Quick Hits: Feb. 7, 2022
1) The Philadelphia Flyers return to practice on Tuesday at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees. The team is likely to have Derick Brassard ready to practice in full and potentially return to the lineup on Wednesday when they host the Detroit Red Wings at the Wells Fargo Center. According to Mike Yeo in his final press conference prior to the All-Star break, fourth line center Patrick Brown may also be nearing a return to the lineup.
2) Flyers Daily: In the Feb. 7 edition of Flyers Daily, Jason Myrtetus and I wrap up the NHL All-Star break. We talk about Claude Giroux winning the All-Star Game MVP and why, although it's a nice feather in his cap to add to the accolades he's accumulated in his career, it doesn't really affect the bottom line for the Flyers or the player. We talk about some trade possibilities if Giroux waives him NMC (for example, Jason favors targeting Colorado defenseman Samuel Girard, while I'd insist on forward Alex Newhook as the primary component of a deal with the Avalanche, over and above the importance of a first-round draft pick).
Jason and I also talk about goals we'd like to see the Flyers realize over the rest of the season (getting NHL roster players such as Joel Farabee and prospects such as Wade Allison and Tyson Foerster healthy, seeing Morgan Frost and Cam York take forward steps toward NHL breakthroughs in 2022-23, etc.).
In the final segment, we discuss the much-rumored upcoming formalized promotion of Danny Briere to a full-time role in the front office as "special assistant to the general manager", and the difference between that role and an "assistant general manager".
Basically, Briere is
already a special assistant within hockey ops. He just doesn't have a title yet. The reported impending hiring would formalize his role with a title and job description. Briere already participates in hockey operations meetings and has been learning about the scouting and development facets from a managerial level. He's done some first-hand developmental coaching (such as working on the ice with Frost). He even stepped in temporarily as a Phantoms assistant coach to fill in for Riley Armstrong and Jason Smith when both were in COVID protocol. Briere has also gone back to school, taking classes at Wharton to gain further understanding of the business side of the sport to add to his experience as the general manager of the ECHL's Maine Mariners.
3) As one of the components of the Flyers Alumni Association's annual "12 Days of Christmas" campaign back during the 2021 holiday season, the Alumni worked with the Sunshine Foundation and sponsored 5-year-old Madilyn Cook. The Alumni's $4,000 donation will enable Madilyn, who deals with cerebral palsy and other health issues, to realize her dream of going to Disney World and meeting her favorite Disney princesses in the Magic Kingdom.
The Buck County Herald recently published
an article about the Alumni's gift to help Madilyn's dream come true.
By far, the most rewarding aspect of being the content manager for the Flyers Alumni Association is seeing firsthand the impact that the Alumni's programs such as "Every Child Deserves a Bike" and "12 Days of Christmas" have within the community and upon the lives of young people and families who benefit from the Alumni's programs. Later this week, the Alumni and Flyers Warriors will be jointly announcing a new event that will benefit local veterans.
In terms of the impact of the 2021 edition on the 12 Days of Christmas, while it was sponsorship of Madilyn via the Sunshine Foundation that received some media attention, it's important to realize that this gift was one of many components to this past year's drive. The full impact of the outreach was $37,700 worth of donations of money and goods to the community plus many hours of volunteered time by individual Alumni working together.
For a day-by-day retrospective,
click here.
4) Today in Flyers History: Feb. 7, 2003
The Flyers made a significant trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on February 7, 2003. Philadelphia received two-time NHL All-Star Game forward Sami Kapanen and also re-acquired defenseman Ryan Bast in exchange for winger Pavel Brendl and defenseman Bruno St. Jacques. Kapanen became an instant fan favorite and highly respected player in the locker room, spending the remainder of his NHL career in Philadelphia.
On the same day the Flyers acquired Kapanen, they also traded enforcer defenseman Chris McAllister to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2003 sixth-round pick (goaltender Ville Hostikka).
5) Feb. 7 Flyers Alumni birthdays: Shawn Anderson (1968), Alexandre Daigle (1975), Hlushko (1970), Ross Lonsberry (1947-2014), Yves Racine (1969), Jody Shelley (1976), John Slaney (1972).
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