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PROSPECT UPDATES: JULY 27
* Flyers prospects Oskar Lindblom and Felix Sandström will take part in the Junior National Evaluation Camp tournament behind held in Lake Placid, NY from Aug. 1 to 8. The annual mini-tournament features hopefuls for the USA, Sweden, and Finland squads for the World Junior Championships. It coincides with a similar tournament taking place in Canada, featuring hopefuls for Team Canada, Russia and the Czech Republic.
Lindblom is a shoo-in for the Swedish WJC team barring injury. He played a strong tournament a year ago -- including a game in which he scored a hat trick -- and is likely to once again play on the Junior Crowns top line.
Sandström will be in a battle for one of three goaltending spots on the roster. He is more likely to earn playing time a year from now. Along with Robin Jensen and Erik Källgren (Coyotes 2015 seventh-round pick), Sandström is one of three goalies being evaluated. Incumbent U20 team starter Linus Söderström, a New York Islanders prospect who will turn 19 in late August, is not attending.
Team Sweden is already overseas and will remain in North America until August 9. Before going to Lake Placid, the Junior Crowns will be in Montreal. The team's Lake Placid schedule is as follows, with all practices and games being held at the Lake Placid Olympic Center's Herb Brooks Arena:
August 1: practice (11:00 AM-12:30 PM)
August 2: morning skate (9:45-10:15 AM), game vs. Team USA Blue (4:00 PM start)
August 3: morning skate (9:45-10:15 AM), game vs. Team USA White (4:00 PM start)
August 4: practice (1:00-2:15 PM)
August 5: practice (10:45 AM-12:00 PM)
August 6: morning skate (10:00-10:30 AM), game vs. Team USA (4:00 PM start)
August 7: morning skate (9:45-10:15 AM), game vs. Finland (4:00 PM start)
* Gritty minor league left winger Austin Fyten, who spent the 2014-15 season with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms, has signed to play for the Hershey Bears next season. In 64 games of mostly fourth-line duty last year, Fyten scored two goals, posted 11 points and compiled 85 penalty minutes.
1973: Completing a May 15 deal to reacquire the rights to goaltender Bernie Parent, the Flyers trade goaltender Doug Favell to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The swap sends Parent's rights and a 1973 second-round pick (Larry Goodenough) to Philadelphia in exchange for a 1973 first-round pick (Bob Neely) and a player to be named later.
Favell had been Parent's teammate for many years. They shared the net in junior hockey with the Niagara Falls Flyers, in the Boston Bruins' organization with the minor-league Oklahoma City Blazers and then in the NHL with Philadelphia for the first three-plus seasons of the Flyers' existence.
While Favell was generally a well-liked player and had his own measure of success, Parent was usually considered the more technically sound netminder. Favell was more of a guesser and tended to run hot and cold. However, it was not until after Parent received mentoring from Jacques Plante in Toronto and eventually returned to the Flyers that he blossomed into the Hall of Fame goaltender who backstopped Philly to the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup championships and won the Conn Smythe and Vezina Trophies both seasons.
Favell spent two-plus roller coaster seasons with Toronto and then finished out his NHL career with the woeful Colorado Rockies. In 1978-79, he returned to Philly at the AHL level with the Philadelphia Firebirds (who had become the Rockies' farm team).
1994: The Flyers sign unrestricted free agent third-line left wing Shjon Podein.
2000: For purposes of adding depth to the Philadelphia Phantoms roster, the Flyers purchase the contract of veteran forward Mark Freer from the IHL's Houston Aeros.
2004: The Flyers sign tough guy forward Josh Gratton to a two-year, two-way contract.
2005: The Flyers sign 2003 first-round picks Jeff Carter and Mike Richards to entry-level NHL contracts. On the same day, the club signs defenseman Alexandre Picard and forward Triston Grant to entry-level NHL contracts.
FLYERS ALUMNI BIRTHDAYS
Broad Street Bullies era defenseman Andre "Moose" Dupont (1949) and fellow blueliner Bob Hoffmeyer (1955) share July 27 birthdays.
Acquired from the St. Louis Blues midway through the 1972-73 season, Dupont went on to play 536 regular season games and 108 playoff matches with the Flyers. He was a member of both Stanley Cup winning teams in franchise history and went to the Finals four times in all during his Philadelphia career.
"Moose" may not have been the fleetest of skaters or the most disciplined of players, but he gave his all in every game and every shift. Dupont played on emotion and was a frequent fighter and punishing body checker. He topped the 200 penalty minute mark four times and topped 160 penalty minutes six times.
Dupont also provided occasional offense, topping 30 points twice. His exuberant leg-pumping, arm-rolling goal celebrations came to be known as "the Moose Shuffle." Dupont had seasons of 10 and 11 goals among the 42 regular season goals plus 13 playoff tallies he scored in orange and black.
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Dupont earned a spot in the NHL All-Star Game in 1975-76. The following year, he became the winner of the team's best defenseman award named in honor of former teammate and assistant coach Barry Ashbee. In Sept. 1980, after being given a contract extension as a "thank you" from general manager for his years of service to the team, Dupont was traded to the Quebec Nordiques. He finished out his NHL career with three seasons in Quebec.
After his playing days, Dupont served for a time (1991 to 1995) as a scout for the Ottawa Senators. He then became a full-time NHL player agent, based out of Trois Rivieres, Que.
It has been said that the reason why the Flyers drafted Bruno St. Jacques in the ninth round of the 1998 Draft was that general manager Bob Clarke did a favor for his former teammate Dupont. Supposedly, Dupont walked over to the railing and hollered over to Clarke to get his attention, telling him to choose his client with the 253rd pick (in total, there were 258 picks made in the nine-round Draft).
Any time a player drafted that late so much as appears in an NHL game, it's a bonus. An effective player for the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms, defenseman St. Jacques briefly played parts of two seasons for the Flyers at the NHL level before being traded to Carolina in the deal that brought Sami Kapanen to Philadelphia. In all, St. Jacques dressed in 67 NHL games with the Flyers, Hurricanes and Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
Hoffmeyer turns 60 years old today. Signed as a free agent by the Flyers in 1981, the former Chicago Blackhawks dressed in 57 games for Pat Quinn's team in 1981-82. That season, he chipped in seven goals, 27 points and 142 penalty minutes while posting a plus-13 rating at even strength.
Left unprotected in the annual waiver draft, Hoffmeyer was claimed by Edmonton. Eighteen days later, the Flyers traded the rights to prospect Peter Dineen (son of Bill, older brother of Kevin) to the Oilers to re-acquire Hoffmeyer. The defenseman went on to dress in 35 games for the Flyers in 1982-83, contributing 13 points and 40 penalty minutes.
Hoffmeyer also later played in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils. After his playing days, he served as an assistant coach for New Jersey under Jim Schoenfeld and then served as a pro scout for the Devils for 20-plus years.
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FLYERS ALUMNI FANTASY HOCKEY CAMP
The Flyers Alumni will host a fantasy hockey camp from August 21-24 in Atlantic City, open to anyone age 21 and older. Instructors and Alumni participants will include Bernie Parent, Brian Propp, Ian Laperriere, Todd Fedoruk, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Dave "the Hammer" Schultz, Joe Watson and Bob "the Hound" Kelly.
Participation costs $3,000 apiece and you can register a spot online. Over on the Flyers' Alumni website, there is more information on camp-related activities and on-ice schedules.
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