Flyers, I Choose You! 5 Pokémon that remind us of the Philadelphia Flyers

As we know, the Philadelphia Flyers are rocking some nifty new jerseys this season in an attempt to pay homage to the Flyers teams of the mid-90s. Specifically, the 1996-97 Flyers that ushered in an era of dominance lead by Eric Lindros and the Legion of Doom. 25 years later, the jerseys have gotten a slight revamp as part of the “Reverse Retro” line by Adidas — and they look sweet.

If you were a young kid growing up in the ’90s in Philly, the Flyers were probably a staple in your formative years. If you’re anything like me, there’s a good chance that another 90s craze played a pivotal role in your formative years.

Pokémon, everybody’s favorite monster-catching RPG, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend and I thought I’d see just how far my editors here at BSB would let me stretch this union of two of my favorite things.

So in honor of Pokémon Day 2021, I’m bringing you the five Pokémon that remind us of the Philadelphia Flyers franchise.

Criteria

Now, before we begin, we have to set some ground rules.

• We’ll be focusing on the team as a whole, not individual players. While some players will serve as examples of other criteria (play style, reputation, etc.), this is a look at the franchise as a whole.
• Playstyle will be viewed both generally, as well as in specific eras. For example, the Flyers are known as a hardworking franchise that features smart, two-way players that aren’t afraid to mix it up. However, monikers like “The Broad Street Bullies” and “The Legion of Doom” are specific to certain eras in team history. Not every Pokémon has to fit every era of Flyers hockey.
• Pokémon typing will come into play but aren’t necessarily determining factors. There are currently 18 Pokémon “types” ranging from fire, water and ice, to dragon, ghost, and fairy. Not every Pokémon will have to be an ice type. We want a broad range here.

Alright, with all that settled, let’s embark on our own PokéFlyers (Flyersmon?) journey.

#5: Crabominable

Crabrominable is a relatively new Pokémon that originates from the Sun and Moon games released in 2016. It’s a coconut crab/Yeti hybrid and sports dual Fighting and Ice typings.

Belligerent, brash, and boastful, Crabominable uses its giant claws to unleash furious flurries of punches onto its foes. With its high attack stat and Iron Fist ability that powers up all punch-based moves, this feisty crustacean never shies away from combat.

Simply put, this guy is the animated equivalent to Flyers enforcer Dave Schultz.

Schultz was an absolute force in his time with the Flyers and served as the watchdog of the original Broad Street Bullies teams during the 1970s. The epitome of what it meant to be an NHL tough guy when Schultz was on the ice, he had one goal — inflict pain.

The truculent number 8 collected nearly 14,000 PIMs during his Flyers career and dropped the gloves 76 times while dawning the Orange and Black, according to HockeyFights.com

Beyond the Schultz comparison, this hulking mass of snow and crab fries matches the blueprint of how so many fans in both Philadelphia and around the league view the Flyers. The Broad Street Bullies reputation may have been earned in the past, but it persists even today with newer incarnations of the team. From Schultz and Kjell Samuelsson to Chris Therrien, Chris Pronger, Wayne Simmonds and most recently Sam Morin, the Flyers are always sure to have run a bruiser or two in their lineup.

#4: Tyranitar

Tyranitar is a fearsome Rock and Dark-type pocket monster from the series’ 2nd Generation of games. Following the initial success of Pokémon Red and Blue, Nintendo and GameFreak released Pokémon Gold and Silver as sequel games in 1999 to much fanfare.

This Godzilla look-alike immediately separated itself from the pack and proved that it could hang with the OGs, and even outpace them at times.

This is similar to how the Flyers came onto the scene as an expansion franchise in 1967 and saw success relatively quickly. From the moment they entered the league, the Flyers were perennial playoff contenders and in just their seventh season of operation, took home Lord Stanley’s Cup.

While the Flyers haven’t won it all since the 70s, they still remain a playoff contender more often than not and sport the league’s third-highest winning percentage, behind the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens.

