WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 12: Garnet Hathaway #21 of the Washington Capitals skates before the game against the San Jose Sharks at Capital One Arena on February 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Photo Credit: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Garnet Hathaway is no stranger to the Flyers. I mean he’s had some battles with Sean Couturier and the Flyers in particular since he played for the Washington Capitals for four seasons dating back to the 2019-20 season.
“For Sean and a lot of the guys, I think it’s a lot better to be on the same side after battling against those guys for so many years. I’m excited to get to know Sean and see him as a player on the other side,” Hathaway said on Tuesday.
Hathaway continues, “It’s always difficult to go up against him. So to see him, especially in training camp and as we go throughout the season, really be competitive, and battle in practice, but then be able to celebrate when he does something on the ice positive. I’m looking forward to that.”
A veteran in Hathaway logs big minutes. He never puts up crazy numbers offensively, although he posted 14 goals in 2021-22. His physical presence and agitating style of play were a huge asset for Washington since joining them in 2019. He became more valuable for them since then, “You look at it as a whole. This organization has been really tough to play against my entire career,” Hathaway said. “Now, they’re in a spot and I think our conversation mimicked that. They want to get back to that position where they’re really difficult to play against and to build up into a competitive team or more competitive team. That’s something I take a lot of pride in, is being difficult to play against. I’m super excited to get that opportunity especially in this organization.”
It is no shock that the Caps have struggled at times since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. Whenever Washington needed a boost or clutch goal, there were many times that Hathaway and the fourth line saved the day. He also became an asset at the trade deadline in the 2022-23 season, to which he was traded to the Boston Bruins.
To show how much he wanted to be in Philadelphia. Hathaway did his homework and sought out former players who once played for John Tortorella, according to Hathaway. Hathaway just wanted to ensure Philly and Tortorella were the right fit, “I talked to a lot of guys from different stages in their career and different teams that they had played for him (John Tortorella). It was a lot of what you hear from guys who (Currently) play for him now. A very honest coach, not someone who is going to sugar coat things, but is going to demand the best out of you effort wise.”
Hathaway has continued his agitating, physical, hard-nosed play following the trade to the Bruins, but he has also improved on the other side of the puck. As a result, Hathaway became much more of a threat to score believe it or not, which only raised the play and threat level of the Bruins fourth line.
As it stands here are the lines for the Flyers:
Farabee-Couturier-Konecny
Laughton-Frost-Tippett
Allison-Cates-Atkinson
Deslauriers-Poehling-Hathaway
Laczynski
To have a successful team in today’s NHL you have to have a successful fourth line, that’s why the Hathaway signing makes sense. This signing alone strengthens that fourth line, as Hathaway signed a two-year $4.75 million deal ($2.375 million AAV).
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I listened to him on Jason M. Daily. He is very articulate. But he knows that is not why he was signed. He is looking forward to helping and protecting the young players.