Last Friday Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren announced that goaltender Michael Leighton will have back surgery. On a conference call, Leighton admitted that the disc in his back was herniated. Moreover, he admitted that he had soreness in his back during the Flyers Stanley Cup run. Holmgren stated the Flyers knew none of this until the summer, after Leighton had signed a two-year contract worth $3.1 million.
That’s all the Philadelphia media needed to write an age-old fairy tale, complete with a distressed king, master villain, trusty sidekick and most of all, the white knight.
Paul Holmgren: Your king. Holmgren addressed the media, stating that the Flyers didn’t know that Leighton had a back issue before he signed his contract. They were unaware during negotiations. And now “it is what it is” and they’re not happy.
Michael Leighton: Your villain. He’s had a back issue all along and concealed it from the team. Asked for a chance to redeem himself, a chance to start, painted himself as the victim and tricked the Flyers into signing damaged goods.
Brian Boucher: The trusty sidekick. Always slated to be the back-up goalie. He continues his role as team-player and all around nice guy. He’s also very good at opening and closing doors.
Sergei Bobrovsky: And your white knight—the young goaltending phenom who looks poised to nab the starting role after a strong preseason and a decent showing in the season opener against the Penguins. If not for him, the Flyers season would be lost before it even started due to the evil doings of Michael Leighton.
With the stage set, most stories about the latest setback in a career-long tale of bad luck for Michael Leighton are negative, urging you to dislike him for being dishonest and tricking the Flyers into passing on other free agent goalies by signing him. In reading their articles, one would think the disc has been herniated all along, going all the way back to the playoffs. Back discomfort that occurs while stretching and herniated discs just go hand and hand. Because really, aside from Leighton, no other member of the team was fighting through undisclosed pain or discomfort—right?
Um, no.
Let’s be honest, you’re not playing postseason hockey if you’re not battling through some nagging discomfort. The stories of players finding a way to play through broken feet and toes, busted knees, separated shoulders, sports hernias, bad hips and concussions are well-documented. And I’m just talking about the Flyers 2010 Stanley Cup run.
Last week, Ian Laperriere came out in the media and openly admitted that he lied about the state of his concussion to management. Laperriere arrived at training camp and attempted to play. The Flyers had no idea he would be unavailable for the season and did not plan accordingly. The media hailed him as a fallen hero, stating how much the Flyers would miss him and his leadership. How they could understand what would drive a man to lie about his condition because he wanted to win so badly, he wanted to play that much. I felt that way, too. I still do.
This week, Leighton revealed he had soreness in his back during the playoffs, but was quick to say it didn’t affect him on the ice. Given how the Flyers quest for the Stanley Cup ended, and how much blame the media placed on Leighton (some of it rightly so), now was the perfect opportunity to cite an ailing back as an excuse. Instead, Leighton refused to name that as a reason for his poor play.
Leighton figured rest over the summer was all he needed and that things would be fine. After all, soreness in a back for any player is not unheard of, even more so for a 6’3” man who spends the majority of the game hunched over. When the issue reoccurred during the offseason, he called the Flyers and came in for treatment. Holmgren confirmed that Leighton had an MRI in July that showed no issues with his back, and that Leighton was told to work through it, exercise and that things would be fine. If the disc was herniated, or even bulging, might the MRI have revealed this? One would think. Even Holmgren admits that they don’t even know if the two injuries are related, that the herniated disc could be a new problem that started after the contract was signed.
Leighton said the pain reached a new level during the Flyers preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs—the game that Leighton departed with discomfort before the shoot out. The Flyers sent him for an MRI, which at first was negative, then a bulging disc, and finally a herniated disc that requires surgery. I won’t even get into how ridiculous that chain of events sounds—the end result is the same.
But really, what does it matter what was said on that conference call and the day after. Michael Leighton made the mistake of admitting that like everyone else during the playoffs, he was playing through discomfort. And Holmgren was quick to say the Flyers had no idea when they signed Leighton to a new contract, even though Leighton passed an end of season physical. No one has even said if Leighton still had pain in his back by the end of June. And Holmgren says Leighton did not have a severely injured back when he resigned him and that "to dig any deeper is ridiculous." That doesn’t matter. Enough was said to paint a picture of deceit, the Flyers as victims and pave the way for Bobrovsky the hero.
Now that’s not a knock on Bobrovsky. The young goaltender shows a lot of promise and I hope as the season progresses, he turns out to be the real deal. He’s played well and he deserves his chance. Had he beaten a healthy Leighton for the starting role out of camp, then it would’ve been fine. Competition is a good thing and hopefully drives superior play from all involved. But the majority of our local media have already anointed him as the chosen one, the next franchise goalie. And as they do it, they are quick to remind us of Leighton the villain.
