Flyers Prospect Camp is long over, and those that shined including Patrick Maroon, Kevin Marshall, Marc-Andre Bourdon, and James van Riemsdyk will be getting there shot on the ice once again in just over a month. That of course does not include the veteran players who will be joining the young kids on the ice on September 12th in Voorhees.
Very shortly all the players who have spent their summer outside of the city with their families or on vacation will be gathering across the bridge in Jersey to kickstart the 2009-10 season. If you’re not excited about the Flyers’ team this year then there’s something obviously wrong with you.
Then of course there’s Chris Pronger who came into Philly early to get accustomed to the city he will call home for the next eight years.
As per Flyers.NHL.com: Pronger Arrives Early
Some of the most eye-opening comments came from [Pronger's] former general manager in Anaheim, Brian Burke (now in the same role with the Toronto Maple Leafs). Burke told CSNPhilly.com at the time that Pronger was “born to wear Flyer orange,” and “people are going to love him.”
Pronger responded to those comments on Monday.
“I think when [Burke] got me in Anaheim he was trying to emulate the way Philadelphia has played throughout the history of the franchise,” said Pronger. “We were, I guess, one of those teams that were looked upon by the league as one of the bad boys of the NHL in terms of penalties and whatnot called against us.
“I obviously know the background of [Philadelphia] and the organization and team and what they’re all about. I’d like to echo those sentiments and hopefully good things will come.”
Pronger made it very clear in his official welcoming press conference to Philadelphia just what he has in mind for on-ice activities while wearing the orange and black proudly. When asked about how he would feel playing Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin more often he remained enigmatic in speach while making it bluntly obvious how he felt. “I think you know the answer to that,” Pronger noted charismatically, “I’ll just let you come up with your own. We don’t want to premeditate anything, now do we?”
His first act in Philadelphia besides unpacking in his new house included an event that you would expect a man of Chris Pronger’s nature to attend. On Saturday night he got a little taste of the Wachovia Center crowd when enjoying a UFC event with sniper Jeff Carter and enforcer Riley Cote.
While normally players arrive at camp in late August to early September to begin team workouts, Pronger has always been early to get to the gym.
“I’m usually here around this time trying to start skating and preparing for the season, and doing all the little things that it takes to be ready to go for the start of camp.
“Every year it’s always the same. You get to August, and wish that you could fast forward this month and get right to camp. It starts to get a little old, when you go on three months of training and you get a little sick of riding the bike and doing all the other things you’ve got to do to prepare. You want to get on the ice and get skating with your teammates and do what you love to do.”
You have to love a man who takes that much pride in his work. I can’t wait to see him on the ice.
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As well as Emery’s new pads the Flyers also have added four more contracts. According to a Flyers.NHL.com article the orange and black have locked up RFAs Danny Syvret (D), Nicola Riopel (G), Zac Rinaldo (LW), and David Sloane (D).
We already knew about the Riopel signing. Obviously he’s a depth goalie for the AHL right now, but may come to the Flyers as a late bloomer out of the QMJHL. He was mediocre at best for two seasons and then had an incredible final season in the highly offensive Q league of the Canadian juniors. I’m looking forward to seeing if this kid has what it takes. He could very well turn into a draft day steal.
Danny Syvret is a defenseman the Flyers acquired through trade. He’s a solid puck moving defenseman that got a couple of games with the Flyers down the stretch due to salary cap issues. For a while he led the Phantoms in points and eventually finished third on the team. That’s not too terrible for a defenseman: 12 goals and 45 assists in 76 games. He’s still young and has to work on his defensive positioning, but he might be better than Randy Jones right now; not to mention far cheaper.
Zak Rinaldo is a 2008 draft pick from the 6th round out of the OHL. He’s nothing special. Don’t expect point production; expect busted skulls.
David Sloane some of you might remember as the college kid who played an NHL game for the Flyers. He signed an amateur try out with the team after his college season was over just so the Flyers could avoid going over the salary cap. I don’t know all that much about him, but at the moment he’s not a big deal.
Easily the biggest signing of the group is Syvret who could actually become useful to the orange and black down the road.
EMERY’S NEW GEAR: Fraizer, Hopkins, Rocky (of course), and some nice orange and black gear. The rocky image looks particularly awesome.
