Quick Hits: June 16, 2020
1) Flyers rookie left wing Joel Farabee is among the growing number of players working out daily at the Skate Zone in Voorhees during Phase 2 of the NHL's return-to-play plan. There are no coaches on the ice, and there can be no more than six players on the ice or in the locker room for each group. No media is allowed at the sessions, either, so Flyers senior director of communications Zack Hill served as a pool reporter to obtain quotes from Farabee.
During their conversation, Hill asked Farabee about what it will be like to play empty-arena games in a designated "hub" city.
"You've got to create your own energy and you've got to get up for games. And I think the best team that is able to do that is the one that's going to come out on top. So I think it'll be a cool experience. Obviously, we want fans there. We won't be playing in front of fans but we want everyone to be healthy and be safe. So, that's what we got to do and we'll go with that," Farabee said.
Other topics covered include the length of prep time to get ready for the seeding round-robin and what it will take to regain the sort of momentum the Flyers built over the final 26 games before the NHL had to pause the season due to the coronavirus pandemic. A full article will appear on the Flyers website.
2) Flyers defense prospect Egor Zamula, whose final junior season ended right after his strong performance for Team Russia at the World Junior Championships, had successful back surgery and is one of the players working out at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. According to an interview he did with a Russian news outlet,
Zamula will attend the Flyers camp in Phase 3 in July.
Ivan Provorov has taken Zamula under his wing and is helping the tall and lanky 20-year-old get acclimated as they train in the same group, according to the article. Although he won't see any game action in Phase 4, Zamula wants to use it as a learning experience and prep time for his first pro season in 2020-21.
Zamula posted 28 points (seven goals, 21 assists, +19) in games in the Western Hockey League this season before leading Team Russia's defense corps in ice time along with chipping in five points (two goals, three assists) at the WJC. Thereafter, he had to be shut down to get back surgery to correct a degenerative condition.
3) ICYMI: A
feature article looking at the case for Vigneault to win the Jack Adams Award this season was posted on the Flyers' official website yesterday.
4) Today in Flyers History: R.J. Umberger
According to Flyershistory.com, today coincidentally marks the anniversary dates both of the beginning of R.J. Umberger's NHL career in Philadelphia and the end of his second stint in the organization.
A first-round pick (16th overall) by the Vancouver Canucks in 2001, Umberger was a standout for the U.S. national junior team program and then for three seasons at Ohio State. Umberger never came to terms with Vancouver, who traded his rights to the New York Rangers. Umberger decided to explore other options instead and became a highly sought free agent. On June 16, 2004, the 22-year-old center/winger signed with the Flyers.
There was no NHL season in 2004-05 due to the inability of the NHL and NHLPA to come to terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Umberger nevertheless made the most of the campaign, as the rookie led the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms in scoring during the regular season. During the Calder Cup playoffs, with the arrivals of Jeff Carter and later Mike Richards supercharging the Philly roster, Umberger moved down in John Stevens lineup. The Phantoms won the Calder Cup championship.
The next year, Umberger made his NHL debut and enjoyed a 20-goal season for the Flyers. The biggest highlight of Umberger's first stint with the Flyers, however, came in the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens. Along with the goaltending play of Martin Biron, Umberger was the biggest reason why the Flyers won the series in five games. . During that series, Umberger racked up a staggering eight goals and nine points in the five games.
Salary cap constraints necessitated a trade that sent soon-to-be restricted free agent Umberger from the Flyers to the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 20, 2008. In return, the Flyers received a 2008 first-round pick (defenseman Luca Sbisa) and 2008 third-round selection (defenseman Marc-Andre Bourdon).
Umberger was a fine two-way player for most of his Columbus career, but played mostly for struggling teams. Nevertheless, he compiled four straight seasons of 20-plus goals. He topped out at 26 goals in his first year in Columbus despite often playing a third-line role at even strength.
Umberger went through a tough season in 2013-14. He dealt with a series of nagging injuries and also spent stretch as a healthy scratch; the first time that had happened to him at any level of hockey. Nevertheless, he still managed to lead the Blue Jackets in power play goals and tallied 18 goals and 34 points overall in 74 games.
In late June of 2014, a now 32-year-old Umberger returned to the Flyers in a trade that sent fan favorite power forward Scott Hartnell to Columbus. Unfortunately, Umberger's second stint with the Flyers was neither as productive nor as happy as the first.
He struggled mightily with injuries and ineffectiveness during the 2014-15 campaign. The next season, he felt and played better in what was almost a strictly a part-time role on the fourth line. Goals remained elusive as he scored two goals and 11 points in 39 games, bringing his Flyers second-stint offensive totals to 11 goals and 26 points in 106 games.
On June 16, 2016, the Flyers bought out Umberger from the remaining season on his contract. He never played in the NHL again. In Sept. 2017, Umberger accepted a training camp tryout invitation from the Dallas Stars at the behest of Ken Hitchcock, who had previously coached Umberger both with the Flyers and Blue Jackets. The 35-year-old player gave it his best shot but was not offered a contract by the Stars.
For his NHL career, Umberger dressed in 779 regular season games (180 goals, 212 assists, 392 points) and 30 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs (14 goals, 20 points).
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