Photo Courtesy of Kate Frese
By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly contributor 
In a year that saw Shayne Gostisbehere emerge as one of the NHL's pre-eminent young talents, one local group has furthered his list of accomplishments.
The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association on Thursday announced the second-year Flyers blueliner as the Philadelphia Pro Athlete of the Year. After a season that saw him rejuvenate the Flyers' lineup with 17 goals and 46 points, embark upon a 15-game point streak that set a new record and garnered league-wide attention, finish as the Calder Trophy runner-up and represent Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey, Gostisbehere will get his due.
From the PSWA's release:
“I didn’t think I was going to come in and make the impact I did,” said Gostisbehere, who missed most of the previous season with the AHL’s Phantoms after undergoing knee surgery. “But I came in wanting to contribute to the team and help the team along the way. That’s what stuck with me all the way: Just put the individual stuff to the side and keep your teammates always with you.”
With Gostisbehere in the lineup, the Flyers went 34-19-11; they were 7-8-3 without him.
It’s supposed to be more difficult for a defenseman to make an immediate impact, but Gostisbehere made it look easy, finishing fifth in rookie scoring with 46 points. One of his highlights was setting an NHL rookie record for defensemen with a 15-game points streak.
“It was a great stepping stone to more success this year,” Gostisbehere said.
Claude Giroux most recently earned the organization's Pro Athlete of the Year award in 2011, while players such as Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, Danny Briere and Simon Gagne have been honored with other awards in recent years.
In a wicked twist, Gostisbehere was actually scratched from the Flyers' Thursday matchup with the Winnipeg Jets, which coach Dave Hakstol is looking to use as a teaching opportunity. It's certainly not every day that a player can be honored yet scratched that quickly.
Gostisbehere will be honored at the PSWA's annual banquet on Feb. 3.
[h/t phillysportswriters.com]
