Claude Giroux, used with permission © Bob Fina/InsideHockey.com

After what seems like forever since the Flyers played an actual game, tonight they will finally lace up the skates to take on the Anaheim Ducks.

And they are facing an Anaheim team that is struggling…big time!  With a 7-13-4 record, they were in desperate need of something that would change things around.  And that something just might come in the form of Anaheim’s newly acquired head coach Bruce Boudreau.  I don’t know much about the former Washington Capitals coach, other than what I saw on last year’s HBO’s 24/7, and whether or not he’s the Ducks’ answer remains to be seen.

Danny Briere offered a little insight on the Ducks’ new coach.

“Even if that happens down the road, I don’t think that will be the case tomorrow night,” said Danny Briere. “You don’t turn around a team with a new system in just one day. Just look at our experience here with Peter. It took us 3-4 weeks to play the way he wanted us to play.” – Flyers.com

You know I’ll be honest I don’t give two hoots about the Ducks and their ‘new’ system.  All I care about is the Flyers and them hopefully winning.  Especially after watching the Philadelphia Eagles lose in such an ugly fashion.  Those Flyers fans who are also fans of the Eagles will completely understand where I’m coming from.

Captain Chris Pronger will be out for a at least a month recovering from knee surgery, and it’s unknown at this time if Jaromir Jagr and James van Riemsdyk will both, one, or neither play tonight.  We will keep you posted.

Tonight’s game is at 10:00 pm EDT on The Comcast Network (TCN) – Philadelphia.

Congratulations to Claude Giroux for winning the Movember Mustache contest.  Many of the Flyers and NHL players around the league grew a mustache to raise funds and awareness for men’s health and prostate cancer.

 In an online poll conducted by TSN.ca, Flyers center Claude Giroux won a two-round showdown to win the ‘Movember Faceoff’.  In the semi-final Giroux took on Canadiens’ Erik Cole, while in the final he faced off against Coyotes’ Paul Bissonnette.

Against Bissonnette, Giroux received close to 93 percent of the 5,000 votes cast. – Flyers.com

Bobby Ryan #9 (w/ former Flyer Jeff Carter #17), used with permission © Bob Fina/InsideHockey.com

With the injury bug hitting the Flyers, a couple big hockey names have been flying around the Philly rumor mill. Now I emphasize rumors because neither are a done deal…not even close.

Anaheim Duck Bobby Ryan has been the focus of possible trade rumors and if he was traded to the Flyers, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey native would be coming back home.  (Cherry Hill is about 15-20 minutes from Philadelphia)

Philly.com ran an article yesterday:  Could Ducks’ Bobby Ryan Be Coming Home by Frank Seravalli.

When asked what Ryan thought, he replied:

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Ryan told the Orange County Register. “If they feel like it’s got to be the right move for the team, then I’d certainly welcome it.” – Philly.com

But the big question is, do the Flyers NEED Ryan?  Perusing the various comments submitted by Philly.com readers, some said no, some wonder what would the Flyers have to give up in return, and some questioned if he was worth it?  Ryan is in the second year of a 5-year, $25.5 million dollar contract with the Ducks, that’s a mighty chunk of change a team would have to take on.  He’s only 24 years-old and last year collected 71 points in 82 games with the Ducks.  However, this year he’s struggling, with just 11 points in 23 games.  But his struggles could be a by product of the internal issues going on with management.

The Flyers face the Ducks Friday night in Anaheim.

The other player who is a much bigger need than Ryan is defenseman Bryan McCabe, who as of right now, is not playing for any team in the NHL.  Or playing any hockey for that matter.  Philly.com’s Seravalli also wrote a blurb about McCabe.

The easiest would be to sign a veteran free agent like Bryan McCabe, who declined training-camp tryout invitations in search of a permanent job. McCabe, 36, finished out his 5-year, $28.75 million deal with the Rangers after being acquired at the trade deadline from Florida. – Philly.com

With Pronger out and a D-core somewhat composed of AHL call-ups or young guys in general, a veteran presence like McCabe could be a great fit.  Of course that would depend on if McCabe is actually fit as in good shape.  No one knows exactly what he’s been up to and if he’s even kept up skating.  But I think a McCabe deal could be beneficial.

No word on what McCabe thinks of this.

And speaking of defensemen, the Flyers have put Matt Walker on re-entry waivers.

His hefty $1.7 million salary was one of the reasons the Flyers couldn’t afford to keep him on their big-league roster and waived him on Nov. 1.

If another team picks him up, it would only be for half price, or $850,000. The Flyers would be responsible for picking up the tab on the other half and it would also count against the salary cap. It would also count for the remainder of his contract which has one more year left after this season. – PhillySportsDaily.com

Eric Lindros

The rumors have been swirling for weeks and today it’s official…Eric Lindros will once again don the Orange and Black to participate in the Flyers/Rangers Alumni game on December 31, 2011 at Citizens Bank Park.  The alumni game is apart of the week long festivities leading up to the 2011 Winter Classic.

