Wanna get into playoff hockey? Try the ex-Flyers game
You are sad. There is hockey this spring but no Flyers. You don’t know what to do with yourself. I am here to help. Make your own team, using only ex-Flyers.
You are sad. There is hockey this spring but no Flyers. You don't know what to do with yourself.
I am here to help.
Below is a list of playoff players with ties to the Flyers. Once they wore the orange and black, played for your farm team, were drafted by the club or, in the case of Bryan Bickell and John Carlson, were a draft pick owned by the club. Find a buddy, or two buddies, and conduct yourself a quick draft, give yourself something to root for. You can devise any scoring system you like, but I've found the simpler, the better.
Here's mine. Either add or subtract a player's plus-minus to his points. Whoever has the most points when a Cup winner is crowned wins the first-ever Sammy Cup.
You don't even have to share it with teammates. And you can do anything you like with it, even the kind of stuff not suitable for recounting in newspapers.
The hockey writers who cover the Olympics do this (although with an even simpler formula) and it's a blast. You simply put a list of players down, pass it around from one participant to another until the list is exhausted. If you need to even it out, add Matt Carle or Sergei Bobrovsky or any other ex-Flyers competing in the World Championships to your list. Could even make your afternoons more interesting.
Frank Seravalli and I conducted our own draft this afternoon and he chose first. While his roster certainly has more firepower, there are some icky plus-minuses there that could sabotage his team. I've got me a squad full of muckers and grinders, but not a whole lot of pop.
Let the games begin. Or rather, resume with added interest.
Frank Seravalli Sam Donnellon
Jeff Carter, Kings Patrick Sharp, Blackhawks
Mike Richards, Kings Justin Williams, Kings
Jaromir Jagr, Bruins Michal Handzus, Blackhawks
Bryan Bickell, Blackhawks Arron Asham, Rangers
Joffrey Lupul, Leafs Dennis Seidenberg, Bruins
Mark Eaton, Penguins Darroll Powe, Rangers
Colin Fraser, Kings Dan Carcillo, Blackhawks
James van Riemsdyk , Leafs Tom Sestito, Canucks
Luca Sbisa, Ducks John Carlson, Capitals