My group (and the groups appear to be about 70 people per rotation) went on to the Coach Laviolette station for our third session.
Lava started out with some remarks. He said he was happy with the summer the team had and the players acquired. He believes Vincent Lecavalier and Mark Streit are two good leaders and two dynamic players. To put those players in the lineup without having to give up assets…and then have a good care of youth behind them. Read the rest of this entry »
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hockey, sports | Tagged: Lauridsen, Lecavalier, Meszaros, Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia Flyers, Ray Emery | 
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Posted by sportsdiva
Sorry for the delay in bringing you the traditional play by play of the Flyers STH Town Hall. On August 12 Flyers brass met with season ticket holders in a first summer edition of the usually annual Town Hall meeting. As it turns out, the summer is a much better time to have one of these meetings. Unlike the March date that has been the habit, this summer date means the President and GM can actually talk about available players, signings, and trades. It is much more satisfying to hear about what has happened than to have the clueless ask questions that are unanswerable by those bound by anti-tampering rules. I hope the Flyers will continue to hold these meetings in the summer in future.
The first station for my cohort was with President Peter Luukko and COO Shawn Tilger. I’m never really sure why Shawn is there, because no one asks him questions and Peter is the star of the show, but it’s the way they’ve done it all along.
Leave a Comment » | hockey | Tagged: 2014 NHL Draft, Luukko, Philadelphia Flyers, Tilger | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
About 2 minutes into today’s Flyers vs. Rangers game, late on its first shift, the Carter/Zherdev/van Riemsdyk line came dashing from the Flyers zone into offensive territory with scary speed. Just three games (I think) together and they are already proving to be effective.
Fans and media are always looking for catchy names for lines. It hit me right then that there is no better one for this line than “The High Speed Line.” It has the advantage of being the name of the New Jersey Transit line that brings so many Flyers fans into Philadelphia for the games.
Since I know it is often hard to determine just where a moniker came from, I want you to know, when you look back on this with fondness, that The High Speed Line was coined right there in seat 103-4-4 at the Vault on December 18, 2010, by me, The Sports Diva.
2 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: Philadelphia Flyers | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
Now that the hometown Flyers are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, what keeps me watching? Well, I think I’d watch no matter who was playing. I just love hockey that much. But I’m watching with added excitement this year because I still have a rooting interest. For whom? For the Chicago Blackhawks.
Why? Well that’s easy to answer.
First, I’m from Illinois. Then, it’s the crest on the sweater. The renaissance of a once moribund franchise. It is the determination and execution of a plan by a man who had years to stew about what should be done and finally got to do it (he’s my favorite Rocky!). It’s the long-suffering fans who were desperate for a reason to keep supporting their team and when they finally got an owner who cared about them and cared about winning they came back with open hearts and embraced the team that finally was there to embrace them in return. It’s the young players–Kane, Toews, Byfuglien–and the old ones–Havlat, Khabi–and the in between–Sharpie, who couldn’t be more likeable and turned out to be a heck of a player, Mr. Hitchcock.
So starting tonight it’s yet another chapter in the remarkable rebirth of a legendary hockey franchise. GO HAWKS!
Leave a Comment » | hockey, sports | Tagged: Chicago Blackhawks, Dustin Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews, Ken Hitchcock, Martin Havlat, Nikolai Khabibulin, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Philadelphia Flyers, Rocky Wirtz, Stanley Cup Playoffs | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
Last year’s Flyers Season Ticket Holder Town Hall was a revelation. Who knew that a major, big city sports team would, or could, find a way to interact meaningfully at the management level with the fans. But the Flyers have refined their format to fine art. So for the second year in a row, I was able to speak with, question, hear from Flyers brass.
This year again we started with a quick meal in the Lexus Club. Then we moved on to sessions with Peter Luukko and Shawn Tilger, Premium Seating and Parking, Chris Pryor and Don Luce, Paul Holmgren, and John Stevens (who was on the road for the session I attended last year). Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | hockey, sports, sports business | Tagged: Antero Niittymaki, Aron Asham, Bobby Ryan, Chris Pryor, Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Danny Carcillo, Don Luce, Gary Bettman, James van Riemsdyk, Jay Bowmeister, Jeff Carter, Joffrey Lupul, John Stevens, Marty Biron, Mike Knuble, Mike Richards, NHL, Paul Holmgren, Peter Luukko, Philadelphia Flyers, salary cap, Scott Hartnell, Shawn Tilger, Thomas Kaberle | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
You have got to be kidding me. I wait all summer for the hockey season to start. I spend all this time longing for opening night, with all the hooplah and happiness, and this is what I get?
