PARKS BACK ON FLYERS PROSPECT RADAR SCREEN
After a difficult sophomore season at the University of North Dakota that was marred by a serious leg injury, forward Michael Parks enjoyed a bounceback junior campaign in 2013-14. The St. Louis native ranked second on UND in overall scoring, with 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists). Only Florida Panthers prospect Rocco Grimaldi (17 goals, 22 assists) outpaced Parks.
Drafted out of the USHL by the Flyers in the fifth round, 159th overall of the 2010 NHL Draft, Parks is a good case in point for the potential advantages of drafting collegiate-track players in the later rounds of the Draft. Unlike drafted players in the Canadian major junior leagues, whose NHL rights expire two seasons after their draft year, NHL teams have the duration of a collegiate player's remaining amateur eligibility to evaluate their progress. The player can develop at his own pace, rather than the team that drafts him being forced into a quick decision about whether to sign him.
In the case of Parks, by the time the Flyers have to make a final decision on whether to sign him to an entry-level contract, five years will have elapsed since his draft year. He will turn 23 next February. If the Flyers elect to sign him, they will have a more complete picture of his role than they would a comparable 20-year-old forward. Parks has unquestionably come a long way in his physical development and all around game in the years since Philly drafted him.
"I thought he had a good year after some nagging injuries," said Chris Pryor, the Flyers' director of scouting. "He was healthy and his game reflected that."
Parks is known as an all-situations player. In a sport that has increasingly become focused on puck possession, the forward consistently goes all out on the forecheck and works hard in the corners. He has developed a heavy game and is often difficult to take him off the pick. He had a quick right-handed shot release, and is particularly adept on wraparound attempts. Parks is also versatile enough to move between right wing and center.
International Scouting Services scout Paul Dionne said he believes Parks has the upside to eventually make the transition from a collegiate scoring-line player to an effective bottom six forward in the pros.
Said Dionne, "Michael is your prototype NHL energy player. However does have a bit of hands and skill to chip in offensively as well. He sees the game well and is a very intelligent hitter. Very smart, fast, energetic and refrains from taking bad penalties. He has excellent work ethic on and off the ice. Grew up playing roller hockey as a kid growing up in St. Louis. Think Max Talbot, but slightly more gifted offensively. I would take Michael Parks as my starting 3rd or 4th line NHL center any day of the week."
This past season, Parks was named an assistant captain on his team. He opened the season by posting five points in UND's first five games. Later in the season, he enjoyed dominant back-to-back games against Colorado College and then reeled off four straight multi-point games (against Omaha and Miami) in February.
As a sophomore, Parks sustained a leg injury before the start of the season and missed all but one game in the first half; leaving that game early. He finally returned to the lineup in early January for a weekend set of two games against 20th-ranked Holy Cross, scoring two goals and being credited with 15 shots on net in the two matches. Parks went on to rank second on the team with seven goals despite being limited to 25 games overall. However, he only had eight total points for the season; a step backward in his production rate from the 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists) he posted in 44 freshman games.
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FLYERS TO PLAY 16 NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES IN 2014-15
Roughly one of every five Flyers games during the 2014-15 will be featured on national television in the United States between NBC Sports Network and NBC. That includes the team's opening-night game in Boston and continues through the final weekend of the regular season.
Here is the full breakdown (all times Eastern):
Wed, Oct 8 @ BOS 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Tue, Oct 21 @ CHI 8:30 p.m. NBCSN
Wed, Oct 22 @ PIT 8 p.m. NBCSN
Wed, Nov 19 @ NYR 8 p.m. NBCSN
Wed, Nov 26 @ Detroit 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Fri, Nov 28 vs. NYR 1 p.m. NBC -- Black Friday Game
Tue, Dec 2 @ SJ 10 p.m. NBCSN
Wed, Jan 14 @ WAS 8 p.m. NBCSN
Tue, Jan 20 vs. PIT 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sun, Feb 15 @ Buffalo 7:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sun, Feb 22 vs. Washington 12:30 or 7:30 p.m. NBC
Tue, Feb 24 @ Carolina 7 p.m. NBCSN
Sat, Feb 28 vs NYR 8 p.m. NBC
Wed, Mar 25 vs CHI 8 p.m. NBCSN
Wed, Apr 1 @ PIT 8 p.m. NBCSN
Sun, Apr 5 vs PIT 12:30 or 7:30 p.m. NBC (if 12:30)/NBCSN
In Canada, the following Flyers games will be Hockey Night in Canada games on Rogers SportsNet:
Sat., Oct 11 vs. MTL 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct 25 vs. DET 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov 15 @ MTL 7 p.m.
