The Flyers announced the players who made their “Quarter Century Team” Monday, and although there weren’t too many surprises, there were perhaps one or two that left some scratching their heads.
The team was divided into a first team and a second team, with six players named for each. The “First Team” forwards include Simon Gagne, Claude Giroux and Mike Richards. On the blueline is Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timonen and in goal is Roman Cechmanek. The “Second Team” forwards include Danny Briere, Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek with Chris Pronger and Ivan Provorov on the blueline. Brian Boucher is the “Second Team” goalkeeper.
Gagne was one of the league more underrated forwards during his career and had 535 points in just almost 700 games with the Flyers over 11 seasons. Some remember him for his overtime winner against Tampa in the 2004 Eastern Conference Final but nobody will ever forget his heroic Game 7 winner over Boston in 2010, capping off a 4-3 series win after losing the first three games.
As for Richards, his stint with the Flyers was far shorter than most people expected but just as memorable. The team’s captain registered 349 points over six seasons and had 23 shorthanded goals which ranks him fifth in franchise history. Richards was traded on June 23, 2011 to Los Angeles in exchange for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a second round pick in the 2012 draft (Devin Shore). He also led the Flyers (along with Chris Pronger) almost to the promised land in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, amassing 23 points during the teams run that ended with Chicago winning the Cup.
Giroux — one of three players still currently playing — played 1000 regular season games and ended up with 900 points. Arguably the best Flyers player since 2000, Giroux was the cornerstone of the power play (remember effective power plays?) but, outside of Jacob Voracek and a few others, didn’t have the true horses to play with to take the team deep into the playoffs. Giroux was never nominated for the Hart Trophy despite getting 102 points in 2017-18 but was a seven-time all-star representative for the Flyers.
On the blueline, Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timonen are no-brainers. Desjardins had 396 points with the Flyers and was acquired in the trade that saw Mark Recchi head to Montreal for a package that also included John LeClair. Desjardins won the Barry Ashbee Trophy seven times and was part of the Flyers’ 1997 run to the Finals which saw them swept by Detroit. Meanwhile Timonen, acquired from Nashville, ranks third all-time for points by a defenseman in Flyers history. He also won the Barry Ashbee Trophy five times over seven seasons. Although never winning a Stanley Cup with the Flyers, Timonen did get his ring as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in his final NHL game in 2015.
In goal, Roman Cechmanek, who passed away last year at age 52, had a great rookie season with 59 games played and an excellent 2.01 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. He also was the runner-up for the Vezina that season and had an outstanding 2002-03 season when he posted a miniscule 1.83 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage in 58 games. The numbers earned him the Jennings Trophy.
As for the “Second Team,” the forwards are fairly self-evident if you’ve followed the Flyers. Danny Briere tortured the Flyers for a few post-seasons with the Sabres before the Flyers signed him. Briere had 283 points with Philadephia but was money in the playoffs, getting 72 points in 68 games while scoring 30 points in the 2010 run.
Couturier might be all over the lineup now but the forward was one of the better two-way centers for several seasons. One of the parts of the Jeff Carter trade to Columbus (Flyers used the draft pick to select him in 2011), Couturier has 518 points in 836 games, the latter ranking him fourth in the franchise regarding games played.
Voracek was Giroux’s go-to guy and vice versa during their time together, scoring 604 points over 727 games. He scored 81 points in 2014-15 and was a NHL first-team all star while getting 85 points in 2017-18. Voracek was traded to Columbus in exchange for Cam Atkinson in 2021. He last played in 2022-23 for Columbus before concussion-related issues cut his career short.
On the blueline, Chris Pronger arguably could have been on the “First Team” given how commanding his presence was on the Flyers during their 2010 playoff drive. The defenseman had 18 points during that run and was instrumental in getting Philadelphia almost to the promised land. Pronger’s career, much like Voracek’s, was cut short by concussion issues in 2011-12 after taking a stick to the eye during a game against Toronto early in that season.
Ivan Provorov was also named to the “Second Team” although some might question the selection. Provorov was part of Ron Hextall’s plan to build from the goal out with other draft picks like Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, Sam Morin and Philippe Myers. Although eating up a lot of minutes during his stay, and being sturdy and steady by playing over 400 consecutive games, Provorov scored 217 points in his seven season with the Flyers. He was later dealt to Los Angeles (and then Columbus) for a package that included defenseman Helge Grans, Cal Petersen and Sean Walker. Off the ice Provorov didn’t seem to be part of the mix once John Tortorella was named coach as he, Kevin Hayes and Tony DeAngelo were either traded away or bought out. Provorov also opened himself up to criticism for his stance during the Flyers Pride Night in 2023, refusing to wear the jersey during warmups while citing his religious beliefs.
Last but not least, Brian Boucher was only five games above .500 in his three stints with the Flyers. But he was crucial to the 2010 near fairytale season when, during a shootout in the final game against the Rangers, he stopped Olle Jokinen to give the Flyers the playoff spot. Some might have argued for Steve Mason to be included over Boucher as he had more wins as well as four consecutive seasons of playing over 50 games while having a save percentage over .900 in each. But the nod went to Boucher.