PHILADELPHIA FLYERS QUARTER-CENTURY TEAMS
First team
Attackers
Simon Gagne
Claude Giroux
Mike Richards
Defenders
Eric Desjardins
Kimmo Timonen
Guardian
Roman Cechmanek
Attackers: Gagné recorded back-to-back 40-goal seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and his 257 goals with the Flyers since January 1, 2000 place him second behind Giroux (291). Gagne also scored in crucial moments in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He notably scored an overtime goal in Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, then participated in Philadelphia’s historic 0-3 to 4-3 comeback against the Tampa Bay Bruins. Boston in the second round of the 2010 playoffs, scoring in overtime in Game 4 before scoring the winning goal in Game 7. First round pick (22nd overall) by the Flyers in the draft 2006, Giroux spent his first 15 NHL seasons in Philadelphia and is one of two players to play 1,000 games in the organization – along with Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke (1,144 games) . Giroux ranks second in Flyers history in points (900) and assists (609), behind Clarke (1,210 points, 852 assists). He has been captain for 10 seasons, from 2012-13 to 2021-22). Richards was captain for three seasons in Philadelphia, including in 2009-10, when he helped his team reach the Stanley Cup final after a season of 62 points (31 goals, 31 assists) in 82 games. . He had two 30-goal seasons with the Flyers and is the team’s top scorer on the penalty kill at 21e century. He has 23 goals short of a man, including three at 3-on-5. In 2008-09, he led the NHL with seven shorthanded goals and finished second in voting for the Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top defensive forward.
Defenders: Desjardins’ best seasons came before 2000, but he was still the Flyers’ best defenseman until his retirement in 2006, with a +49 rating, 168 points (38 goals, 130 assists) and one usage average of 23:58 in 360 games after January 1, 2000. He served as team captain from 2000 to 2002, helping his team reach the 2000 Eastern final. He then collected 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in 18 playoff games. Like Desjardins, Timonen was a hard worker, averaging 22:27 usage per game. He played 519 of the Flyers’ 540 games from 2007 to 2014, having six seasons of at least 35 points along the way.
Guardian : Even though Cechmanek only played three seasons with the Flyers, he managed to rank second in team history with 20 shutouts. Only Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie Parent (50) is ahead of him. Cechmanek finished second in voting for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s best goaltender, in 2000-01, after leading the league with a 2.01 goals-against average per game (minimum 30 games) and recording 10 shutouts in 59 matches. In 2002-03, he shared the Jennings Trophy with Robert Esche. The tandem had, at the time, helped the Flyers present the best defensive performance in the circuit. Cechmanek finished third in the NHL with a .925 save percentage and second with a 1.83 goals against average in 58 games.
Second team
-Attackers
Daniel Briere
Sean Couturier
Jakub Voracek
Defenders
Chris Pronger
Ivan Provorov
Guardian
Brian Boucher
Attackers: In his first season in Philadelphia, in 2007-08, Briere led the Flyers with 31 goals, helping them reach the East Final. It was a dramatic turnaround for the team that had finished the previous season with the worst record in the NHL. Brière scored at least 25 goals three times in six seasons, and his 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 23 playoff games in 2010 represented an NHL high as well as a franchise record that still stands . Eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Couturier has been playing with the Flyers for 13 seasons now. In his rookie season, at age 19, he became the youngest player to score a hat trick in the playoffs since 1945. He won the Selke Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s best defensive forward, in 2019-20, after finishing second in 2017-18. Couturier reached 500 NHL points with a hat trick and two assists against the Minnesota Wild on October 26, and his 518 points (198 goals, 320 assists) place him third on the Flyers since the turn of the century, even though he almost missed the entire 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons after undergoing two back surgeries. Voráček reached the 80-point plateau in two of his 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He notably obtained 85 (20 goals, 65 assists) in 82 games in 2017-18. In 2014-15, he was named to one of the NHL’s all-star teams after ranking fourth in the league with 81 points and second with 59 assists. With 604 points (177 goals, 427 assists) in 727 games, he ranks second on the Flyers since 1is January 2000.
Defenders: Pronger spent only three seasons with the Flyers, but his arrival via trade during the 2009 draft changed the team’s defensive picture. Pronger was an integral part of his team’s success in 2009-10, a season that ended in the Stanley Cup final. The seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft, Provorov has only missed three games in seven seasons with the Flyers even though he has always loved physical play. His 1,035 blocked shots represent a team high since 2000 and his 693 hits place him fifth in this regard. With 217 points (65 goals, 152 assists) in 532 games, he ranks third among Philadelphia defensemen. He shared the top scoring ranking among defensemen on the circuit with Victor Hedman and Dougie Hamilton in 2017-18. The three backs each scored 17 goals during the season.
Guardian : Boucher had three stints totaling 174 games with the Flyers, starting as a rookie in 1999-00. He closed this first NHL campaign as the starting goalie in the Eastern final. That season, he led the NHL with a 1.91 goals-against average per game, which earned him a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Team. He returned to Philadelphia in 2009-10 and the tandem he put together with Michael Leighton helped the Flyers reach the Stanley Cup Final. His 67 regular season victories place him fourth among goaltenders in the organization since January 1, 2000. His 21 playoff victories represent a team high.
Coming Tuesday: Boston Bruins Quarter-Century Teams
