Articles by Kevin Durso (5321)
Flyers forward Sean Couturier is a finalist for the Selke Trophy, along with Boston’s Patrice Bergeron and St. Louis’ Ryan O’Reilly.
When Jake Voracek was absent from the Flyers scrimmage on Saturday, the first thought is that there could be a positive COVID-19 test in Flyers camp. But that was quickly put to rest when Voracek was back on the ice on Sunday for the next practice.
Moments before the team took the ice for the scrimmage on Saturday, GM Chuck Fletcher announced that Jake Voracek was “unable to participate.” According to the NHL’s protocol, that is the only update teams are able to give on absent players. So there is no knowledge if Voracek’s absence is injury-related, illness-related or simply a maintenance issue.
For the entire season, Ivan Provorov and Matt Niskanen have been united together. Assistant coach Mike Yeo, who runs the defense, said that they have been the quickest to get up to speed.
The overall turnaround for the Flyers has earned Alain Vigneault a Jack Adams nomination as one of three finalists for the award given to the coach of the year. For Vigneault, this one is special for a specific reason.
Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault was named as one of the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award on Wednesday. The other finalists are Columbus head coach John Tortorella and Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy.
While a lot of NHL players are well aware of the sacrificing they are making for their families and that their families are making for them, the Flyers spoke about becoming a road family when they travel to the hub cities for what is hopefully a long stay and a deep playoff run.
From the beginning, Alain Vigneault brought in an authority and leadership that was lacking in the Flyers locker room. That leadership and guidance has given Vigneault a strong case for a Jack Adams Award nomination.
The Flyers were back on the ice for Day 1 of Phase 3 training camps as they prepare for the return to play and the 24-team playoff that is about to take place and the first practice was a test of conditioning to evaluate where each player is after a four-month pause.
The NHL has worked out a return-to-play plan, CBA extension and used very specific planning to get to the start of Phase 3. For them to complete the season, the next two weeks leading up to the travel to Phase 4 hub cities is critical.