Flyers Season thread

[Seabiscuit36]

yeah it is....

[Sgt PSN]

Ah yes.  I see that in your post previous to mine now. 

[NGM]

Either way I don't get it in Lancaster. Thanks anywa. 

[PhillyGirl]

Either way I don't get it in Lancaster. Thanks anywa. 

That's why they posted the link to listen to it. LOL

[Seabiscuit36]

Posted on Wed, Aug. 10, 2005 



Two big new defensemen add to Flyers' reputation

By Ray Parrillo
Inquirer Staff Writer

Standing between Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje while posing for photographers at the Skate Zone in Voorhees yesterday, Flyers general manager Bob Clarke looked like a pedestrian flanked by a pair of high-rises.

Clarke has long held the belief that size counts, especially along the blue line, which is why he was beaming as he introduced Hatcher and Rathje, a pair of veteran 6-foot-5, 235-pound defensemen he signed last week.

"First and foremost, they give us really solid defensive play with some size," Clarke said.

Hatcher, 33, is a 13-year veteran with a nasty edge and a Stanley Cup ring he earned while playing for Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock in Dallas in 1999, serving as the captain. At first, he joked that the demanding Hitchcock, who has a reputation for grating on players, was not the reason he chose the Flyers.

Did he ever imagine playing for Hitchcock again? "Probably not," he said, laughing. "But to be honest, I'm not surprised I'm playing for him again. It wasn't a deterrent in any way in coming back. I didn't feel like a fresh start with a new coach I don't know, so if anything it helped me in coming.

"I was five years with Hitch and I guess a lot of players have problems with him, and I had a few problems with him, but we always seemed to hammer them out. Everywhere Hitch goes he has a tendency to win. Like it or not, the guy knows what he's talking about, and to me that's the bottom line."

Hatcher, who has agreed to a four-year contract worth $14 million, has an aggressive style that should delight Flyers fans who enjoy watching their heroes exact a pound of flesh from opponents. He once found a way to quiet chatty Jeremy Roenick, breaking his jaw with an elbow that got him suspended. In his last game before the NHL lockout - Game 6 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals against Calgary - he drew a three-game suspension for elbowing the Flames' Matthew Lombardi. Hatcher said he has been told he won't have to serve the suspension because the season was canceled.
The Flyers' reputation as a physical team was a reason Hatcher chose them.

"I actually had someone tell me that I should have been here my whole career... because of the style of player in Philadelphia, maybe, or something like that, I would fit in to the Philadelphia Flyer role," he said. "It's just the way I've kind of always played and I feel when I'm playing that way I'm playing my best. It gets you in the game. That's my game and I don't plan on getting away from it."

Rathje, 31, who was signed to a five-year, $17.5 million deal, has earned a reputation as a sturdy defender capable of knocking attackers out of harm's way. San Jose made him the No. 3 overall choice in the 1992 draft.

"I pictured myself in a Flyers uniform and it looked pretty good," he said. "It's a team that's doing everything they can to win and every player wants to go to a club that gives you every element to win. The ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, which I haven't done, they have the elements here to do it and that's really exciting for me."

Both Hatcher and Rathje had spent their careers in the Western Conference, so they are quite familiar with Peter Forsberg, the brilliant center the Flyers signed last week.

"Going into the playoffs, if you asked me to pick a forward, I'd pick him," Hatcher said. "Maybe not everyone would, but I think he'd be in everyone's top three. I think he's the best forward in the game, if not the best player. Not only can he do things with the puck that most players in the league can't, you've got to know where he is on the ice because he'll hit you and make you pay a price. I'm looking forward to play with him."

Said Rathje: "When they signed him, I couldn't believe it. Everybody dreams about playing with a player like that."

Four more sign. Clarke yesterday announced the signings of four players to qualifying offers, including forward Simon Gagne ($2 million). The Flyers also signed defenseman Kim Johnsson ($2.2 million) and forwards Branko Radivojevic ($551,760) and Patrick Sharp ($450,000).

Goalie Robert Esche and defenseman Dennis Seidenberg remain unsigned.

[PhillyGirl]

Hatcher was suspended by the NHL for three games after elbowing forward Matt Lombardi in the head during Game 6 of Detroit's Stanley Cup playoff series against Calgary in May 2004. Because the loss eliminated the Red Wings, Hatcher was to serve his suspension at the beginning of the 2004-05 season, which was wiped out.

The Flyers yesterday called the NHL office for a clarification, and are awaiting an answer. Hatcher is under the impression from the players' association that he will not have to serve it, because the season was canceled.

"I really don't even remember what happened, but I just know that they said if the season was canceled, my suspension would be wiped away,'' Hatcher said.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/12345325.htm

Well, now...that would be damn nice to see. Like I said before, I want to see skulls cracked on the Rangers....preferably by Mr. Hatcher.

[BigEd76]

Esche signed a 2-year deal, and Seidenberg accepted the qualifying offer... 

[PhillyGirl]

Esche signed a 2-year deal, and Seidenberg accepted the qualifying offer... 

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!

[Sgt PSN]

Either way I don't get it in Lancaster. Thanks anywa.

WMMR doesn't reach Lancaster?  Get the farg outta here.  Most of the Philly stations reach out there don't they or are you getting Harrisburg stations? 

[NGM]

We get it here but I don't at work Sarge.  PG I work in a machine shop and I was refering to my frustration of not hearing it live.

[rjs246]

ESPN article about some big names still available who are having trouble finding teams to land.

If that is Lindros' value, what then of other Leftover forwards like Alexander Mogilny, Teemu Selanne, Mark Messier[/b], Scott Young (who once scored 40 goals), Vincent Damphousse, Peter Bondra, John LeClair (Lindros' former linemate on the Legion of Doom) and faceoff expert Yanic Perreault?

If these guys hang around without being signed long enough, would there be any interest in bringin in some extra firepower on the cheap?

[NGM]

Someone like Selanne,with the new rules enforced, would be worth whatever he was paid. 

[WEST is GOD]

What time is the Forsberg press conference?

[BigEd76]

11am tomorrow

[BigEd76]

Panaccio

Regarding the trade of Jeremy Roenick, the "future considerations" likely will be based on his performance in Los Angeles and become a draft pick. However, don't be surprised if the Kings are out of the playoff picture come March, and the Flyers need a center because of an injury, to see Roenick come back as those same "future considerations." By March, J.R.'s salary would be down to about $1.8 million. It's a wild theory, but plausible.