Bill Meltzer Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSS
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For many hockey fans, there is a sentimental attachment in associating a uniform number with a certain player. I know that 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 in New Jersey 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 hockey or baseball players' associated uniform numbers. I just find it easier to remember that way.
On this Labor Day weekend with little Flyers-related news to discuss before the start of training camp, I thought it might be fun to re-do a little exercise of running through uniform numbers and see which Flyers player(s) is most associated with it. You can often tell someone's age by their choices. For instance, is "your" Flyers number 12 most associated with Gary Dornhoefer, Tim Kerr or Simon Gagne?
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 (also Dave "the Hammer" Schultz)
9 Pelle Eklund
10 John LeClair
11 Ron Flockhart
12 Tim Kerr (tossup with Simon Gagne, honorable mention to Gary Dornhoefer)
13 Dan Carcillo
14 Joe Watson
15 Rich Sutter
16 Bobby Clarke
17 Rod Brind'Amour
18 Mike Richards
19 Rick MacLeish (although Mikael Renberg is one of my all-time favorite Flyers)
20 Dave Poulin (just as easily could have been Jimmy Watson)
21 Peter Forsberg (honorable mention to Dave Brown)
22 Rick Tocchet
23 Ilkka Sinisalo
24 Sami Kapanen
25 Keith Primeau
26 Brian Propp
27 Ron Hextall (tossup with Reggie Leach)
28 Claude Giroux
29 Joel Otto
30 Ilya Bryzgalov
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 Claude Boivin (Vincent Lecavalier will take over as soon as he plays a game)
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 Bowen (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 leaguewide for Wayne Gretzky, but no player would have the nerve to try and wear it even if it wasn't)
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Saturday Quick Hits
* In QMJHL preseason action yesterday, Flyers 2013 first-round pick Sam Morin was minus-one and was ejected from the match on a game misconduct in Rimouski's 6-3 loss to Victoriaville. Early in the second period, Morin took exception to a hit from behind by Victoriaville's Carl-Antoine Delisle and drew roughing and fighting penalties. Midway through the period, Morin got a cross-checking major and a game misconduct.
This was the Oceanic's final preseason game. In three exhibition games, Morin had one assist and was minus-four. The QMJHL Web site lists 14 penalty minutes for him from last night's game, but that does not include the game misconduct.
Morin is unlikely to earn an NHL spot this season but will attend the Flyers rookie camp before returning to Rimouski. He leaves for Philadelphia on Frday.
* In Swedish preseason SCA Cup action earlier today, Flyers 2013 second-round pick Robert Hägg did not record any points or penalty minutes and had an even (+0, -0) plus-minus in Modo's 4-0 win over Leksand. Yesterday, Hägg had no points or penalty minutes and was even (+2, -2) in plus-minus in Modo's 6-3 win over minor league team Sundsvall. In four preseason appearances to date, Hägg has scored two power play goals for two points and is plus-one.
* Today in Flyers' history: On this date in 1977, the Flyers playing career of original team member Joe Watson came to an end. The team sold his contract to the Colorado Rockies.
* The Flyers' official site ran some video footage of current and former Flyers players practicing at the Skate Zone in preparation for the start of NHL training camps. Defenseman Braydon Coburn ran the session, and participants included Kimmo Timonen, Matt Read, Zac Rinaldo and Adam Hall. Former Flyers at the practice included Danny Briere and Justin Williams.
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