So what becomes of Michael Leighton? For starters, he’ll have surgery tomorrow. The very same surgery that Ryan Parent had last season (though many would argue that the surgery didn’t do much for Parent’s play when he was recovered). At least six to eight weeks of recovery and re-strengthening will follow, at which point, who knows. By then, the Flyers will have found out if Bobrovsky is for real. Brian Boucher will have established whether he is a solid back up, or sometimes starter. Would there even be room for Leighton?
At this point, whether there is room for Leighton seems to be the least of his problems. After our local media has finished dragging his name through mud, will he ever be able to regain the support, however shaky it was before, of a fan base that’s already been swept off its feet by the white knight?
I’m not sure how many fairy tales you’ve read, but I don’t remember too many where the villain lives happily ever after. And though he doesn’t deserve the title, Michael Leighton is the media’s villain.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Spotlight on Danny Briere: Mr. Playoffs to Us, Mr. Hero to the Bunch
As Flyers fans, we know Danny Briere as Mr. Playoffs – short in stature, but enormous in energy and scoring amazing goals.
But to a host of other people, the soften spoken Briere is a champion off the ice, bringing his charity, the Briere Bunch, to the Philadelphia area when he arrived in the summer of 2007.
For over three years, Briere’s organization, the Briere Bunch, has been raising funds (to the tune of $100,000 so far) for children dealing with cancer through the sale of autographed hats, donating all proceeds to charities in New York, Pennsylvania and Canada.
The idea for the Briere Bunch originally started when Briere was a member of the Buffalo Sabres organization. A group of fans, led by Dave Pietrowski of LoVullo Associates, decided to show their support for the Sabres' co-captain by designing hats that read “Briere Bunch” on the front. When this same group heard that Briere invited children from Camp Good Days – an organization that provides support to children with cancer – the group donated hats to the children attending the games.
The fashion trend soon caught on, as fans all over Buffalo inquired about how to be a member of the Briere Bunch. The fans approached Briere and asked if he would be willing to provide autographed hats to fans, with all proceeds from the hats going to his charities. And the Briere Bunch was born.
But his dedication to children in need goes beyond signing hats. As he did in Buffalo, Briere arranges for children suffering from cancer and their families to attend Flyers games as his special guests. He even invited three children and their families to the now ill-fated game six of the Stanley Cup finals.
“Sure, I’m fighting a battle on the ice,” said Briere, “but it is nothing compared to the battle these kids are up against. The least I can do is give them a chance to be in a place where they don’t have to think about their next chemo treatment. Tonight, they are just kids…and more importantly, Flyer fans!”
One of those three lucky children was Duncan Mitcheltree, two years old and fighting a battle against Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer that occurs in children – a cancerous tumor the size of a Gatorade bottle. During Duncan’s brave battle, his father, Eric, took Duncan to his first Flyers game on January 6, 2010, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Briere scored his 500th NHL point.
Eric emailed the Briere Bunch charity to express his gratitude for what they are doing for children in Duncan’s situation. He also placed an order for two Briere Bunch hats.
Then, out of the blue following game seven of the history-making comeback against the Boston Bruins, Eric’s cell phone rang. On the other end – Danny Briere. Briere and Eric chatted for a few minutes, discussing how Duncan was doing, as well as the excitement surrounding the Flyers historic comeback and the next round against the Montreal Canadiens. Briere asked for their address and promised to send autographed photos for Duncan. Eric ended the call by asking Briere to “pot a couple for us tonight.” (Briere went on to net a goal and an assist in the game one rout of Montreal.)
The Briere Bunch even made a generous donation to Duncan’s Relay for Life team, a team formed to help raise money for the American Cancer Society.
“My wife and I have always given to children’s charities, the Flyers Carnival, Make a Wish and several church-driven charities. I never thought we would be on the other side of the coin.”
A few weeks later, Eric and his family were guests of Briere for game six of the Stanley Cup finals, and though the night didn’t end well for the Flyers, the event was something the Mitcheltree family will never forget.
“I said to Briere’s Dad ‘are you the father of the world's greatest hockey player?’ He said, ‘I wouldn't say he is the greatest.’ I said ‘in my son's eyes there will never be a better player.’”
Duncan is on the road to recovery now, the cancerous tumor and his kidney have been removed and he’s long since finished chemotherapy treatments. His base line tests have come back clear and though he faces another three years of blood tests, scans and observations, his family hopes this chapter in his life is over.
But the bond between his family and the Briere Bunch lives on to this day, as the Mitcheltree family was invited to meet Briere after a recent preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.
“The thing that separates Danny from the rest of the athletes that do this is that Danny continues the relationship well past the initial contact. I guess that goes to show you the type of Dad he is, the type of man he is,” Eric said.
