Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Quick Hits: Ratcliffe, Alumni & Simmonds

April 26, 2019, 9:11 AM ET [74 Comments]
Bill Meltzer
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Quick Hits: April 26, 2019

1) OHL Playoffs: Isaac Ratcliffe and the Guelph Storm will look to prolong their Western Conference Final series against the Saginaw Spirit on Friday night, as the teams meet in Game 5 of the series. Ratcliffe, who had a five-game goal scoring streak snapped on Wednesday, has eight goals and 17 points in 15 playoff games this spring.

On Wednesday, the Spirit grabbed a three games to one lead in the series with a 4-1 road win in Game 4. Guelph overcame a three games to zero deficit in the second round against the London Knights but are now once again in deep trouble. The winner of this series will play the powerhouse Ottawa 67's in the championship round. Ottawa is 12-1 in the playoffs so far, including a four-game sweep of the Oshawa Generals in the Eastern Conference Final.

2) At the recent "Friday Night Fights" event the Flyers Alumni held at 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia, the reboot of the 1980s era "Bruise Brothers" t-shirt was a big success. Flyers Alumni Association president Brad Marsh decided to order another run of shirts to accommodate the spillover requests from people who were unable to attend the event but wanted the shirt (only a couple were unsold that night, all in size medium). If you are interested in ordering one, click here for details. Orders must received by April 30. The cost per shirt is $30 (the cost of shipping is folded into the price).





3) Congratulations to former Flyers right winger Wayne Simmonds. For the second straight year, "Simmer" is a finalist for the NHL's Mark Messier Award. First presented in 2006-07, the Messier Award is presented "to a player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey."

Simmonds' list of community activities is one of the most extensive in the NHL. Most notably, during his time with the Flyers, his activities included his Wayne's Warriors program (local military members from different units attend 20 games per season as private suite guests of Simmonds, and meet him after the game) and Wayne's Road Hockey Warriors (a kids' street hockey program in his native Scarborough, Ontario, in which Simmonds and other NHL players participate). Additionally, since 2014, Simmonds has served on the board of directors of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation.
Join the Discussion: » 74 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Bill Meltzer
» Flyers Gameday: 3/28/24 @ MTL
» Wrap: Flyers Lose 6-5 OT Game to Rangers
» Flyers Gameday: 3/26/24 @ NYR
» Quick Hits: Flyers-FLA Wrap, Flyers Daily, Phantoms, Bigger than Hockey
» Flyers Gameday: 3/24/2024 vs. FLA; Phantoms Update