Any of you know or have read over the years of former Flyers who did not like playing for the Flyers organization during their time in Philly.May not have liked the area, the fans, the coaches, owner etc.Any actual public statements made by former players in interviews mentioning such ?Just curious, i know there are plenty who really loved their time in Philly, i have heard countless comments in that regard.
Dave Babych and Glen Seabrooke sued the medical staff(s).
Todd Bergen because of his dislike of Mike Keenan.
Steve Duchesne was unhappy to come to the Flyers when he was traded from LA but later liked being with the team.
Murray Craven loved the Flyers but disliked Russ Farwell and the post-Clarke years after he was traded.
Lindsay Carson was critical, some of which was Mike Keenan related.
Maybe a thread is needed about what Flyers liked Mike Keenan ! Might be a real short list ? LOL
Keenan's methods have been well-documented but some players have admitted he was the best coach for whom they played. It was a huge burden for some in a short period of time. Ron Sutter had a sour taste because Keenan would often use him to get to Rich Sutter, not one of Keenan's favorites. Some, like Derrick Smith and Ron Hextall, were generally supportive.
Here is the quote from Steve Duchesne when he was traded to Philly the first time: "I couldn't believe the Kings could trade a young defenseman for a 31-year old forward. I thought that was kind of ridiculous. I was really ticked off. Actually, I still am. I love Los Angeles. I have a house here. Luc (Robitaille) called me right away. He was very upset. I've spoken to their (Flyers) PR people. They're expecting me to be the next Mark Howe. Woah! Nothing like putting pressure on someone."
He was a forward and eventually played for the Minnesota North Stars after leaving hockey and the Flyers for a golf career. He later went to arbitration with the North Stars over money after abdominal surgery (similar to what led to his disputes in Philly). He didn't last long there either.
He was a forward and eventually played for the Minnesota North Stars after leaving hockey and the Flyers for a golf career. He later went to arbitration with the North Stars over money after abdominal surgery (similar to what led to his disputes in Philly). He didn't last long there either.
Yeah, that's him. Quit hockey to play golf. I remember that part.
Keenan acheived a lot of success but man he could grind guys up.
Bergen's Short NHL Career: Bergen was suspended without pay by Philadelphia for the entire 1985-86 season because he chose not to to honor his contract and report to the Flyers' training camp in September 1985. His actions were particularly stunning and distressing to the Flyers and their fans, because Bergen had been sensational during the late stages of the 1984-85 season and the run to the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals. Bergen did not report to camp because he said he had chosen to pursue a career as a pro golfer and, failing at that, he would attend college. He had even announced his retirement from hockey. Initially, Flyers officials said Bergen was having "personal problems" and would report to camp late. But three weeks into training camp, in late September, it was clear to all parties that Bergen would not play for Philadelphia again, so the Flyers went ahead with the suspension. General manager Bob Clarke told The Hockey News' Al Morganti it was "a strange decision, but it's his life."
Clarke noted that Bergen had something of a personality clash with coach Mike Keenan, who was known for being hard on his players. Bergen also reacted negatively to Philadelphia's tough, bootcamp-style training camp conditioning drills. Bergen's agent, Bill Watters, said Bergen simply wasn't a materialist and was more interested in pursuing his golf dreams than earning a lot of money playing a sport that didn't make him as happy. Bergen, however, was later quoted as saying that he would have stuck with hockey if the Flyers had been willing to trade him, thereby implying his relationship with Keenan was a bigger motivating factor than his love for golf. Clarke disputed the remarks by saying he had offered to trade Bergen, but Bergen, who had a minus-1 golf handicap said he doubted he would want to play hockey at all. He came back to Philadelphia, and later went to Florida, to play in some pro-am tournaments and work with top PGA professionals like Raymond Floyd.
