last season and was a member of Russia's gold medal winning team at the 2012 IIHF Worlds (2 goals, 6 points in 10 games).
*************
Flyers Travel: Rosemont - La Petite-Patrie section of Montreal
Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the world. Even apart from hockey season, it is worth a visit at least once in your life. While in the city, Flyers fans may want to at least briefly pass through the Rosemont - La Petite-Patrie borough, which is located east of central Montreal. That is where the greatest goaltender in franchise history -- the one and only Bernie Parent -- was born and raised.
Note: The following is excerpted from my two-part
Heroes of the Past profile of Bernie at the Flyers' official Web site.
Bernard Marcel Parent was born on April 3, 1945, at his family's home at 1443 Cutureau in Rosemont. He was the seventh and youngest child of 42-year old Claude and 37-year old Emilie Parent. The other children were named Yvan, Raymonde, Marie-Claude, Therese, Jacques, and Louise.
Shortly before Bernie was born, his mother was very ill with pneumonia. For the first few months of his life, Bernie's sister, Raymonde, and cousin, Denise, took care of him until Emilie regained her strength. Claude, a machine operator for Canada Cement Company, did not make a lot of money but the children were well-provided for and the family unit was close-knit.
Most of the Parent children were good students. Claude and Emilie stressed education and kept after their children to buckle down with their studies. Most of the children went on to college. Bernie's sister, Marie-Claude, in fact, was the teacher of Bernie's third grade class. Bernie's brother Yvon became a clinical psychologist.
Unlike his brothers and sisters, Bernie did not enjoy school at all. He enjoyed sports. Hockey became his first passion, followed by baseball.
Yvan and Jacques Parent were the ones who got Bernie started in hockey. From an early age, he played street hockey, wearing boots and using a tennis ball for a puck. At the age of seven, his parents gave him his first pair of ice skates for Christmas. Yvan and Jacques would work with their younger brother in the backyard. Initially, he wanted to be a forward.
Because Bernie had good balance but was a poor skater, Yvan suggested he try goaltending. Bernie was excited about the idea at first because his hockey idol was legendary goaltender Jacques Plante. He soon changed his mind about goaltending, though, because he hated wearing the goalie equipment. He felt clumsy and had a hard time moving around in it. Yvan told him he would do fine.
Yvan Parent coached a local bantam team. Bernie was recruited to play goal, using borrowed equipment (it was not until he was twelve that he finally got goalie gear of his own). Although it took a while for Bernie to fully embrace the idea of being a goalie, he eventually came to excel at the position. Often playing on outdoor rinks at sub-zero temperatures, all young goalies back then learned to play a standup style.
Parent's mother and father were supportive of their son's interest in hockey, although they would have preferred he paid more attention to school.
Emilie attended almost all of her son's midget and junior league games. Claude was not able to attend very often but he would make it up to his son by taking him on hunting and fishing trips near Mt. Laurier in northern Quebec. Bernie acquired his love of the outdoors from his father, a passion that has continued throughout his life and became one of his prime means of relaxation away from the game.
As he hit his teens, Parent emerged as a goaltending star. He moved up from St. Victor's to Rosemont, earning rave notices, while developing under the patient tutelage of Roger Picard, Herve Lalonde, and Jacques St. Jean. Parent has always given his early coaches a large share of the credit for his later success as a pro in the NHL.
Bernie also continued to idolize Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacques Plante. For a time, Plante's sister, Therese, lived next door to the Parents, who had moved when Bernie was ten to 1885 Rue de Bruxelles (a short distance from the house where he had spent his early childhood).
Bernie became obsessed with meeting his idol, but he didn't have the nerve to approach Plante directly. Whenever word spread in the neighborhood that Plante would be coming to visit his sister, Bernie and his friends would run across the street and hide behind the bushes, waiting until they could catch a glimpse of him stepping out of his car and going inside. Little did Parent suspect at the time that his fantasies of being tutored by Plante would someday come true as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Parent continued to excel for Rosemont and he was widely sought after by many prominent junior clubs. A major turning point in Parent's young life occurred after he was recruited by the Niagara Falls Flyers, a well-known junior program in Ontario.
For one, the move to Niagara Falls ended Bernie's school career, much to the dismay of his parents. Secondly, it was his first widespread exposure to the English language. Last but not least, it removed Parent from the domain of the Montreal Canadiens.
In the pre-entry draft era of the National Hockey League, NHL clubs had the right to lay territorial claims to junior teams. The Canadiens had a virtual monopoly in the province of Quebec, thus assuring that most of the best francophone talent was funneled to the Habs.
Bernie, who dreamed as a child of playing for the Canadiens, certainly had no aversion to playing for Montreal. But the chance for accelerated development in Niagara Falls was more important at the time.
After an understandably bumpy start, Parent settled in and became one of the top junior goalies in Canada. In his final junior season, he led Niagara Falls to the Memorial Cup. In the spring of 1965, Parent was signed by the Boston Bruins to his first pro contract.
*************
Please sign up for Flyers Buzz. For more information
click here.
Click below to follow me on Twitter:
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»