It was perhaps the least surprising team announcement for a new captain you’ll find all year. The Philadelphia Flyers announced that Chris Pronger will be the team’s 18th captain in franchise history.
After trading former captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings this summer and vacating the team leadership position in the process, the door was opened up for any one of Pronger, Daniel Briere, or Kimmo Timonen to step into the role. If you’re left underwhelmed by seeing Briere and Timonen’s name next to Pronger’s that’s understandable. Pronger comes off as the player who demands attention and respect in the locker room immediately, or else.
While Briere and Timonen each have earned their share of respect as well, Pronger’s leadership through being a gruff character and one eager to stand up for teammates no matter what is what makes him ideal captain material, especially in a tough place like Philadelphia. Pronger has done this before in his career as he was captain of the Anaheim Ducks in 2007-2008.
Joining Pronger as alternate captains will be none other than Briere and Timonen as the Flyers allow their veteran players take charge in the room. Briere is a former captain of the Buffalo Sabres while Timonen has been a team captain before in Nashville.
Flyers GM Paul Holmgren had this to say in a press release about the three guys they named to their new roles on the team.“With Chris’s experience and presence, we felt that he was the perfect player to take over as captain of the Philadelphia Flyers,” Holmgren said. “Having Kimmo and Danny, both former captains in the NHL, serving as alternates, really gives us a strong, dedicated leadership group.
“All three of these players know what it takes to win and are excellent role models both on and off the ice.”
Pronger being named the team captain is perhaps the least surprising development all summer for the Flyers whose tumultuous summer leads them into a season where there’s a lot at stake. Adding Ilya Bryzgalov to be the team’s starting goalie as well as trading away Richards and Carter to open the door for newcomers like Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier to potentially steal big jobs in training camp as well as making Claude Giroux the new top center.
With the host of new and young blood on the Flyers roster, having a surly veteran like Pronger to lead the way will help give the Flyers the look they’ve always dreamed of. Should the Flyers follow Pronger’s example they’ll be a tough team that doesn’t back down from anyone and will stick up for each other at all costs. In other words, they’re going to be just as tough to deal with as any Flyers team we’ve ever grown up with, just they’ll have a nasty competitor as their leader and Philadelphia wouldn’t want it to be any different.
