When the Flyers signed Nic Deslauriers a few years ago, he came in with the expectation of being the Flyers' big, bruising forward. As you have seen over the last few years, he did not disappoint.
One year later, in 2023, the Flyers signed another hard-hitting forward in Garnet Hathaway. Despite doling out the hits, he was supposed to dole out some veteran leadership to a young squad. What was a short deal turned into an extension until the end of the 2027 season.
The current 33-year-old is also the most recent Flyer on the roster, except for Christian Dvorak, to reach the playoffs. Out of all of the Flyers, Hathaway has played in the most postseason games (31) between his stints with Calgary, Washington, and Boston. This was part of why he was brought to Philadelphia.
To be honest with you, I think there was another reason Hathaway was brought here. The ten-year vet was an undrafted player. He played at Brown University and was invited to attend some development camps before getting signed by the Calgary Flames. They later assigned him to their AHL team.
After two full AHL seasons and three back-and-forth years, he earned himself a permanent place in the NHL. Since the Flyers have a lot of young players, he brings that credibility that hard work will earn you a spot in the league if you fight for it.
What does Hathaway bring to the Flyers?
Speaking of fighters, Hathaway has fought a bunch since joining Philly. He has five of them since becoming a Flyer. He's replaced Deslauriers as the team leader in doling out hits, with a back-shattering 326 in 2023-24. He even does it for charity, donating money for each hit he delivers, and helps give first responders tickets to games and the supplies they need.
He also brought a bit of a scoring touch to the fourth line. In his first year, he scored seven times. Last year, he upped that goal total to 10. Again, when you get double-digit production from your bottom line, that's not bad.
Hathaway will turn 34 in November. This might be his last contract, but if he is healthy, he could catch on with a team on some one-year deals. There's no doubt he's loved in the locker room. When he and Deslauriers are on the ice together, it is quite possibly the most imposing fourth line out there in the NHL, and I pity anyone who has to go against it.
Hathaway is great for this team because he can mentor young players, especially the bubble guys, in showing what it takes to stick around for 10+ years in the NHL. His physicality protects everyone on it. How long will he be here? Not sure. But while he is here, he sure is fun to watch.
Considering Rick Tocchet was a bit of a physical presence on the ice as well 30 years ago, it will be fun to see how he employs him. Grab your popcorn, Flyers fans!