Though Briere didn’t play that night due to infected tonsils, he spent time with the Mitcheltree family, sharing his thoughts on the season and the team. It was a conversation Eric will cherish forever, and one day, Duncan will be old enough to appreciate. For now, he just knows that he has a new hero for life.
Final Thoughts from the Mitcheltree Family:
Words can't express the joy that this simple gesture has meant to our family. We have been through so much sadness and stress these last 10 months that NOTHING makes me tear up more then the smiles on my kids’ faces. Thank you Danny.
For more information on the Briere Bunch, log on to www.brierebunch.com.
But to a host of other people, the soften spoken Briere is a champion off the ice, bringing his charity, the Briere Bunch, to the Philadelphia area when he arrived in the summer of 2007.
For over three years, Briere’s organization, the Briere Bunch, has been raising funds (to the tune of $100,000 so far) for children dealing with cancer through the sale of autographed hats, donating all proceeds to charities in New York, Pennsylvania and Canada.
The idea for the Briere Bunch originally started when Briere was a member of the Buffalo Sabres organization. A group of fans, led by Dave Pietrowski of LoVullo Associates, decided to show their support for the Sabres' co-captain by designing hats that read “Briere Bunch” on the front. When this same group heard that Briere invited children from Camp Good Days – an organization that provides support to children with cancer – the group donated hats to the children attending the games.
The fashion trend soon caught on, as fans all over Buffalo inquired about how to be a member of the Briere Bunch. The fans approached Briere and asked if he would be willing to provide autographed hats to fans, with all proceeds from the hats going to his charities. And the Briere Bunch was born.
But his dedication to children in need goes beyond signing hats. As he did in Buffalo, Briere arranges for children suffering from cancer and their families to attend Flyers games as his special guests. He even invited three children and their families to the now ill-fated game six of the Stanley Cup finals.
“Sure, I’m fighting a battle on the ice,” said Briere, “but it is nothing compared to the battle these kids are up against. The least I can do is give them a chance to be in a place where they don’t have to think about their next chemo treatment. Tonight, they are just kids…and more importantly, Flyer fans!”
One of those three lucky children was Duncan Mitcheltree, two years old and fighting a battle against Wilms tumor, a type of kidney cancer that occurs in children – a cancerous tumor the size of a Gatorade bottle. During Duncan’s brave battle, his father, Eric, took Duncan to his first Flyers game on January 6, 2010, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Briere scored his 500th NHL point.
Eric emailed the Briere Bunch charity to express his gratitude for what they are doing for children in Duncan’s situation. He also placed an order for two Briere Bunch hats.
Then, out of the blue following game seven of the history-making comeback against the Boston Bruins, Eric’s cell phone rang. On the other end – Danny Briere. Briere and Eric chatted for a few minutes, discussing how Duncan was doing, as well as the excitement surrounding the Flyers historic comeback and the next round against the Montreal Canadiens. Briere asked for their address and promised to send autographed photos for Duncan. Eric ended the call by asking Briere to “pot a couple for us tonight.” (Briere went on to net a goal and an assist in the game one rout of Montreal.)
The Briere Bunch even made a generous donation to Duncan’s Relay for Life team, a team formed to help raise money for the American Cancer Society.
“My wife and I have always given to children’s charities, the Flyers Carnival, Make a Wish and several church-driven charities. I never thought we would be on the other side of the coin.”
A few weeks later, Eric and his family were guests of Briere for game six of the Stanley Cup finals, and though the night didn’t end well for the Flyers, the event was something the Mitcheltree family will never forget.
“I said to Briere’s Dad ‘are you the father of the world's greatest hockey player?’ He said, ‘I wouldn't say he is the greatest.’ I said ‘in my son's eyes there will never be a better player.’”
Duncan is on the road to recovery now, the cancerous tumor and his kidney have been removed and he’s long since finished chemotherapy treatments. His base line tests have come back clear and though he faces another three years of blood tests, scans and observations, his family hopes this chapter in his life is over.
But the bond between his family and the Briere Bunch lives on to this day, as the Mitcheltree family was invited to meet Briere after a recent preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.
“The thing that separates Danny from the rest of the athletes that do this is that Danny continues the relationship well past the initial contact. I guess that goes to show you the type of Dad he is, the type of man he is,” Eric said.
Though Briere didn’t play that night due to infected tonsils, he spent time with the Mitcheltree family, sharing his thoughts on the season and the team. It was a conversation Eric will cherish forever, and one day, Duncan will be old enough to appreciate. For now, he just knows that he has a new hero for life.
Final Thoughts from the Mitcheltree Family:
Words can't express the joy that this simple gesture has meant to our family. We have been through so much sadness and stress these last 10 months that NOTHING makes me tear up more then the smiles on my kids’ faces. Thank you Danny.
For more information on the Briere Bunch, log on to www.brierebunch.com.
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