Quick Hits: July 2, 2020
1) Later today on the Flyers' official website, there will be a Phase 2 update feature on top prospect Morgan Frost. After completing a somewhat uneven -- both nonetheless very promising first professional pro season split between the AHL and NHL -- the organization's 2017 first-round pick figures to one of the Aces added to the extended roster for Phases 3 and 4 of the NHL's return to play plan.
2) In hono(u)r of Canada Day yesterday, we did an extensive Flyers-style tribute to Canada with Flyers connections to each of the country's provinces and territories, as well as off-the-beaten path places of note to visit that have some connection to Flyers Alumni or franchise history. There are also all-Flyers provincial teams for Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Maritimes. For more, check out
"Canada Day: A Flyers Celebration" on Flyers.NHL.com.
3) Flyers Alum winger Josh Gratton, who had two stints in the organization and dressed in a combined 22 games for the Flyers among the 86 games in which he appeared at the NHL level, recently wrote a first-hand account of his 16-year pro career and what he's done since. An undrafted Ontario Hockey League player who literally fought his way up the pro hockey ladder one rung at a time, Gratton's physical strength and toughness was his meal ticket.
Gratton's hockey travels took him across various minor leagues, the KHL, Finland's Liiga, lesser European leagues (Denmark, France, the British Elite Ice Hockey League) as well as through the Flyers (twice), Coyotes, New York Rangers and Nashville Predators organizations. As with a distressingly high percentage of his tough-guy brethren, multiple concussions took a heavy toll on Gratton's health, both mentally and physically. He went on the all-too-familiar downward spiral of self-medicating, depression and suicidal thoughts.
Thankfully, in Gratton's case, he realized that it wasn't a weakness to ask for help. He has also dedicated himself to overhauling his diet and exercise routine (the 37-year-old is in phenomenal physical condition). He's also reconnected with old friend and teammate Riley Cote and generally forged a strong support system around him.
It takes daily vigilance and lot of self-honesty and dedication to keep his life in the good place that he's reached, but Gratton feels that he now has the tools to take care of both his mental and physical health. His story is an uplifting one, and definitely worth a read:
Click here for more.
4) Today in Flyers History: On July 2, 2001, the Flyers traded center Daymond Langkow to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a 2003 first-round pick (Jeff Carter) and a 2002 second-round pick (later flipped to Tampa Bay along with Ruslan Fedotenko in exchange for the fourth overall pick of the 2002 NHL Draft, which Philadelphia used on Joni Pitkänen).
5) July 2 Flyers Alum birthday: Paul Lawless (1964)
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
Join the Discussion:
»