The 4 Nations Face-Off began Wednesday night with Canada facing Sweden before a boisterous Montreal crowd. Team Canada saw Travis Konecny in the lineup while Sweden included goaltender Sam Ersson. As proven previously, plenty of Flyers have participated in these tournaments over the years. But how would each nation stack up for a starting lineup of only Flyers players over the franchise’s history?
Well, thanks to a little digging and some tough choices, the four lineups below feature what would be the starting lineup of each country made up of Flyers. Note the three forwards for each country are not necessarily a right winger, center, and left winger. They’re just forwards. Same goes for defensemen as the two listed might have both played the same side of the ice most or all of their careers.
So with that, here’s the 4 Nations Face-Off Lineups, All-Time Flyers Edition:
Team Canada
Forwards: Bobby Clarke, Claude Giroux, Eric Lindros
Defensemen: Eric Desjardins, Joe Watson
Goaltender: Bernie Parent
It could be debated but it shouldn’t come as a huge shock regarding the three forwards. Two of the three are one-two in terms of points (Clarke with 1210 and Giroux at 900). Clarke, still synonymous with being the name that first comes to mind when thinking of the Flyers, also earned two Stanley Cups and three Hart Trophys. He also is one of the few NHL players to win the Selke Trophy for top defensive forward near the homestretch of his career and also the Masterston Trophy in the early years.
Giroux, unfortunately, played in one final in what was his first full year with the Flyers. Despite critics who believed he was losing a step during the 2016-17 season with just 58 points, Giroux shut those doubters up with his first and only 100-point season (102) but ended up fourth in Hart Trophy balloting. The regular season production didn’t mean being consistently in the playoffs. Giroux has played in 95 playoff games. Unfortunately, 51 of those came in his first four seasons. Regardless, he was one of the best Flyers in their history.
As for Lindros, there was also the one appearance in the final but was far less memorable. Detroit swept the series as coach Terry Murray hinted (well overtly hinted) the team choked. But what a ride over his eight seasons! In 486 games, Lindros had 659 points. And like Giroux, he only had one 100-point season (115 in 1995-96). Yet he was a force to be reckoned with. Delivering devastating hits (and receiving as many if not more over the years) left many fearing him. But injuries and concussions (including the one against the Devils) took its toll.
The three forwards were arguably three of the biggest game breakers the Flyers ever had. While two of the three got to play all or most of their career with the Flyers, Lindros is still the forward that one always wonders what might have been had he remained healthy.
Defensively, what is a bit odd is how few Canadian-born Flyers blueliners played a large chunk of games for them. Outside of Chris Therien (who played 753 games) both Watson (746) and Desjardins (738) are the only Canadian-born blueliners who played that many games. Like Clarke, Watson (who also played with brother Jim) won two Cups with Philadelphia and was part of the infamous 1976 game against the Soviet Red Army. He also ended up with just under 200 points and was a plus-188 over his tenure with the Flyers, including being plus-56 in 1975-76.
Meanwhile Desjardins was one of the talented pieces the Flyers picked up (stole?) in the Mark Recchi trade that also saw Philadelphia land John LeClair. Desjardins ended up with 396 points, including 93 goals, over 11 seasons. Desjardins also might have been the difference in the 2004 playoff run that ended with the seventh game loss to Tampa Bay. Desjardins broke his arm colliding with Jeremy Roenick that January but looked to return for the playoffs. But a fluke accident playing catch with his son broke a metal plate in the arm, ending his season.
In goal, Bernie Parent is the only Flyers goaltender to win two Stanley Cups. Parent played 73 games in 1973-74 and had a ridiculous .932 save percentage. He won the Vezina that season and was second in the Hart Trophy voting. In 10 seasons with Philadelphia he had a .917 save percentage and 50 shutouts. The Flyers have had some decent goaltenders since Parent, but none have ended up getting them over the hump to a Cup victory.
Team U.S.A.
Forwards: John LeClair, Jeremy Roenick, Paul Holmgren
Defensemen: Mark Howe, Shayne Gostisbehere
Goaltender: Brian Boucher
As part of the Legion of Doom, John LeClair was almost unstoppable with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg as linemates. What they wanted to do they did, be it scoring, hitting, or hitting while scoring. LeClair had five consecutive seasons of 40 or more goals in his first five full seasons with the Flyers. In the season he was acquired from Montreal he had five points in nine games with the Habs. In 37 games with Philadelphia he had 49 points. He ended up with 643 points in 649 games with the Flyers.
