Fans Recall Memorable Encounters With Flyers

Fans Recall Memorable Encounters With Flyers  | read this item

Have you ever had a memorable experience meeting a Philadelphia Flyer player? Thought it would be interesting to hear from Flyer fans about their memorable personal encounters with Flyers. To start the feature off, here’s mine:

During high school, it was always a huge thrill to go see Devils games at the Brendan Byrne Arena. At the time, it was the early 1980’s and the legendary Flyer coach Fred Shero was a radio commentator for New Jersey. After a game, we hung around and got the chance to talk hockey with Fred Shero after he was finished with his post-game duties. He was very nice to us and thoughtfully answered questions about our favorite players. For some reason, I still remember his answer to who he thought was the toughest player in the League and he mentioned Kent Carlson of Montreal who had recently defeated my hero Paul Holmgren in a fight. Not longer after that night I was able to sneak into the Byrne Arena for a Minnesota North Stars morning skate and met Holmgren who was recently traded to his hometown team. I was fortunate to talk briefly with Holmgren and received a green aluminum stick with his #15 on it.

Here’s more Memorable Flyer encounters:

Paul DeMario, West Deptford, NJ: “I’ll start with Ross Lonsberry. When I was 11, I was a member of the St. Margaret’s Parish and every June we had the St. Margaret’s Carnival. And I went up there – it was the first time they won the Cup – Ross Lonsberry was spinning the little wheel round and round. You put your dime on the number and Ross Lonsberry was giving out the prizes. Nobody hardly knew him. I got his autograph on about ten different pieces of paper, he was more than great to sign them. I met our deceased friend Barry Ashbee at the Woodbury Dodge, he was signing hockey pucks. That was about ‘70 or ‘71. Rick Tocchet was at our shore house. Brian Propp too. They partied with us all night, just hung out with us, we had good ol’ times back then. Every one of those guys though – that I’m talking about – was a Joe Everyman. That’s why Flyers are so good and they attach to people. And that’s why their one of the top teams in Philly.”

Todd Harry, Bordentown, NJ: “I bumped into Dan Briere at youth hockey. My son plays youth hockey and so does his. It was at Ice Works in Aston, PA. They played the same tournament. He took a picture – I’ll show it. He took time to talk with all the kids.”

Andy Squire, Macungie, PA: “At the Flyers Carnival I met Laviolette and asked him how the adjustments are, coming over to coach the Flyers. He said it’s a great group of guys, a talented group and he’s looking forward to working with them.”

Mike Carbone, Mullica Hill, NJ: “I have a house in Avalon in the summer – a block away from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter have a house down there. So we usually see them around town, having pizza. I had pizza with them once last summer at Circle Pizza. Nice guys, they were out with their girls and stuff. Just told them I’m a season-ticket holder, they appreciated it. They bought me a pizza. Nice guys.”

Brian McDevitt, Blackwood, NJ: “Met Jeff Carter at McFadden’s. It was a random day, during the Olympic break actually. We hung out for a little bit. He’s a regular in there. He was with Cote and Coburn.”

Amanda, Philadelphia: “I met Mark Recchi at a Bar Mitzvah, friends with my neighbor. Seven years ago. I told him I was a big fan, he said, Thank you very much. And he asked me how long I had been watching the Flyers. And I said since I was eight.”

Steph, Nesquahoning, PA: “About three years ago Bernie Parent was here. I waited in line, I had him sign my jersey and I had pictures of it. He actually got one of the Flyers photographers to take one of him signing my jersey. He was just happy I was wearing his jersey as I was that he was signing it. That was my big moment.”

Lou Ditri, Philadelphia: “The last season that Forsberg played here, they played Chicago and won 3-2 in overtime. He scored two goals. It was the season he had all his foot problems. After the game my ex-girlfriend’s father had a connection – we got to go down outside the locker room. I got Forsberg’s, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter’s autographs all on a hat. It was a great experience. I shook Peter’s hand.”

Scott Mardis, Philadelphia: “I played golf with Brian Propp. Super nice guy. He still has the competitive nature as a professional athlete, especially getting into the golf course. You look at a hockey player or Michael Jordan or anybody who gets out there – they still continue to be competitive on the golf side. He’s incredibly gracious, nice on the golf course. He can drive the ball because he had a heckuva slapshot. But every time he hits a great putt, he gets that same sense of excitement that he got when he scored a goal in hockey – and would do the same Guffaw hand motion. And I think he did it without even knowing he was re-creating that same motion. It was that same level of excitement. It’s been a great pleasure to know him and play with him. Just a naturally nice guy, a gentleman, very gracious on the golf course – but genuinely wants to get to know you. He just isn’t there to make appearances – he just likes being surrounded by nice, fun people. And that’s pretty cool. You get around some professional athletes who do it for the cash, the appearances, they want people to recognize them. He doesn’t sit there and go over glory days. He wants to know what you’re doing now. And that’s pretty cool.”

