According to Finnish news site YLI.fi, Flyers power forward Scott Hartnell has
had a discussion with KalPa Kuopio general manager Kimmo Kapanen (Sami's brother) about playing for the SM-liiga team in the event of an NHL lockout.
Kapanen also indicated that Kimmo Timonen is unlikely to play for KalPa during a lockout due the offseason back surgery he underwent. Timonen can use the extra time to rest and prepare for a shortened NHL season if need be.
The majority owner of KalPa is ex-Flyer Sami Kapanen, who is also still an active player on the team. Timonen and Hartnell own minority shares. Timonen's younger brother, former Flyers defenseman Jussi Timonen, is also a member of the team.
As is the case with all of the smaller budget teams in Europe, the issue of paying for NHL players' insurance during a lockout could be a stopping point for KalPa. Among other teams, Jaromir Jagr's HC Rytiri Kladno (Kladno Knights) club in the Czech Extraliga also must consider this expense before moving forward in recruiting NHL players in the event of a lockout.
*******
Bob Clarke has gone on record in the past in saying that, if it were his decision to make, the Flyers would unretire his No. 16 jersey and allow other players to wear it. Likewise, during Mark Howe's long wait to have his No. 2 jersey retired by the club, the best defenseman in team history made it clear that he was not in the least offended that many players wore his number in the years after he left the club.
For many fans, however, there is a sentimental attachment in associating a uniform number with a certain player. I am personally in favor of jersey retirements, so long as they are done very sparingly. I certainly approve of them for Hall of Fame players such as Clarke, Howe, Bernie Parent and Bill Barber.
I also think it is justified that the Flyers honored Barry Ashbee's legacy by retiring #4 and that Pelle Lindbergh's #31 jersey has been "unofficially retired" since his death in 1985 -- the difference of circumstance makes it appropriate in my opinion (and, yes, I hold that position even as the co-author of a Lindbergh biography). The Flyers also have the Ashbee, Lindbergh and Yanick Dupre Awards, going respectively to the club's best defenseman, most improved player and the player who best illustrates character, dignity and respect for the sport both on and off the ice.
At any rate, I am very much someone who associates numbers with athletes. For example, the Voorhees exit (exit 32) on I-295 en route to the Flyers' practice facility will always be the "Carlton/Craven Exit" to me. I have been known to create PIN numbers and memorize parking space numbers in large lots based on players' uniform numbers. I just find it easier to remember that way.
So on this Aug. 28 with little Flyers-related news to discuss and an NHL lockout looming in 18 days, I thought it might be a fun little exercise to run through uniform numbers and see which player(s) is most associated with it. You can often tell someone's age by their choices.
The only two rules for this exercise: You can only choose ONE player per number and can only select a player once. For example, for No. 27, you'll have to make a choice between Reggie Leach and Ron Hextall, even though both Flyers Hall of Fame members wore the number with distinction. Meanwhile, Bernie Parent was No. 30 during his first stint with the Flyers (Doug Favell wore No. 1) but you can't pick Parent both for No. 1 and No. 30.
Here are mine:
1 Bernie Parent
2 Mark Howe
3 Tom Bladon
4 Barry Ashbee
5 Kim Johnsson
6 Andre "Moose" Dupont
7 Bill Barber
8 Mark Recchi
9 Pelle Eklund
10 John LeClair
11 Ron Flockhart
12 Tim Kerr
13 Dan Carcillo
14 Joe Watson
15 Rich Sutter
16 Bobby Clarke
17 Rod Brind'Amour
18 Mike Richards
19 Rick MacLeish
20 Jimmy Watson
21 Peter Forsberg
22 Rick Tocchet
23 Ilkka Sinisalo
24 Sami Kapanen
25 Keith Primeau
26 Brian Propp
27 Ron Hextall
28 Claude Giroux
29 Joel Otto
30 Garth Snow
31 Pelle Lindbergh
32 Murray Craven
33 Pete Peeters
34 John Vanbiesbrouck
35 Bob Froese
36 Dennis Seidenberg
37 Eric Desjardins
38 Frank Bathe
39 Marty Murray
40 Aris Brimanis
41 Andrej Meszaros
42 Josef Beranek
43 Martin Biron
44 Kimmo Timonen
45 Vaclav Prospal
46 Josh Gratton
47 Luca Sbisa
48 Danny Briere
49 Michael Leighton
50 Scott Sandelin
51 Randy Jones (briefly)
52 Todd Fedoruk (briefly)
53 Jason Bown (briefly in 1993-94 preseason)
54 Brian Wesenberg
55 Chris Gratton
56 None (Claude Giroux wore it in first training camp and emergency callup)
57 None
58 Bill Armstrong
59 None
60 None
61 Mike York
62 Jiri Latal (briefly in 1989-90 preseason)
63 None
64 None
65 Nate Guenin
66 Yanick Dupre (NHL debut game on Oct. 6, 1991)
67 None
68 Jaromir Jagr
69-76 None
77 Paul Coffey
78-86 None
87 Donald Brashear
88 Eric Lindros
89 Mike Comrie
90 None
91 None
92 None (I chose Rick Tocchet for #22)
93 Jakub Voracek
94-96 None
97 Jeremy Roenick
98 None
99 None (Retired leagewide for Wayne Gretzky)
******************
Earlier this summer, I presented my idea for the next Flyers Hall of Fame induction: A dual ceremony honoring Jimmy Watson and Brad McCrimmon. Now I'd be interested in seeing whom the Flyers feel should be the next Flyers Hall of Fame inductee (assuming only one player will be chosen). Thereafter, it will be time to move on to the 1990s era or perhaps put it Rick Tocchet and then move on.
Now it's the readers' turn to vote.
******************
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:
»