Jeremy Roenick wasn’t with the Flyers for a long time, but it was a hell of a good time during his stint. His overtime goal against the Leafs in 2004 remains one of the team’s bigger post-season highlights since 2000. Roenick, a Hall of Famer, had 173 points (including 67 goals) in three seasons with the Flyers. Although never scoring a hat trick with Philadelphia, his style of play made him a fan favorite despite being well on the back nine of his career by that time.
Paul Holmgren? Yep. Paul Holmgren. If you check the numbers, Holmgren ended up with a hell of a lot of penalty minutes in his years on Broad Street. But he also ended up with more points than James van Riemsdyk (309 compared to 297) and almost as many goals (Holmgren with 138 over nine seasons, van Riemsdyk with 146 over eight).
On the back end, Mark Howe is head and shoulders above most Flyers defensemen in his years and one of the better but underrated defenseman of the ’80s. Howe spent 10 of his 16 NHL seasons (22 seasons total if you count his WHA years) and registered 393 points in 594 games. He ended up being +87 in 1985-86 and was in conversation for both the Norris and the Hart Trophy but came away empty handed. It was all gravy essentially for Howe who could’ve been paralyzed in 1980 when he ran into the old-style hockey nets (with the dagger-like middle portion at its bottom). The net came off, impaling Howe in the backside, inches from his spinal column.
Shayne Gostisbehere continues to befuddle Flyers fans for one reason: why did they trade him? As he plays well for Carolina with former Flyer Sean Walker, Gostisbehere had some magical moments in his seven seasons here. With 219 points in 381 regular season games, Gostisbehere couldn’t be stopped during his 46-point rookie season. His third year was the best here with 65 points in 2017-18. As the Flyers continue to look for quarterback support on their horrid power play the last few seasons, Gostisbehere had 29 power play points last season for Detroit.
Finally, Brian Boucher made the Flyers quarter-century team earlier this year. And he’ll make this starting lineup for Team U.S.A. Boucher, who made one of the bigger stops in franchise history during a 2010 shooutout against the Rangers in the season, playoff-clinching finale, had four tours with the Flyers, managing to achieve a .904 save percentage and a 2.50 goals-against average. Now the color analyst for the Flyers television broadcasts, Boucher also had stops in Carolina, Phoenix, Calgary, Chicago, Columbus and San Jose over 13 seasons.
Team Sweden
Forwards: Pelle Eklund, Peter Forsberg, Mikael Renberg
Defensemen: Kjell Samuelsson, Kim Johnsson
Goaltender: Pelle Lindbergh
Pelle Eklund (or Per-Erik Eklund if you wish) was an important part of the Flyers success in the mid-80s, particularly in the Flyers 1987 run to the finals. A playmaker more than sniper, Eklund played all but five NHL games in his career with Philadelphia, scoring 118 goals and adding 334 assists. In the 1987 run Eklund had 27 points in 26 games.
As much as Flyers fans rue what happened to Eric Lindros, the key piece they gave away to land him causes as much grumbling. Peter Forsberg won two Stanley Cups with Colorado and became one of the most dominating power forwards of his time. By the time the forward decided to come full circle and sign with the Flyers, he was long in the tooth and hampered by foot issues. Regardless, to end up with 115 points in 100 games with the Flyers shows just how talented he was, and could have been years earlier, in a Flyers uniform.
The third part of the Legion of Doom can’t be forgotten. Nor should Mikael Renberg be. Although not putting up the numbers Lindros and LeClair did, Renberg held his own with 296 points in 366 regular season games. An 82-point rookie season was also nothing to sneeze at as he ended up two shy of the 40-goal mark in 1993-94. After being sent to Tampa Bay, Renberg found himself back with Philadelphia for two more seasons, but by then the production was a shell of what it once was.
This writer didn’t have much affinity for Kjell Samuelsson. Whether he seemed to take bad penalties or just couldn’t get his large frame to hone itself for professional hockey, Samuelsson didn’t look the part. Yet his 14 years in the NHL (nine with the Flyers) suggest otherwise. The large blueliner scored 35 of his 48 career regular season goals in a Flyers uniform. He only played more than 70 games four times over those 14 years. He was instrumental in being a depth, shutdown defenseman in the Flyers’ 1987 deep run.