Similarly, Tyranitar remains a major player in Pokémon’s ever-growing online competitive scene and sees usage by many of the top players. While hundreds of new Pokémon have helped balance the game and restrain Tyranitar from being as dominant as it once was, it still shows that it deserves mention among the best of the best.

The aforementioned Rock typing is also a nod to Bernie Parent and the stifling defense of the Flyers of old, while the Dark typing mirrors the Flyers status as “villains” over the course of the franchise, but specifically in the 70s.

Like Tyranitar, the Flyers started as the new kids on the block but eventually grew into a staple of the league.

#3: Garbodor

In many respects, Garbodor represents everything wrong with the Pokémon franchise. This literal sentient bag of Poison-type trash is ugly, bloated, and uninspired. First seen in 2010 from Pokémon Black in White, Garbodor is pretty much a retread of the Pokémon named Muk from the original games.

Garbodor often gets used as an example by detractors and unhappy fans of how the series lost its creative edge in the latter part of the 2000s.

There’s certainly an argument to be made there. I mean…just look at this thing.

Garbodor lands on this list because it represents the very same ugliness that we sometimes see in the Philadelphia Flyers. We’re all fans here, but let’s not pretend that our relationship to the Flyers isn’t exactly toxic — poisonous if you will.

Despite staying relevant for the most part throughout their history, the team is still chasing the ghosts of its past and just can’t seem to win the big one.

Beyond that, the team is no stranger to recycling old ideas in the form of re-hires, re-signings, and trades for players they already once employed. The Flyers don’t exactly think outside the box when it comes to building their team. Sometimes it works out and you get a James van Riemsdyk, other times it doesn’t and you get R.J. Umberger.

Once a Flyer, always a Flyer — for better or worse.

That being said, Garbodor isn’t that bad of a Pokémon — statistically at least — and actually has somewhat of a devoted cult following surrounding it.

At the end of the day isn’t that how many of us see the Flyers? A toxic dumpster fire that is actually kind of lovable and endearing once you get used to the smell?

#1: Lucario

Lucario, the Aura Pokémon, is a Steel and Fighting-Type Mon from the Diamond and Pearl games released in 2007. A fan favorite, Lucario boasts strong attacks, an iron will, and a spirit for justice. Ok, so that last part really doesn’t track with the whole “Broad Street Bullies” moniker, but whatever.

Lucario, and the games from which it originates, represents what many consider to be the peak in the franchise. The designs were fresh, the story was a step up from past titles and the gameplay was overhauled a bit.

In fact, during Friday’s Pokémon Presents conference which featured a trip down memory lane, it was announced that Lucario and the Diamond and Pearl games would be getting remakes.

What’s old is new, and the Flyers are no stranger to this tactic.

Throughout the team’s history, the Flyers have employed the use of former players and heroes of the franchise in order to appeal to the most hardcore portions of its fanbase. Currently, we’re seeing this with the aforementioned Reverse Retro jerseys that harken back to the Lindros days.

Similar to Lucario, Eric Lindros and the Legion of Doom era teams reached a level that no Flyers squad has come close to since. Sure, they didn’t capture the Cup and live up to the original Flyers greats, but that’s a task unlikely accomplished by any team.

The 90s Flyers were strong, physically imposing, and full of offensive firepower. Few teams could hang with them, and it took the historically great Russian Five of the Detroit Red Wings to halt them.

Lucario is in a similar boat as its high offense allows it to overpower most, but is held back by the defense. Even still, while it may not surpass the original 151 Pokémon in popularity, Lucario has become a franchise staple for many fans today.

This Pokémon also lands on this list because according to its description, it can sense emotions (both positive and negative) and feed off of them. I’ll call that a nod to the relationship between the Flyers and the Philadelphia faithful.

We’re always quick to bring the noise to the rink — whether it’s thunderous cheers, a reign of boos, or yelling “Shoot!” while the team is on the man-advantage. Either way, the Flyers seem to love it and acknowledge that the fans are always behind them.