Forgotten Flyers of the 2010s: Defensemen and Goalies
The 2019-20 NHL season gave the Flyers their first playoff series win since 2012, solidified Carter Hart as a star goaltender, and ultimately gave many struggling Flyers fans hope for the future after almost a decade of irrelevance.
The Flyers are legitimate contenders to lift the Stanley Cup in 2021 and bring the city their first championship since the ’70s.
There’s a quote I saw on a plaque at a gift shop once that said “To go into the future, you need to learn from the past” or something tacky like that.
So, I figured now would be a great time to look at the past, and honor some of the Flyers’ “legends” who will forever be referenced in the inside jokes of Flyers fans.
To avoid this list becoming a dissertation, in this edition we’ll take a look at the forgotten defensemen and goalies.
First D-Pairing // Evgeny Medvedev/Pavel Kubina
Evgeny Medvedev
The story of Evgeny Medvedev is actually a really interesting one because, after 7 seasons of playing in the KHL, he signed with the Flyers in the spring of 2015 after his appearance with Team Russia in the 2015 IIHF World Championship in which he won a silver medal with the team. In his lone season in the NHL with the Flyers, he appeared in 45 games for the Flyers and recorded 12 points (4 G, 8 A) during the 2015-16 season. His first career NHL goal came at the age of 33 against the Ottawa Senators with Craig Anderson in the net.
Pavel Kubina
His pairing mate is Pavel Kubina, who played 10 seasons in the NHL and came to the Flyers through a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning in February of 2012. The Flyers traded the Florida Panthers’ conditional second-round pick, 2013 fourth-round pick, and Jon Kalinski. Kubina played a total of 22 games for the Flyers and recorded 5 points (0 G, 5 A). After the end of the 2012 season, Kubina signed with Genève-Servette HC of the National League in Switzerland.
Second D-Pairing // Carlo Colaiacovo/Hal Gill
Carlo Colaiacovo
Carlo Colaiacovo might be one of the most notable players listed because he was the 17th overall draft pick in the 2001 NHL Entry draft, a 2-time silver medalist at the World Juniors with Team Canada, and a current morning drive radio host in Canada. He spent the majority of his career with the Maple Leafs and Blues organizations and ended up with the Flyers for one year in the 2014/15 season where he played 33 games and recorded 8 points (2 G, 6 A). His time with the Flyers was not very notable at all but he does have some Pennsylvania hockey history as he won the 2001/02 OHL Championship as a member of the Erie Otters.
Hal Gill
His pairing mate is Hal Gill, who played 16 seasons in the NHL (626 games) playing a total of 6 games for the orange and black. Gill signed a pro-try-out with the Flyers in 2013 and made the team as a healthy scratch, which is why he only appeared in 6 games with a TOI of 89 minutes and 0 points recorded. The Flyers were the last stop in his NHL career, and he now serves as a color analyst for the Nashville Predators.
Third D-Pairing // Marc-Andre Bourdon/Kurtis Foster
Marc-Andre Bourdon
Marc-Andre Bourdon was drafted by the Flyers in the 3rd round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and spent all of his 7 seasons of pro hockey with the Flyers organization. Bourdon only played one season in the NHL, which came during the 2012/13 campaign in which he appeared in 45 games and recorded 7 points (4 G, 3 A). His career was cut short due to multiple concussions, but he now serves as the Assistant GM and Head Scout of Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL.
Kurtis Foster
His pairing mate is Kurtis Foster, who signed with the Flyers in January of 2013 after the end of the 2012/13 NHL lockout. He played a total of 23 games for the Flyers recording a total of 5 points (1 G, 4 A). His first and only goal with the team came on January 20th, 2013 against the Buffalo Sabres, which was assisted by Sean Couturier.
After the season ended, Foster played in the KHL, DEL, and retired in June of 2016. Later in 2016, he became an assistant coach for the OHL’s Peterborough Petes. Following the 2016/17 season, he became an assistant coach of the Kingston Frotenacs for the 2017/18 season and then became the team’s head coach for the 2018/19 and 19/20 seasons.
Goalies // Rob Zepp/Petr Mrazek
Rob Zepp
The name Rob Zepp is a fairly familiar one though I honestly had no actual recollection of him ever playing between the pipes for the Flyers. He only played one season in the NHL, which came in the 2014/15 season where he played in 10 games and had a .888 SV% and 2.89 GAA. He was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 4th round of the 1999 NHL entry draft, with his first NHL game coming 15 years after the draft on December 21st, 2014.
Zepp played in the ECHL, Liiga, and DEL for Eisbären Berlin. During the 2012/13 NHL lockout, Danny Briere and Claude Giroux played with Zepp for Eisbären Berlin, which is where he first got the attention of the organization.
Petr Mrazek
Zepp’s backup is Petr Mrazek, who honestly probably shouldn’t qualify for this all-star of forgotten Flyers because his trade was somewhat notable. But in Mrazek’s lone season with the team during the 2017/18 season, Mrazek only player 17 games with the team. He recorded a lack-luster 891 SV% and 3.22 GAA but you might remember that this was a desperation trade as Brian Elliot and Michal Neuvirth were hurt.
The Flyers traded away a 2019 third-round pick and conditional 2018 fourth-rounder for the goaltender so it’s not like they traded away the farm for him but I’m still not sure they won that trade.
Mrazek is also the only player on this list that is still playing in the NHL as he is still fairly young at the age of 28.
Featured Image: Chicago Tribune
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