Kim Johnsson didn’t have a long stay with the Flyers but he was strong in his 291 regular season games here. The blueliner averaged 40 points a season in his first three years in Philadelphia. He also averaged between 23 to 24 minutes per game over that span. Johnsson finished his career with a short stint in Chicago after being traded from Minnesota in 2009-10.
Finally, but certainly not least, the late Pelle Lindbergh was outstanding for his time. Although the analytics might claim otherwise (.887 save percentage and 3.31 goals-against average), Lindbergh played in 65 games in 1984-85, winning 40 of them and also taking home the Vezina. The goalie played eight games in 1985-86 before he was killed in a car accident on Nov. 10, 1985. The first game after his death the Flyers beat Edmonton 5-3.
Team Finland
Forwards: Sami Kapanen, Ilkka Sinisalo, Ville Leino
Defensemen: Kimmo Timonen, Joni Pitkanen
Goaltender: Antero Niittymaki
Compared to the other three nations, the Flyers haven’t had oodles of Finnish players in their history. But they’ve had a few memorable ones. Perhaps none more than fan favorite Sami Kapanen. Kapanen, who could play both forward and defense if needed, was never leading the team in stats but was one of the key depth players in 2003-04, his first full season with the club. He ended up playing 311 regular season games, scoring 44 times and adding 66 assists for 110 points. Kapanen also became part of Flyers lore when, in Game 6 of their playoff series against Toronto in 2004, he was destroyed on a brutal check by Darcy Tucker. Kapanen, clearly concussed, eventually made it off the ice seconds before Jeremy Roenick put the series to an end with a Flyers victory.
Along with Pelle Eklund, Ilkka Sinisalo was one of the solid pieces in the Flyers runs to the Cup finals in 1985 and 1987. Sinisalo, who was a goal shy of 200 in 526 regular season games with Philadelphia, had two seasons of 35 goals or more and six seasons over 20. Sinisalo concluded his career in Los Angeles in 1991-92 after a cup of coffee with Minnesota in 1990-91. After his NHL career, Sinisalo continued playing in Finland until 1995-96.
Ville Leino should still be sending residual cheques to both Danny Briere and Scott Hartnell. A journeyman NHL forward, the Flyers acquired him prior to the 2010 trade deadline. In his 13 games til the of that season, Leino was doing next to nothing offensively. But Leino ended up on a line with Briere and Hartnell in the playoffs. And magic happened. Leino had 21 points in 19 games with seven goals and 12 assists. The following season, his last under contract before becoming an Unrestricted Free Agent, Leino had 53 points. But with a great playoff the season before, and a decent season in 2010-11, Buffalo inked Leino to a six-year, $27 million contract. His Buffalo years ended after three seasons and 10 goals before the Sabres bought out his contract.
Kimmo Timonen got his Stanley Cup ring in his final NHL game with Chicago. Over his great years with the Flyers, he was (outside of the era the Flyers had Chris Pronger) their go-to guy. Timonen didn’t put up a lot of points in his seven seasons. His job was to shut teams down, and he often did. He was often paired against the opponent’s top lines, driving them crazy in some instances (hello, Sidney!). Three seasons he had over 40 points and ended with a respectable 270 points in 519 regular season games.
Joni Pitkanen had a brief stay with the Flyers. He received votes for the Calder in his rookie year of 2003-04 and was named to the All Rookie Team. He also received a vote or two for the Norris Trophy in his second year. Pitkanen collected 116 points in 206 games over three seasons and, despite being drafted fourth overall in 2002, was traded to Edmonton for Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul in July, 2007. The blueliner matched his career high of 46 points with the Flyers in 2009-10 with Carolina. He never scored a playoff goal in the NHL.
Artero Niittymaki was one of a few Finnish Flyers goalies to pick from. Heck, Ivan Fedotov was born in Finland despite the fact he’s Russian. Nonetheless, Niittymaki played five seasons with Philadelphia, just inching over the .500 mark in terms of wins/losses but having a .901 save percentage over that time. The keeper ended up with another great season for the Lightning after his days playing for the Flyers were done. Two of his three assists were with Philadelphia also.