Dear any NHL free agent:
I know you may have a lot of choices of hockey destinations that could be asking for your services. Among those could be our Philadelphia Flyers. You may be asking yourself why you may want to come here. After all, this team has had a rough stretch that has spanned several presidential administrations. To be fair, we're still better than Buffalo.
So, if you are considering joining the Flyers, here are some things that could, hopefully sway your decision.
New Coach
You may have seen that over the last few years, we've had some coaches that have irritated players. They are gone. We have a new coach, Rick Tocchet, who has a reputation of being a "players' coach." He is also a fan favorite (more on the later). He worked wonders in helping resurrect the Vancouver Canucks. He will soon do the same for this team. Come and be a part of it.
When you’re a Flyer, you’re family
Like Olive Garden, "when you're here, you're family!" Likewise, if you play for this team, you will always have a home here. The team alumni association is strong. More than likely you can get a job when your playing days are over (Tocchet, John LeClair, Keith Jones, Patrick Sharp, Ian Laperriere, etc.). You will always be a Flyer, no matter what.
The History
You will become part of one of the greatest, most storied franchises in the NHL. Ok, that might not be true for the last ten years or so, but since the Expansion Era, the Flyers have typically been among the best teams with some of the greatest players in the game. Your name could be remembered along with greats like Mark Recchi, Eric Lindros, Bernie Parent, Mark Howe, Chris Pronger and the many others who have been lucky to wear the orange and black.
Up and coming young players
A new chapter in Flyers history is soon upon us. We have a young, hungry team, lea by young players like Matvei Michkov, Owen Tippett, and Tyson Foerster. They are playing alongside vets like Sean Couturier, Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny. And have you seen the drafts we've had lately? We have some young stars in the making coming up shortly: Oliver Bonk, Jett Luchanko, Porter Martone, and Jack Nesbitt to name a few. That's going to be a fun corps of guys to be playing with. You could be a part of that.
The fanbase
In case you haven't heard, playing in Philadelphia can be an experience. A big part of that experience is the fans. We can be a bit...how can I say this....extra. But part of that is what makes playing here so much fun. The players who have embraced that not only have more fun in Philly, but are also greatly beloved. Guys like John Kruk, Chase Utley, Jason Kelce, and of course Sir Charles are all fan favorites and will be until the end of time. And if you ever got the chance to meet Bernie Parent in person, you'd easily find out why he is fan favorite too.
The City
Philadelphia is sneakily the greatest city in the world. We have more history here than any other city in the country (speaking of which, check out the greatest Fourth of July party in the nation this week!) We have a culture and slang all our own. We have a cuisine that is second to none, which you can experience while eat your hoagie and have some wooder ice. It's something you have to see to understand. It's a big city, but feels like a close knit, small town.
Gritty
I mean, c'mon. Wouldn't you want to play for a team that has a mascot like that? How much fun would that be? It's a lot better than the other mascots you may have to interact with. This one is actually fun and charismatic.
So come on down. Join the Flyers. You won't regret it. We've seen the Phillies and Eagles have their parades down Broad Street. You can help the Flyers have one too. Don't you want to be a part of that?