Flyers have a superstitious dress code. It’s led to a winning streak: ‘It’s working. Keep doing it.’
For the past three games, the Flyers coaching staff has worn black hoodies with a camo Flyers logo. John Tortorella has decided to keep wearing them.
Heading into a matchup with the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night, the Flyers are rolling, winning seven of their past 11 and three straight games.
There have been two constants in the winning streak against the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, and Buffalo Sabres. It’s not the goalies; Sam Ersson beat the Sharks and Ivan Fedotov won the next two. How about the forwards? Nope, as Sean Couturier missed the game in Canada with a lower-body injury but returned against the Sabres.
One constant is the defensive group, as the same six guys have skated all three games — including Erik Johnson, who laced his skates for his 1,000th NHL game on Saturday — and have been paired with the same partner.
The second never touches a puck or hits the ice. Meet the Flyers’ secret weapon: black hoodies with a camo Flyers logo.
“It’s [John Tortorella’s] idea,” associate Brad Shaw confessed after the Flyers practiced at Voorhees, adding Tortorella sets the dress code. “He’s got a lot of compliments from other coaches and other people in the game around the league. And he’s, obviously, superstitious because we’re sticking with them.”
In case you didn’t know, Tortorella may be the oldest coach in the NHL at 66, but he is a trendsetter. Back in 2018, the then-Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss was dealing with flu-like symptoms and wore a team hoodie on the bench. It set social media on fire that he wasn’t wearing a suit.
Tortorella continued to buck tradition in 2020 during the COVID-19 bubble, sporting a navy blue quarter-zip mock turtleneck on the Blue Jackets bench. That summer, he was joined by two former Flyers in non-traditional attire: Craig Berube, who was then the St. Louis Blues coach, donned either a gray or blue warmup jacket, and Rick Tocchet, leading the Arizona Coyotes, coached in a quilted black jacket.
And while he wore a suit in his first season with the Flyers, he started wearing a black zip-up jacket with a logo pin last season. This season, Tortorella and his staff typically wear a bomber jacket.
Although not everyone on the Flyers bench has noticed the coaching staff of Tortorella, Shaw, and assistant coaches Rocky Thompson and Darryl Williams staying consistent in the past three games, the ones who have keyed in on the hoodies are in the mindset of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
“Hockey players are, I think, naturally a little superstitious,” defenseman Nick Seeler said. “But I think when it comes down to it, it’s more routine for some guys. But, yeah, I definitely noticed that they’re wearing the hoodies and hey, it’s working. Keep doing it.”
Like most of his teammates, Seeler isn’t too superstitious but has a routine he follows before games. Forwards Morgan Frost chuckled that he’s not superstitious but a little stitious and Joel Farabee said he doesn’t have anything specific but, “If I score in a period, I won’t retape my stick."
Blueliner Egor Zamula’s routine includes lunch — pasta with chicken or salmon and salad — at the same time on game days and some chocolate milk — “I love chocolate milk,” he said. He also downs one coffee — an iced coffee with caramel and cream — after taking a nap.
“Depends how tired you feel,” he said about how long he sleeps for. “Sometimes it’s one hour, sometimes one-and-a-half. Sometimes, if you need more, you can nap too. But you need to be careful with sleep time too because you can wake up and you feel more tired. So you have to be smart with it.”
» READ MORE: Flyers takeaways: Ivan Fedotov’s steady presence, consistency on offense has led to three-game winning streak
Scott Laughton used to be “very superstitious” but noted it’s hard to keep it going across 12 NHL seasons. The veteran forward will sometimes keep the same stick if he has a good game but is more of a routine guy, which includes setting up his gear the same.
He has also been the Flyers DJ since 2015 and puts together an intricate playlist with certain songs coming on at certain times, depending on the pregame activities for the group. Last year, Laughton told The Inquirer that The Tragically Hip usually would come on around 4 p.m., when it’s time for the players to tape their sticks. The Inquirer can confirm the band’s “New Orleans Is Sinking” did make the cut in 2024-25.
One position expected to have some superstitions is the goaltender but, shockingly, Fedotov said he’s more of a routine guy, too. Does he prefer to put on his right skate and right pad first? Yes, and if he gets a win, “I will keep some things the same,” but he’s not beholden to it.
“Five years ago, for example, yes, I tried to do exactly what I did, after a win. ... But now I’m easy,” he said. “For me, it’s more important [to get] some good rest, rest my mind, my body, [so] I will feel good. It’s more important than some small things.”
The Flyers will hope he keeps getting good rest and wins; he has won the past two and is riding a personal three-game winning streak, which includes his first NHL victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With Sam Ersson still expected to be out with a lower-body injury, Fedotov will likely be between the pipes on Monday against the Avalanche (7 p.m. NHLN, NBCSP+). And there should be another constant — the hoodies, which the Flyers first wore on Military Appreciation Night at the Wells Fargo Center one week prior.
“Those military nights are special nights [and] what we’re doing out there on the ice kind of pales in comparison to what these people are doing for the nation and their families and everything else,” Shaw said. “I think wearing them is a great tribute to every person that’s ever served and the people that are serving.
“The fact that we’re winning with them is great. And they’re really comfortable and warm. Who wouldn’t love a hoodie on the bench? I’m not going to say no.”
Breakaways
Shaw did not have an update on defenseman Emil Andrae, who left the game on Saturday in the third period with an apparent injury. ... Couturier did not participate in practice. It is expected to have been a maintenance day. ... Defenseman Jamie Drysdale skated again in a blue noncontact jersey. ... Veteran Erik Johnson will be honored before the game on Monday for having played in 1,000 NHL games.