Philadelphia Flyers Pre-Game Event - Claude Giroux's 1000th Game Celebrated

 

(Claude Giroux's 2007 NHL Draft photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers Public Relations Department.)

Claude Giroux is one of the great players in Philadelphia Flyers history. He is destined for the National Hockey League's Hall of Fame. 

March 17 is generally reserved as a celebration of St. Patrick's Day, with green highlighting sporting events on that date. But March 17, 2022, was a showcase day to reflect on the career of this Hearst, Ontario, Canada, native. 

The Flyers handle pre-game celebrations as well as any NHL organization. The storied franchise actually honored their longtime captain all week, with his 1000th game in the League being played against the Nashville Predators, fittingly at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Wells Fargo Center 

The looming Trade Deadline arrives on March 21, with Giroux being the top name on the market. But the future was not the focus as an old-school loud arena honored G on March 17.

Per the Flyers Public Relations Department:

Giroux becomes just the second player in franchise history to reach that mark and trails only Bob Clarke (1,144) for the most games played all-time in Flyers history.

Giroux also becomes the 368th player, and 365th skater, in NHL history to have played 1000 games, the 71st player to accomplish that feat with the same team, the 36th active player, 11th player this season and sixth player from the 2006 NHL Draft Class to reach 1000 games.

Giroux is in his 15th Flyers and NHL season and 10th season as Flyers captain since being named on January 15, 2013. He has served as captain for over 700 games, including tonight (715), making him the longest-tenured captain in Flyers history.

In addition to tonight's milestone, Giroux has hit multiple franchise marks this season (stats are through 999 games played):

On Mar. 13, Giroux scored a goal to record his 900th point in the NHL and became the second player in team history to hit that milestone. In addition, the goal was Giroux's 291st and moved him into 8th place all-time in franchise history, which surpassed Eric Lindros.

On Dec. 29 at Seattle, Giroux recorded his 600th assist becoming one of only two Flyers (Clarke-852) to reach 600 assists as a Flyer, and on Dec. 10 vs. Vegas Golden Knights, Giroux surpassed Clarke for the most points on the power play (334) in Flyers history with a power-play assist.

A native of Hearst, Ontario, Giroux ranks second in Flyers history in overall points (900), assists (609), games played (999) and is the Flyers all-time leader in overtime goals (11) and points on the power-play (339).

MOST GAMES PLAYED IN FLYERS HISTORY

Bob Clarke        1,144

Claude Giroux 1,000

Bill Barber         903

Brian Propp       790

* Sean Couturier is the next active Flyer with the most games played in a Flyers uniform at 721 games played.

              (Pre-game team photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers Public Relations Department.)

Inside Access: Oskar Lindblom Wins Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

 Per the Philadelphia Flyers media relations staff:

OSKAR LINDBLOM AWARDED BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY

Flyers forward honored with major NHL Award for his impact and return to the ice after overcoming Ewing's sarcoma

 

                                                                                   (Photo: nhl.com/player/oskar-lindblom-8478067)

The National Hockey League announced that Philadelphia Flyers left wing Oskar Lindblom has been awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is presented annually to the player who best embodies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to the game of hockey.

 

"I feel very, very honored and proud to win this award and to compete with these types of players like Matt Dumba and Patrick Marleau that are great players and great people on and off the ice. It's very special for me," said Lindblom in accepting the award from last year's recipient, Bobby Ryan. "Just to be able to get back on the ice again was so, so good and I can't say more than that. It was an awesome feeling to be back on the ice again... I would like to thank my family, my girlfriend, my whole team, the organization and especially the doctors and nurses who have been helping me along the way, and everyone else who have been with me the whole way. I just want to say a big thank you to all of you."

 

"On behalf of the Philadelphia Flyers, I'd like to congratulate Oskar for this well-deserved honor given to him by the PHWA and the National Hockey League,” said Flyers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chuck Fletcher. “Oskar is a young man that continues to impress us with his level of commitment and character. To go through what he went through and return to the team during our playoffs in the Toronto bubble shows an incredible amount of determination and courage. He followed that up by working extremely hard to prepare for a full season in which he had an immediate impact in our room and on the ice."

 

Lindblom is just the fourth Flyer to receive the award in franchise history and first in 10 seasons, joining Ian Laperriere (2011), Tim Kerr (1989) and Bob Clarke (1972).

 

Lindblom appeared in 50 of the team's 56 games and recorded 14 points (8g-6a) this past season, after being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma by leading specialists at the University of Pennsylvania in December of 2019. He returned to the Flyers in the NHL bubble for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and appeared in Games 6 and 7 of the Second Round vs. NY Islanders.

 

On May 10, 2021, the Philadelphia Chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) chose Lindblom as the Flyers nominee to the NHL, and on June 8 he was named a finalist, marking the second consecutive year he was nominated and named a finalist.

 

Prior to his diagnosis during the 2019-20 season, Lindblom was in the midst of a breakout year. He was tied for the team lead in goals (11) and recorded 18 points (11g-7a) in 30 games.

 

In parts of four NHL seasons, all with the Flyers, Lindblom has recorded 38 goals and 33 assists for 71 points in 184 career regular season games. He was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round (138th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, which was held in Philadelphia.

 

The trophy named in Masterton's honor was originally presented by the NHL Writers' Association in 1968 to commemorate the late Bill Masterton, a player with the Minnesota North Stars, who exhibited to a high degree the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, and who died January 15, 1968.

Oskar Lindblom Stats and News | NHL.com