What genius thought this was a great idea? What brilliant PR person at the Philadelphia Flyers, who usually don’t put a foot wrong, didn’t realize that forcing all of their paying customers to attend what will amount to a pre-election rally for Sarah Palin is not the right thing to do? Since when is politicizing the product (in a largely Democrat city, no less) good for the brand.
Yes, I know Ed Snider is all over the Ayn Rand pseudo-philosophy. But his personal politics are his own business. His business should not be used to be political. And I don’t want to have Sarah Palin shoved down my throat.
On a night when the fans should be welcomed back and charged up to start another run for the cup, the focus will be, not on the Flyers, or their fans, but on a political candidate who’s approval/performance ratings have been falling consistently.
And if I have to hear how sexy she is by wickedly chuckling men (it started immediately) for the next three days, I’ll puke. Please don’t tell me this is a victory for feminism, when the only positive thing people have to say about a woman candidate is how cute she is. Can we have smart, please? There are plenty of women out here who are smart. Lot’s of them are smart AND cute.
1 Comment | hockey, sports, sports business | Tagged: Ed Snider, hockey, Philadelphia Flyers, puck, sarah palin | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
It looks like Sam Carchidi, who for many years has been covering high school sports for the Philadelphia Inquirer, will be the new Flyers beat writer. Sam’s a solid professional, but his passion has been high school sports for quite a while. I sure hope he can find the same joy in covering the game so many Philadelphians love above all others.
Flyers fans are demanding consumers. I’m a little worried there’ll be a rude welcome for the new guy on the block. But I’m looking forward to seeing what Sam does with this.
Leave a Comment » | sports media | Tagged: Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Inquirer, Sam Carchidi | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
Just met a friend who’s in a position to know and Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer is being moved off of the hockey beat to cover the Eagles. Yes, all Eagles all the time.
So after a season of excitement for the Philadelphia Flyers and a postseason that leaves Flyers fans hungry for information on what’s next, the Inky plans to leave Flyers fans hanging. Who’ll be following the signings? The draft? This key offseason? As of yet, no one’s saying.
Bad move, Inky.
3 Comments | hockey | Tagged: Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Inquirer, Tim Panaccio | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
Last night at the Wachovia Center, nearly 20,000 Flyers fans showed up, not for a wake, but for a resurrection.
It could have been ugly. There could have been a tentative building, with fans sitting tensely in dread of elimination. But no. The fans, most dressed in their spanking new Megadeath Security t-shirts, were fully engaged from before the puck dropped, roaring their approval of the Flyers playoff efforts and demanding that the real Flyers show up. And show up they did. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | hockey | Tagged: Braydon Coburn, Danny Briere, Jeff Carter, Joffrey Lupul, John Stevens, Jordan Staal, Kimmo Timonen, Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Malone, Sydney Crosby | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
When disaster strikes, it is swift and unexpected. With Flyers fans eager for the Eastern Conference Finals to begin so the Flyers can prove to the world they are no fluke, the team has lost its most indispensable player for the rest of the playoffs.
Last night, when Jim Jackson, on the CSN playoff special, answered the question, “Who would be the player they can least afford to lose?” He said, aside from the obvious Biron, Kimmo Timonen, and I had that black cat feeling. You know how it is. The feeling you get when someone mentions that a guy has a shutout going. Or says something about the other team’s power play not having scored for the past 10 games.
So today we find out that Timonen has a blood clot in his ankle and is out for the rest of the playoffs. And I (and many Flyers fans) have gone from thinking our heroes may just be able to upset the Penguins to thinking there’s no hope. Without one of the best defensemen in the league, without their anchor on the blue line and on the point in the power play, the Flyers hopes seem to have just gone up in smoke.
Stinky black smoke.
Leave a Comment » | hockey | Tagged: Flyers, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, Timonen | Permalink
Posted by sportsdiva
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