Terry McGovern, Mount Laurel: “My dad worked for ATT for 30 years. In the 70’s he used to take me to games and we’d see the Flyers. But he’d also get me broken sticks from behind the bench, he would give them to us. So I’d get sticks with Dupont’s name on it, Saleski or Barber, in some cases, Clarke. My two brothers and I would collect them and we’d play street hockey back then and put the Mylec ends on them. And as we were standing here (before Game 3 vs. Boston), Bernie Parent just walked out of the car five minutes ago and we said hello to him.”

Jim Dowrick, Media, PA: “Bernie Parent, Gary Dornhoefer, Bob Kelly – those guys all still have camaraderie and hang out all together. Even Dave Schultz come down too. They’re in our box. They’re all like a family – the ‘75 team.”

George Wahl, Clouocester Twp., NJ: “My friend’s a season-ticket holder. So I saw, it was Chris Pronger, Matt Carle and Ole Christian Tollefson at a table. I asked Matt Carle jokingly to teach Braydon Coburn how to play defense. And he told me to tell Chris Pronger to do it. And they just kinda laughed and said, here you go, here’s your poster.”

Christian Zoleo, Brooklyn, NY: “I met Rick Tocchet at The Garden about 20 years ago, in the late 80’s. They were playing the Rangers and Tocchet was on IR I think. He was hurt during a Rangers-Flyers game. He was sitting a couple rows behind us. And he came down and I screamed his name, and I was the only Flyer fan in the section. And he came down and shook my hand. His hand was like tremendous. But really cool, nice guy. It was a great experience.”

Anthony Gangi, Brooklyn, NY: “I met Tocchet at the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward second fight in Atlantic City. I won $500 on Gatti that night also. That was more memorable than meeting Tocchet. No, I’m only kidding. Tocchet was in the crowd, I yelled out his name. I told the usher, Let me down to the front. I shook his hand. You know what I told him? I said, George McPhee still has nightmares thinking about him. He laughed. He couldn’t agree – he’s a hockey player – but he laughed.”

Mo Thompson, Virginia: “I was a Capitals season-ticket holder. I met Craig Berube at a charity event in ‘96. He’s an awesome guy, we kinda kept in touch. He left me tickets for the AHL when he was player-coach for the Phantoms. I became enthralled with the AHL. I’m a Flyer fan but I have Caps season tickets. What can I say? Craig Berube, to be honest with you, my husband and people say he’s nothing but a dumb fighter. He’s not. He’s an awesome assistant coach. Basically, I’m here tonight as a Flyers fan. Basically because he got me introduced to the Flyers and then I fell in love with the AHL. A lot of the Flyers played for the Phantoms – Jared Ross, Riley Cote, Darroll Powe, Oskars Bartulis – all those guys I saw them play as Phantoms. I always liked Craig Berube, when he was on Calgary. I would wear my Flyers jersey and cheer for the Flyers at Caps games as a season-ticket holder.”

Suez, Golden, CO: “I was in US Air Arena. Chris Simon and Sandy McCarthy were up in the press box, they came down during period break to go down to their respective locker rooms. Standing between two 6-ft, 4 towers, two of the best enforcers in the League. Both were famous for fighting left-handed. I wanted my Avs Simon jersey signed, I got Sandy to sign it first. And he writes in little script with his left hand. And Chris turns it over and signs it on the number – righhanded – and Sandy looks at him, How did you do that? Sandy was shocked, he didn’t know that Chris was righthanded – because he shoots left and fights left. And so the whole League thought he was lefthanded.”

Topics: Ashbee, Brendan Byrne Arena, Deceased Friend, Demario, Experience Meeting, Flyer Fans, Fred Shero, Friend Barry, Hockey Pucks, Hometown Team, Kent Carlson, Lonsberry, Memorable Encounters, Minnesota North Stars, Ol Times, One Of Those Guys, Paul Holmgren, Philadelphia Flyer, Radio Commentator, Rick Tocchet