Photo Credits: FNG’s Rob Windfelder
The Flyers go crashing into the All Star Break and not a moment too soon. The past few weeks have been turbulent to say the least. It’s more than just growing pains for the rebuilding hockey club. General Manager Danny Briere has been asked to suddenly navigate the ship through some very choppy waters due to recent circumstances that are beyond his control.
Speed bump
Just a few weeks ago the Flyers were dipping in and out of 2nd place in the Metropolitan Division. Things were rolling right along and going much better than expected. Then the Cutter Gauthier situation arose and the Flyers organization handled it just the way you would have hoped they would. One of their top prospects had just made it very clear that he was not willing to play for the team that drafted him 5th overall in 2022. Gauthier was obviously a big part of the rebuild narrative and someone the team was counting on to be part of the future. Briere had to face the reality of the situation and move on it.
The Flyers organization led by Briere and President Keith Jones were as transparent as possible with both the fanbase and the press. There was no hiding or spinning, everything was laid out pretty cut and dry. There’s a new and welcome tone coming from the front office. The team is reconnecting with the community that supports it. The fans should always feel involved and Philly Fans prefer the candid approach. And that is exactly what they got in this situation. In the end the Flyers came away with a talented young defenseman in Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 2nd round pick. They also ended up with the entire city on their side.
The skid
The Flyers have lost their last five straight games decisively going into this break. Last season when John Tortorella took over the reigns behind the bench it was obvious that the team was desperately in need of repair. Tortorella did what he could with the group he inherited amid much talk of a divided locker room. One thing that became noticeably different under Tortorella was the work ethic of the team. They had a new resilience and a growing ability to bounce back from adversity. It became part of their collective identity.
The Flyers finished the 2022-23 season 7th in the Metropolitan Division at 31-38-13. They were competitive in many of these games right up until the end of regulation. There were not a lot of blowouts. That is what stands out about this current losing streak heading into the break. Over these last five games the Flyers have been outscored by their opponents to the tune of 27-12.
A tight turn
In the meantime life goes on. The Flyers are currently holding onto 3rd place in the Metro but the pack is tightening up right behind them. The Rangers are in 1st with 63 points, Canes-61, Flyers-56, Isles-52, then you have a three-way tie for 5th place with The Pens, Devils, and Caps all with 51 points each. The only team in the division not nipping at the Flyers heels is the Columbus Blue Jackets who are holding down the basement with 40 points. When play resumes right after the All Star Break things could start to change very quickly. The Flyers need to hit the ground running again.
Crash
The Flyers were on a five game winning streak and only two points out of 1st place when they went up against the Colorado Avalanche on January 20th. That was the game that started the skid. Carter Hart was pulled after giving up five goals in the first two periods. Forward Owen Tippett left the game with a lower body injury. Tippett has not returned to action since, neither has Hart. The Flyers have been on a rough ride ever since that afternoon both on and off the ice.
The announcement
A big part of the Flyers success so far this season has been the goaltending tandem of Samuel Ersson and Carter Hart. It may be a franchise first to have two netminders of such high caliber sharing duties. That came to a grinding halt at 4:00 PM January 23rd when the Flyers issued a “news update” stating that Hart had “requested and been granted an indefinite leave of absence.”
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At that point no one could know for sure what was about to unfold over the coming week. To their credit, yet again, the Flyers organization seemed to be as candid and up front as they were allowed to be in this scenario. Briere didn’t postpone his already scheduled meeting with the press the morning following the announcement. Questions regarding Carter Hart were asked to be directed to the NHL as per the league’s request. Even this non-answer was an answer. This was more than just “personal reasons” that the team was now dealing with.
We were all being careful not to jump to conclusions but the dominos started falling quickly. It suddenly became relevant that Dillon Dubé had just requested a leave of absence from the Calgary Flames two days prior. Shortly after the Hart announcement Michael McLeod and Cal Foote were granted leaves of absence from the New Jersey Devils. This past Sunday Alex Formenton who was currently playing pro hockey in Switzerland returned to London Ontario to turn himself in to the police. The situation was quickly coming into focus. This was for real, and the implications are gigantic and horrible.
Update
Tuesday January 30th at 5:39 PM Hart’s legal councel Savard Foy LLP released “Our statement on behalf of Carter Hart” it read in whole. “We act for Carter Hart and confirm that he has been charged with one count of sexual assault. He is innocent and will provide a full response to this false allegation in the proper forum, a court of law. Until then, we have no comment“.
– This would be the right time for me to say personally, that this is a human tragedy which is way beyond my usual scope here. My responsibility at the Nitty Gritty is to give you information and insights on the team and the sport of ice hockey. It has already proven impossible to separate these current events from coverage of the team. This is also not a time for speculation or gossip. In the big picture the priorities should be abundantly clear. There is an allegation of sexual assualt, and criminal charges have been filed. This is a gravely serious matter. You have to respect the legal process at hand and let it play out, under oath. In the end I sincerely hope that truth rules the day, no matter how uncomfortable or unfortunate that may be for anyone involved.
Turning the corner
This break could not have come at a more needed time for the Flyers. It would be very hard to imagine that the fall-out hasn’t already had an effect on the team and their ability to focus, not just as professional athletes but as human beings. To a certain extent this effects everyone even remotely attached to the team, so how can it not be taking a toll on the team itself?
The Flyers do not resume play until February 6th when they face the Panthers in Florida. This break will be a chance to regroup, refresh, and ready themselves to face a whole new set of challenges. This will be a real test of character. These remaining players did nothing wrong and yet they will have to move forward under a cloud. After being shut out by the Detroit Red Wings last week Tortorella said “it’s not about getting down on them, we gotta stay together”. You have to wonder if this upcoming challenge is part of what the coach was talking about.
