Photo Credit: Elite Prospects
Garnet Hathaway was no stranger to the Flyers before he signed in Philadelphia. 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. What are you doing in his short tenure in Philadelphia it’s turning out to be a great signing, a great addition to the lineup, he really has found his niche in his game, “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 following his signing.
One thing that’s pretty neat about Hathaway is that he always credits somebody else for his success. He scored a big goal against the Chicago Blackhawks, and yet he credits his linemates, in particular Noah Cates for his goal, “I’m trying to play a smart game, as well, be physical when needed. Catesy is unbelievable in puck battles,” Hathaway said.
Hathaway continues, “Catesy has been unbelievable. I think he’s played great, I really do.” This is testament to who the Flyers are this season. Even after Hathaway had a stellar game against Chicago, and his line of Cates and Ryan Poehling. He still won’t take credit for how he played, “It’s about time he gets rewarded,” Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella said following the game.
A veteran in Hathaway logs big minutes. He never puts up crazy numbers offensively, although he posted 14 goals in 2021-22, and to this date he only has six goals for the Flyers, while one of them was short-handed. 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 originally 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 be his agitating self-physical, hard-nosed play since he joined the Flyers organization, but he has also improved on the other side of the puck. As a result, Hathaway has become much more of a threat to score believe it or not, which has only raised the play and threat level of the Flyers third and fourth lines. Moreover, he’s even killing penalties now, so he has become trusted by Tortorella and his coaching staff. Gone are the days Hathaway is just a bruiser, enter the days where he is more valuable to a team that needed his presence.
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