Noel Acciari is going from a hated Penguin to a (hopefully?) beloved Flyer. He said he’s excited to join a team on the rise.
Acciari has mixed it up with Trevor Zegras and others, but says he's now happy to be on the other side of the Battle of Pennsylvania.
Noel Acciari has gotten a few text messages and calls since July 1.
They came from friends, family, and a few other people, all saying the same thing: “You fit the Flyer mold.”
That was why the Flyers targeted the unrestricted free agent who checked a lot of boxes, including “experience, playoff experience, the hardness, the fourth-line role, face-offs, the leadership,” according to general manager Danny Brière.
The veteran forward inked a two-year deal that carries a $2.8 million average annual value. Acciari, 34, is now heading east on I-76 after spending three seasons in Pittsburgh.
“Choosing Philly was an easy decision,” he said during a Zoom news conference on Tuesday. “Seeing how their momentum was after the break, and it’s a young team, to be able to do what they did was pretty special to watch and play against, and I just wanted to be a part of that.”
The forward was on the Penguins team that lost in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Flyers. Brière noted that it was difficult for the Flyers to play against Acciari, who brings a physical, defensive game with high-end prowess on the penalty kill, similar to what Garnet Hathaway did for three seasons before he was traded to the Florida Panthers right before the draft.
Acciari is a natural center who has played a lot of wing, including in Pittsburgh. He combined with Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte to make up one of the league’s top fourth lines. This past season, he had 13 goals, 25 points, won 52% of his faceoffs, and had an impressive plus-14 rating in 67 games.
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He posted one assist in the six playoff games against Philly — Brière said it was because of the Flyers’ stingy defense — but dominated in the face-off circle, winning 61% of his draws.
His prowess in the dot will help bolster a team that has not re-signed Luke Glendening, who won 57.2% of his faceoffs with the Flyers. Glendening, a late-season addition, was the team’s only right-handed centerman, and now Acciari holds that title. Across all 82 games last season, the Flyers collectively won only 49.5% of faceoffs; they improved against the Penguins in the playoffs but were worse against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
“If it’s not on a score sheet, I want to help out the team in any way possible, whether it’s blocking a shot, winning a faceoff, or throwing a big hit,” said Acciari. “All the little things that helped me throughout my career, and I’d love to bring [them] on over to Philly.”
A veteran of 585 career games with the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Penguins, Acciari has amassed 81 goals and 144 points. One of the biggest draws for him was the Flyers’ locker room. He says he saw how tight the team is, the excitement they had, and how much fun they were having, and he wanted to be a part of it.
He also knows a few Flyers. He played with Owen Tippett in Florida and Joseph Woll in Toronto and overlapped with Dan Vladař in the Boston organization. He also worked with Flyers assistant coach Todd Reirden in Pittsburgh.
There’s also his interaction during the regular season with Trevor Zegras. The two were part of a melee that saw both players tossed after Acciari wasn’t too happy with the Flyers forward for knocking off his helmet. So while Acciari has spoken to the guys he knows, has he chatted yet with Zegras?
“I have not talked to Trevor yet, but I bet that will come soon enough,” he said after grinning when Zegras’ name was brought up. “But, you know, it’s all water under the bridge. Have a good laugh at it now. He does what he needs to do on the ice to get under guys’ skin, and he does a good job, and he’s effective at it.”
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He’s excited to now be on the same side as Zegras — and Philadelphia’s fans.
“Just being a part of that Pennsylvania rivalry, I got to experience it on the other side, which was a lot of fun,” he said. “And just seeing how passionate the fans are, which is unbelievable, and to be able to experience it with their cheering for you this time. I’m so excited for, and I’m glad to have them on my side now because they are very passionate, and they’re all up in your face.
“It’s fun to play against, but at the same time, I’m happy I get to play on the same side.”