Photo Credit: Zack Hill
As I approach my 15th year of active duty service in the United States Marine Corps. I have experienced many changes of command. I have watched commanders, and senior leaders come and go, making small changes, while leaving their legacy and their mark on the unit. While leading Marines on the battlefield is different than leading a hockey team on the ice, one thing that is a constant with any leadership role is the ability to set the culture for your team, and make or break the success of those under your charge.
Since the 2012-2013 season, Claude Giroux has had the honor and privilege of wearing the Flyers “C” over his heart; a role that was once filled by NHL Hall of Famers such as Bobby Clarke and Eric Lindros. It is no secret that the bar was set high for Giroux, but through his exceptional play and exemplary leadership, G (Claude Giroux) has represented those legends well, and in the process has put his name in a position to be discussed for a future Hall of Fame induction. During the 2010 Stanley Cup run, where he produced 21 playoff points, to his game winning goal during the overtime session at the 2019 Stadium Series game securing a comeback victory in the spitting rain and poor ice conditions over the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. Giroux’s highlights are impressive and his rivalry with Sidney Crosby will be talked about long after they have both retired.
To anyone who has watched Captain Claude (Giroux) play, it is clear that he leads by example and plays hard every shift, never taking a game off. He is the first to take ownership of the teams struggle’s and is always proud to speak praise of his young teammates when given the chance. Off the ice he has given back to the Philadelphia community with his work through the Claude Giroux Foundation. The Captain has helped organizations like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Silver Springs Martin Luther School, and Ed Snider Youth Hockey. He wears the orange and black on the ice but it is clear that he bleeds it just as much as any Flyers fan.
It would be hard to find a Philadelphia Flyer fan that is not happy with how Claude Giroux has led this team. As we are all aware all good things must come to an end, that may not be now, but we as fans would be fools to not start looking towards the future. Giroux has once again raised the bar for the next Philadelphia Flyer to wear the Captain’s C, but lucky for the Flyers organization and for us fans, there are a few Flyers who could fit the bill.
There is the surging Travis Konecny who, in the 4th year of his career, tallied 185 points and perfected the art of “chirping,” and brought back the popularity of the word “Nerd” after critiquing Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins choice of wearing ear muffs during the Stadium Series game last season. During this last off season, Travis Konecny and the Philadelphia Flyers were able to work out a $33 million deal over 6-years, and his play this season was nothing short of deserving of that type of money. Konecny is a vital part to the success of the current Philadelphia Flyers, but does not feel like the right fit to take the reins as
Captain once Claude Giroux moves on.
Two other strong candidates that could step up as Captain are star defenseman Ivan Provorov and Center Kevin Hayes, who both signed long-term contracts at the beginning of the season, and will continue to be key parts of the Flyers organization for the foreseeable future. The leader of the Philadelphia Flyers defensive core, Provorov has yet to miss a game in his four year career and is the definition of tough. With his hard-nose play in the defensive zone and his ability to make plays with the puck in offensive zone, makes him a factor that all teams must prepare for when playing the Philadelphia Flyers. These skills were shown earlier this season when he scored a game winning goal 31 seconds into overtime against the Montreal Canadiens, going between the legs on Max Domi and putting himself in the running for a possible goal of the year. Provorov is unquestionably a leader on this Flyers team, but is he vocal enough to be their next Captain?
Kevin Hayes signed a 7-year deal with the Flyers worth $50 million this past June. At the time, there were many who questioned if he was worth the money, and there were even rumors that Hayes only signed because he knew he was being overpaid. It did not take long for the rumors to be silenced, and for the City of Brotherly Love to fall in love with Kevin Hayes. We’ve watched him revitalize the Flyers Penalty Kill by playing a game of keep away from the other teams by “ragging” the puck and holding the NHL’s officiating accountable to the calls that were made on the ice while reminding everyone within ear shot that he too once ref’d. It was hard not to admire the swagger that is Kevin Hayes. My only question about Kevin Hayes as the Captain is if his transition to a more serious role would hurt the culture in the locker room that he has helped create.
Then there is Sean Couturier, the 9-year veteran of the Philadelphia Flyers who has proven year after year that he belongs in the talks with the league’s elite Centers. His incredible play on both ends of the ice has earned him a spot as one of the top candidates for this year’s NHL Selke
Trophy; an award given to the forward who showed the most skill defensively during the season. Sean Couturier can be described as the Philadelphia Flyers Swiss army knife, with a unique ability to make his linemates seem to produce at a higher level than when they play on other lines. It was this skill that was put on display when Coach Alain Vigneault had to deal with injuries that kept players like Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom out for the season, forcing AV to play musical chairs with his lineups. It did not matter who flanked Coots (Sean Couturier) to his left and right, his line always seemed to buzz; producing strong shifts that kept the Flyers in many games.
Sean Couturier plays a disciplined game, but is not afraid of any scrum, and is first to defend his teammates. He will not stand by and watch his teammates be disrespected, Couturier plays with a fierce passion that is contagious. It is this type of passion, the game winning mentality that creates the culture; the culture that will bring the Stanley Cup back down Broad Street and hang another banner from the rafters of The Wells Fargo Center.
Awesome article! This guy has great insight