Keenan and Pelle had a tradition after every game. Pelle would wait in his locker for Iron Mike to come in so Pelle could shake his hand.
Pelle didn't like Keenan any more than the others. However, he was grateful for the chance to be the starter as Keenan had promised him before the 1984-85 season.
The handshake tradition actually went back to McCammon in Maine.
He went to Pittsburgh of his own volition. True, he was not re-signed here in Philly, but as an unrestricted free agent his signing in Pittsburgh was his own choice.
Yes, and Asham understands why he wasn't brought back as a UFA.
Sean Burke said something to the effect 'the best day in my career was being traded to the Flyers. The second best was leaving." So, while he may have liked the organization, he probably couldn't wait to leave, the way he was being treated by the fans. I think Ricci had a similar experience when he came to Philly.
EDIT: Forgot to take a number. Head straight to the back of the line.
Burke had two disappointing stints here. That 1997-98 team was a mess in the locker room, and that's what he's referring to.
With Ricci, he was a high-end first round pick in 1990 while the club was rebuilding. He had to endure a lot of losing, a lot of personnel shuffling and was also going through a very tough personal situation his second season in which he was flying back and forth to be with the team and to spend as much time as possible with his dying father.
Lasse hated sitting so often under John Stevens, but didn't have a problem with the organization. He has spoken positively of it to other Finnish players.
Wasn't Prospal pretty butt-hurt about getting traded to Philly from TB?
What the hell, Vinny. Not like there aren't tanning beds in Philly.
That whole thing was overblown. Prospal was devastated -- and then angry -- about the first trade of his career, when he went from Philly to Ottawa. The second time around, it wasn't personal. He didn't want to relocate his family and preferred to stay in Tampa for that reason. The Flyers promised him upfront that they'd send him back to TB after the season when he came over at the trade deadline.
Chuck Gormley's book has a solid account of that time including how a nurse flew on Snider's private plane to treat Neilson and how Neilson stayed at Clarke's home in Florida.
Glad to be wrong on both accounts then. I liked Lasse.
I know the Flyers are a great organization and take care of their people, but I recall there being some heat regarding Neilson's feelings about being replaced. Perhaps that ended up being overblown. Maybe the media made too much of it.
Glad to be wrong on both accounts then. I liked Lasse.
I know the Flyers are a great organization and take care of their people, but I recall there being some heat regarding Neilson's feelings about being replaced. Perhaps that ended up being overblown. Maybe the media made too much of it.
Re: Neilson -- I don't think you were wrong, it was a tumultuous time and little precedence for what transpired -- a coach undergoing treatment and then possibly coming back during a PO run. Neilson and Clarke were close, as Clarke said "I hired him twice" and Clarke also offered him a position with the team. However, Neilson wanted to coach. Things were said in the media and the Lindros scene was involved.
Burke had two disappointing stints here. That 1997-98 team was a mess in the locker room, and that's what he's referring to.
With Ricci, he was a high-end first round pick in 1990 while the club was rebuilding. He had to endure a lot of losing, a lot of personnel shuffling and was also going through a very tough personal situation his second season in which he was flying back and forth to be with the team and to spend as much time as possible with his dying father.
back in the day there was a bar in NE Philly players would come in during happy hour. One time Ricci, Berube, and another 2 guys i cant rememebr. Ricci was udner 21 at the time and some people were giving him a hard time. Well Berube put an end to that after a while.
Glad to be wrong on both accounts then. I liked Lasse.
I know the Flyers are a great organization and take care of their people, but I recall there being some heat regarding Neilson's feelings about being replaced. Perhaps that ended up being overblown. Maybe the media made too much of it.
It probably had to do with Clarkie shooting from the hip...
"Roger went goofy on us"
and
"Roger got cancer, that wasn't our fault, we didn't tell him to go get cancer"
Re: Neilson -- I don't think you were wrong, it was a tumultuous time and little precedence for what transpired -- a coach undergoing treatment and then possibly coming back during a PO run. Neilson and Clarke were close, as Clarke said "I hired him twice" and Clarke also offered him a position with the team. However, Neilson wanted to coach. Things were said in the media and the Lindros scene was involved.
Funny how the bad quotes are remembered from that situation, but after Neilson was in Ottawa, he said many very positive things about the Flyers and Clarke. Nobody really likes good news, I guess. Just bad news and controversy/drama.
Funny how the bad quotes are remembered from that situation, but after Neilson was in Ottawa, he said many very positive things about the Flyers and Clarke. Nobody really likes good news, I guess. Just bad news and controversy/drama.
There are still people who think "Clarke fired a guy with cancer!"
Maybe Kovalenko? I think he was pretty skeptical about coming here. I remember hearing hearsay about cartons of cigarettes he'd imbibe as well.
And of course who could forget that classic clip on Comcast of Daigle's equipment being chucked into the back of a van at the end of his tenure? That was absolutely hilarious.
Didn't Dave Snuggerud gripe about coming to the Flyers and then retire because of it back in the 92-93 season?
I don't remember the specifics of his arrival but I seem to recall, in his short time with the team, he refused demotion to the AHL and opted to pursue a degree in education.
I don't remember the specifics of his arrival but I seem to recall, in his short time with the team, he refused demotion to the AHL and opted to pursue a degree in education.
I remember there was some issue and he ended up leaving the team, which made the trade to get him worthless - unless he was some sort of waiver pick up. I can't remember how we got him.
I remember there was some issue and he ended up leaving the team, which made the trade to get him worthless - unless he was some sort of waiver pick up. I can't remember how we got him.
Mark Pederson was sent to San Jose. He went to Europe about a year later.
Rick Tocchet after winning the cup with the Penguins in 1992:
"Pittsburgh is the best city in Pennsylvania, man... it's the best city in the world, but it's the best city in Pennsylvania. I think you know what I mean."