John LeClair who still has a residence in the Philadelphia area is also slated to participate.  For the infamous, “Legion of Doom” line to be resurrected, Mikael Renberg would also need to play.  He lives in Sweden, but the game is a couple months away, plenty of time to get him on board.

This is huge for Lindros to come back to the city in which he didn’t leave on the best terms.

Kudos to Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren for contacting Lindros and making this happen.

I for one am super excited!

Brayden Schenn, used with permission © Bob Fina/InsideHockey.com

The Flyers have re-called 20 year-old center Brayden Schenn from the Adirondack Phantoms.

With his return, the Flyers have sent Zac Rinaldo and Harry Zolnierczyk back down.  This also coincides with Jody Shelley‘s completion of his 5-game suspension.

Ironically, last night in Philadelphia’s victory over the Ottawa Sentators, Zolnierczyk recorded his first ever NHL goal.  So at least he’s going back down on a high note.

With the Flyers’ numerous rookies, who have been quite impressive thus far, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Schenn.  As I’m sure he’s just itching to join in on the rookie fun!

To read the full story at Philly.com, click here.

Image courtesy of:  Bob Fina

Right-winger Claude Giroux is ranked 16th in the NHL with 5 points and ranked 10th with 3 goals.  Defenseman Chris Pronger is ranked 14th in the NHL with 4 assists.  Center Zac Rinaldo is ranked 4th in penalty minutes with 23 total minutes in the box.  Defenseman Matt Carle snapped a 57-game goalless streak with a goal in Saturday night’s game verse the L.A. Kings.

Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov accomplished something on October 8, 2011, that the no Flyers goaltender did in all of last season, he recorded a shut-out.  Bryzgalov is ranked 5th in the NHL.

Source of stats – NHL.com

2012 Winter Classic

It was ‘officially’ announced today that the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers will be playing in the fifth Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic in Philadelphia on Monday, January 2, 2012 at 1:00 pm EDT.

Citizens Bank Park

Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies holds 43, 500 seats (though standing room only tickets usually brings an average Phillies attendance to about 45,000).

“This is a tremendous honor to once again be participating in this historic event, and what makes it even more special is to be playing the game in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park,” said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter Luukko. “I know our fans will make this one of the most celebrated Winter Classics ever. We look forward to extending the Philadelphia-New York rivalry when we face-off against the Rangers at Citizens Bank Park.” – Flyers.com

And like last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, HBO Sports is going to showcase both the Flyers and Rangers on the reality-series, 24/7.

The four-episode, all-access series will again provide viewers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at both teams, along with in-depth interviews of players, coaches and front-office personnel as the teams compete during the NHL regular-season, including a Dec. 23rd matchup between the teams at Madison Square Garden.  The premiere episode debuts in prime time, Wednesday, Dec. 14, at 10 p.m. ET, with new episodes debuting each successive Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET. – Flyers.com

Heather Carnassale is lead writer for Aerys Sports Philadelphia Phillies site View From Section 116 and contributing writer for Its Always Icy.

James van Riemsdyk announced the big news himself via twitter:

JVR Tweet 8/30/11

JVR finished the 2010-2011 season with 21 goals, 19 assists with a total of 40 points in 75 games played.  He also came up huge in the playoffs with 7 goals in 11 games.

He will make roughly $25.5 million over the course of the six year deal, keeping his cap number low at $4.25 million. – PhillySportsDaily.com

Congrats to him!  And kudos to the Flyers for doing this right!

JVR tweeted again, showing his gratitude:

JVR Tweet 8/30/11

Ed Snider - Photo: Comcast Spectacor

Flyers owner and chairman, Ed Snider has been elected in the 2011 class for the US Hockey Hall of Fame.  His induction will take place sometime in the fall, but no date has been officially announced.

Ed Snider’s contribution to the success of hockey in Philadelphia and the Atlantic region of the United States is immeasurable. In 1966, the founder and current owner of the Philadelphia Flyers made a successful bid for the team when the NHL made its first expansion, and has since turned the organization into one of the most successful franchises in the league. His commitment to advancing the game at the amateur level is evidenced in many ways, including in 2005 when he founded the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation to provide unprivileged children in the Philadelphia area with an opportunity to learn to play hockey at local rinks. In 2008, the Snider Hockey Foundation rescued three of the five Philadelphia inner-city ice-skating rinks that had been targeted for closure by funding and operating them for the city. The Foundation now funds and administers programming in all five city rinks. Snider, a native of Washington, D.C., was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. He is the current chairman of Comcast Spectacor.  – Flyers.com

PhiladelphiaPowerPlay.com

For the past few years, sitting in our section at Citizens Bank Park, there is a nice family who we exchange pleasantries and talk Philly sports with.

