Flyers alumni game vs. Bruins just one aspect of a can't-miss weekend
Flyers alumni game vs. Bruins just one aspect of a can't-miss weekend originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Stanley Cup will be back in Philadelphia when the Flyers host a special alumni weekend Jan. 26-27 at the Wells Fargo Center.
As the franchise inducts Mark Recchi into the Flyers Hall of Fame, it'll celebrate its first-ever championship, which was won almost 50 years ago over the Bruins.
Recchi will be enshrined before the Flyers' game that Saturday against Boston. On Friday, prior to an alumni game against the Bruins, the Flyers will salute their beloved, back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning clubs from 1974 and 1975.
"All the guys are going to be here, we’ve got an unbelievable video tribute being done up to honor them before the game," Brad Marsh, the former Flyer and team's current vice president of community development, said Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. "The Stanley Cup is here. It’s going to be at center ice once again and the Stanley Cup guys of '74 and '75 are going to go out and hoist the Cup one more time."
Marsh knows why it'll be memorable.
"This group of Stanley Cup guys we’re bringing in, it’ll never happen again because of age and where they live," he said. "But they’re all coming in. … It will be a very, very special weekend.
"It's going to be worth the price of admission just to see the Stanley Cup hoisted together again."
Alumni game tickets, which start at $25, can be purchased here. There's also a VIP ticket package available, featuring a meet-and-greet opportunity with Flyers Hall of Famers, food and beverage and a limited edition puck signed by Recchi. All proceeds benefit Flyers Charities and the Flyers Alumni Association's giving efforts.
"Players like meeting the fans and the fans like meeting the players," Marsh said. "In this case, all the money raised goes to all the great things that the alumni does in the community. And, equally, all the great things that Flyers Charities has done in the community since 1967 when the team started. It’s great. The Flyers fans never cease to amaze, the things that they pull out to be autographed, you’re like, ‘Where did you get that?’ It’s just great.”
A notable addition to the Flyers' alumni game roster is Mike Richards, the team's captain from September 2008 to June 2011. He was traded to the Kings in the summer of 2011 and went on to win a pair of Stanley Cups with Los Angeles.
"I’ve talked to Mike several times over the years and it just didn’t quite work out," Marsh said. "But he has always been open to coming back, happy to come back. This time it worked. He’s pretty excited about coming back."
A Flyers alumni game offers a unique way for players and fans from different generations to connect.
"When we have some of our younger alumni come in that just retired and they’re meeting not only players that they might have seen on TV but their parents cheered on TV because of the age, it's kind of cool for alumni to meet Flyers legends for the first time," Marsh said. "You think that wouldn’t happen but it happens when we have our events.
"Specifically for this event, if you look at some of the guys coming, they would have never met some of the other alumni. I’ve never met Mike Richards. I look forward to meeting him.
“When you come to an alumni event, it’s more like a trip down memory lane. ... Everybody gets taken back to a piece of history, a piece of nostalgia when they remember when."
Below is the Flyers' roster for the alumni game against Boston. Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
Forwards
Mark Recchi, No. 8
Patrick Sharp, No. 9
John LeClair, No. 10
Mike Richards, No. 18
Brent Fedyk, No. 18
Scott Hartnell, No. 19
Dave Brown, No. 21
Mike Knuble, No. 22
Todd Fedoruk, No. 29
Riley Cote, No. 32
Donald Brashear, No. 87
Eric Lindros, No. 88
Defensemen
Mark Howe, No. 2
Brad Marsh, No. 8
Joe Watson, No. 14
Daryl Stanley, No. 29
Kimmo Timonen, No. 44
Dennis Seidenberg, No. 36
Goalies
Brian Boucher, No. 33
Robert Esche, No. 42
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