Sat., Nov 29 @ NYR 7 p.m.
Sat., Dec 20 @ TOR 7 p.m.
Sat. Jan 3 @ NJ 7 p.m.
Sun. Jan 17 @ BUF 7 p.m.
Sat., Jan 31 vs TOR 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb 28 vs NYR 8 p.m.
Sun, Mar 15 @ OTT, 7 p.m.
Sat., Mar 21 @ EDM 10 p.m.
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15TH ANNIVERSARY OF TERTYSHNY ACCIDENT
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the horrific boating accident in British Columbia that took the life of young Flyers defenseman Dmitri Tertyshny. Tertyshny's wife, Polina, and son, Alexander, ended up settling permanently in Philadelphia. Polina was four months pregnant with Alexander at the time of Dmitri's death.
The following is an excerpt from a
related article that I authored for NHL.com in 2010.
The afternoon and early evening hours of July 23, 1999 started out pleasantly enough along Lake Okanagan. Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Dmitri Tertyshny, who had recently completed a promising NHL rookie season, went out for a day of boating in the Okanagan Valley near Kelowna, British Columbia, with fellow Russian defenseman, Mikhail Chernov, forward Francis Belanger and a local acquaintance of Belanger's. Tertyshny and Flyers minor league prospects Chernov and Belanger were taking a break from a summer power skating camp in Kelowna.
With Belanger piloting the rental boat, the other passengers were seated aboard the 17-foot vessel. At about 7:25 pm, the boat hit a steep wave and Tertyshny, kneeling on a seat on the bow, was thrown overboard. His friends watched in horror and anguish as the 22-year-old was run over by the power boat's propeller, which slashed his neck and jugular vein. Bleeding uncontrollably, an unconscious Tertyshny was brought back onboard as the boat returned to shore and an emergency crew arrived three minutes later.
The young player was rushed to Kelowna General Hospital, but it was already too late. He bled to death at around 7:30 p.m. while still on the boat.
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WEDNESDAY QUICK HITS
* Today also marks the
32nd anniversary of the passing of former Flyers right winger Larry Mickey. Plagued for years with emotional and personal problems, Mickey's life was never the same again after a head-on car accident in 1967 claimed the life of his wife, Eleanor, and left him with relatively minor injuries. Hockey became Mickey's only solace. When his career ended, he became increasingly despondent and a personal downward spiral ended with him committing suicide.
In the summer of 1971, the Flyers acquired Mickey from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Wayne Hillman. Named an assistant captain before the 1971-72 season, Mickey dressed in 14 games for the Flyers. He scored one goal and three points. On Nov. 16, 1971, the Flyers traded Mickey to the Buffalo Sabres for Larry Keenan.
Overall, Mickey played 292 games in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Kings, Flyers and Sabres. For his career, he notched 39 goals and 92 points. He was a much more prolific scorer in the minor leagues, but did manage a 15-goal NHL season for Buffalo in 1972-73.
* Looking for a breakdown of how the Flyers scored their even-strength goals last season? Kevin Christmann did a
detailed analysis of how many goals the Flyers scored by different means this past season. For instance, he found that seven of Philly's goals came directly off the faceoff in the offensive zone while 17 were scored in transition off neutral-zone turnovers by the opposition. For those who enjoy the Xs-and-Os of hockey, understanding how a team generates it goals is an important part of knowing which aspects of its game tend to be more effective than others.
* Alumnus Birthday: Defenseman Randy Jones turns 33 today. A member of the Philadelphia Phantoms' Calder Cup championship team of 2004-05, Jones dressed in 217 regular season games and 22 playoff tilts for the Flyers. He was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings in October 2009.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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