The section we sit in, is for handicapped persons such as my father who requires the use of a wheelchair and for people such as Patrick Hilferty, a young man who also requires the use of a wheelchair.  What I did not know about Patrick is that he plays power wheelchair hockey and is the founder of the Philadelphia PowerPlay team.  My mom informed me of this after she had a conversation with Patrick’s father, Dan.

I checked out Patrick’s team website and read all about it.  And immediately felt this team needed to be represented and talked about.  Especially having this forum to do so.  Below is a description of what the Philadelphia Power Play is:

The Philadelphia PowerPlay is a power wheelchair floor hockey team based in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. The team is insured and sponsored by United Cerebral Palsy of Philadelphia & Vicinity. We follow the rules and regulations of the United States Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association (U.S. EWHA).

We believe that competition and challenge are healthy and necessary for all people, regardless of ability. The Philadelphia PowerPlay is an athletic team which provides a quality, well organized recreational and social program within the community. Our emphasis is on teamwork, skill development and fun. The team is open to all persons who are competent power wheelchair users. – PhiladelphiaPowerPlay.com

Philadelphia PowerPlay in action!

Patrick was kind enough to answer some questions:

1. When did you create the Philadelphia Powerplay and why?

Patrick: I started the Philadelphia PowerPlay in the fall of 2004 after playing hockey in our adapted gym class in high school. The team was created to give people with physical disabilities a chance to play a great sport.

2.  How are players chosen, or does every person who fills out a registration make the team?

Patrick:  Every player that registers is accepted on the team. The only requirements are that they are competent power wheelchair users and that they can understand the basic concept of the game.

3.  Is there an age requirement or limit?

Patrick:  The only age requirement is related to the players ability to safely use their power wheelchair. Our youngest player is 8 and the oldest is about 50.

4.  How many power wheelchair hockey teams are there nationwide and is the sport growing?

Patrick:  There are several teams in the United States and Canada, with a majority of the American teams in Michigan and Minnesota, along with the Philadelphia PowerPlay in Pennsylvania and a team in North Carolina. The majority of the Canadian teams are in the Toronto/Ontario Provence area. There are also teams in Europe. The sport is growing slowly.

5.  Have you always loved hockey?  And who are your favorite Flyers/NHL players?

Patrick:  I am a huge hockey fan and have been for more than 10 years. It is my favorite sport. I love the Flyers, but I am also an avid Phillies and Eagles fan. My favorite Flyers are Danny Briere, Claude Giroux and Ian Laperriere, who is one of the nicest, classiest athletes in Philadelphia.

6.  Is there is anything you’d like to add?

Patrick:  The Philadelphia PowerPlay is hosting the 2011 United States Powerhockey Championship this August 5 to 7 at Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania. The tournament features the best players from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan and Minnesota. All information about the tournament can be found at www.philadelphiapowerplay.com. We would love to have more fans to come and support us.

If you are interested in contributing to the team please read the following:

Founder/Team Manager Patrick Hilferty & Flyers Danny Briere

The Philadelphia PowerPlay is a non-profit grassroots organization. We are committed to providing people will physical and intellectual disabilities a chance to play a competitive sport and develop a sense of camaraderie, teamwork and athletic accomplishment. We are always looking to grow our program by doing exhibitions, presentations, and traveling to tournaments. Because of this, we need financial help. I know economic times are difficult, but your generosity is appreciated.

Please send cash or check donations to:

Philadelphia PowerPlay
1201 Blythe Avenue
Drexel Hill, PA 19026

(Make checks payable to the Philadelphia PowerPlay.)

Check them out on facebook and give them a “like” PhiladelphiaPowerplay Facebook

I want to thank Patrick for the interview and wish him and the Philadelphia PowerPlay good luck in the 2011 United States Powerhockey Championship! And if anyone is in the Aston, Pennsylvania area next weekend, go support and root this amazing team on.

Image source:  Patrick Hilferty, PhiladelphiaPowerplay.com

Heather Carnassale is a contributing writer for Its Always Icy and senior writer for View From Section 116 covering the Philadelphia Phillies for Aerys Sport.

The Orange and Black continue to stay busy in the off-season.

• On Tuesday, they signed free agent goalie Jason Bacashihua to a one-year contract.  Bacashihua is 28 years-old, 5-11 and weighs 175 pounds.  He spent last year playing for the Lake Erie Monsters, who are an AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche.  In 42 games, he went 23-16-3, had a 2.29 goals against, and a .917 save percentage.

• The Flyers also signed 24 year-old center Jon Kalinski to a one-year contract.  Kalinksi is 6-1 and weighs 180 pounds.  He has been playing for the Philadelphia AHL affiliate Adirondack Phantoms for four years, where in 193 games he posted 26 goals and 45 assists.  He has played 22 games with the Flyers, with one goal and four assists.

• The SchoolPhilly.com interviewed Flyers defenseman Matt Carle and its a terrific read.  Please click the link below to check it out:

Exclusive Matt Carle Interview