5 Philadelphia Flyers Legends Who Would Dominate Today’s NHL
![PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 14: Former Philadelphia Flyer Kimmo Timonen is honored prior to the game between the Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks prior to their game at the Wells Fargo Center on October 14, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 14: Former Philadelphia Flyer Kimmo Timonen is honored prior to the game between the Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks prior to their game at the Wells Fargo Center on October 14, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/b425dab73ded5074fd12b27e9fb6dfbc9fc89744bb22af1d3ecf8bcfe3ffe9dd.jpg)
Rod Brind’Amour
Rod Brind’Amour is best known today as the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, the team that he spent the final 10 seasons of his playing career with. As a coach, Brind’Amour has made the NHL playoffs in all five of his seasons as the Hurricanes’ bench boss, and he’s never bowed out in the first round.
‘Rod the Bod’ wasn’t always a coach though, and he wouldn’t be as good of a coach if he didn’t have over 1,484 regular season games of playing experience to his name. Brind’Amour was drafted ninth overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1988 and became an NHL regular as a Blue at age 19, but it was with the Philadelphia Flyers where he developed into a young star player.
Brind’Amour joined the Flyers via trade in 1991 when he, alongside Dan Quinn, was swapped for Ron Sutter and Murray Baron. In his age 23 season in 1993-94, the Ottawa, Ontario native scored a career-best 97 points. Brind’Amour scored 37 goals the year before, which remained the highest mark of his career.
At the peak of his playing days, the versatile forward was an extremely sound defensive player who could be relied on for offense equally. Sometimes filling in for Eric Lindros as captain, Brind’Amour was known for his leadership, faceoff prowess, and hard-nosed style.
The Flyers Hall of Fame inductee was traded to the Hurricanes with Jean-Marc Pelletier in 1999 for Keith Primeau, but not before Brind’Amour scored 601 points in 633 regular season games in Philly. The Flyers never came away with a Stanley Cup with the two-time Selke winner on the team, but he played his part with 24 goals and 51 points in 57 Flyers playoff games.
With Sean Couturier’s long-term health in limbo, the Flyers would love to stumble upon another 21 year old buzzsaw like they did with Brind’Amour in 1991.