Reprint from 2008
January 8, 2002
Philadelphia Flyers' defenseman Eric Weinrich strolled quietly out of the First Union Center (now the Wachovia Center) with family and friends after the Flyers defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 7-4. A group of teenage boys walked up and began congratulating him on his four-goal night. They've mistaken him for Flyers' forward Jiri Dopita – perhaps it’s the shaved head. Weinrich alerted them of their mistake and kept walking. No harm done. Not that Weinrich didn't contribute to the Flyers's win. Without a key assist by Weinrich, Dopita may not have scored one of his four goals, but Weinrich doesn't seem to mind.
"I like being appreciated from time to time, but I would rather be known as a winner because of team success, rather than individual achievement," he says.
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Weinrich was a member of the Flyers for two and half seasons before being traded to the St. Louis Blues, but his time in Philadelphia provided lasting memories for him and his family.
In part two of the interview, Weinrich takes some time to talk about his experience in Philadelphia and what he thinks of the NHL today.
Playing for the Philadelphia Flyers
Was playing in Philadelphia really as tough as all the media outlets suggest it is? Are the Philly fans really that bad?
The fans are only bad if you read the paper, listen to the sports call in shows or have a bad game. If anyone can tell me that the fans and media aren’t bad by sampling these outlets, I’ll be surprised.
The Flyers are known for having a very close-knit organization, would you agree? Do you think the Flyers organization is different from other organizations?
I loved the atmosphere around the rink in Philly, with ex-players in management and former guys still living in the area always around. Having Clarkie (Bobby Clarke) and Homer (Paul Holmgen) there everyday made the guys more accountable. I liked that about Philly. Some other places do that, but in Philly it seemed different.
Your first year in Philadelphia was the first year after the departure of Eric Lindros. Did you see any lasting effects or opinions from teammates who played with him?
No — except Johnny LeClair’s production went down.
You arrived in Philadelphia the same year as Jeremy Roenick. What was it like to play with him again?
When I started to play with JR (Roenick) [in Chicago], he was 180 pounds, lightning fast and very aggressive. He was on the edge of becoming a household name, but he was still an emerging star. By the time he got to Philly, JR was everywhere - magazines, TV, video games. A bit more on his plate than he had in Chicago. Not nearly as dynamic.
In his last year of coaching the Flyers, some believe that the players lost respect for and turned their backs on Bill Barber (for example, Keith Primeau, Brian Boucher, Mark Recchi), which led to his dismissal – do you think this is true?
Maybe. It happens everywhere.
The year the Flyers traded you, they went on to lose the majority of their defense in their quest for the playoffs. How did that make you feel?
Well, it was tough, but a few years later I heard from a few people that the Flyers felt if they hadn’t traded Chris Therien and me, they would have won the Cup. Of course that doesn’t make up for the trade, but…
Some say the Broad Street Bullies are back. If you are following the NHL at all this year, do you really think the Flyers are as “evil” as the media paints them lately?
There will never be a team in Philly that is anything like the Broad Street Bullies.
The National Hockey League Today
Describe the ideal skill-set for defensemen in this new hockey era.
[You need to be a] good skater, smart passer and be good positionally. Size doesn’t matter as much.
Obviously, we don’t want players going out with the intent to injure, but it seems the league rules are making enforcers a thing of the past. Do you think the NHL has gone soft? Is the game losing its physical aspect?
I think if [Gary] Bettman had his way he would eliminate it (the physical aspect). Old school guys that are in management won’t let it happen. In my opinion, if there were no goons now, it wouldn’t make much difference.
The Flyers have been known for “dangerous hits” and suspensions this year. Do you have any thoughts on these hits?
I think the respect factor is gone from the game. Players don’t let up when guys are in vulnerable positions, like the ones involving Philly this year.
It appears as if a lot of players are turning their backs near the boards, hoping that the refs/boards will protect them. Do you have any thoughts on this?
The new rules make it hard to defend in these areas. Brian Burke (general manager of the Anaheim Ducks) has brought up a solution to stop these types of hits. He calls it “wrapping up a guy.” This is when you take a guy into the boards and wrap your arms abound him in a way that he knows you are behind him and you keep from driving the player from behind.
What do you think of the instigator rule?
Get rid of it and let the guys police themselves. Players would be less able to take liberties.
What do you think of the “new NHL” where it appears there are more “touch penalties” instead of letting players play the puck longer?
That (touch penalties) is the best way to put it. What is the game coming to when touching a guy with your stick is a penalty? In 10 years, how would you describe a LeClair-type goal to a kid who sees the calls nowadays? There are no tough goals anymore.
What are you thoughts on Sidney Crosby? It seems the skill is there, but his attitude leaves a lot to be desired. Personally, I find Alexander Ovechkin to be a more exciting and complete forward. Who do you think is the best player in the NHL right now?
They both exemplify the new breed, but I think both would be stars in the old game. They can both play in the tough areas and yet still dazzle us with skill. I personally like to watch Ovechkin better.
You may not want to hear this, but I think Marty Brodeur is still the best.
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Special thanks to Eric Weinrich to take the time to answers these questions.
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