Q&A: Former Flyer Jeremy Roenick professes his love for Philly ahead of his Hall of Fame induction: ‘We just matched’

After retiring in 2009 from an NHL career that spanned 1,363 regular-season games and included 1,216 points, Jeremy Roenick waited patiently for the three years required to be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

But then Roenick continued to wait. And wait.

In June, in his 13th year of eligibility, Roenick finally got the call he longed for, as Lanny McDonald and Mike Gartner called to inform him he would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. On Monday, Roenick, alongside six others, will officially be enshrined in Toronto.

We recently caught up with the former Flyer to discuss his time in Philadelphia and his banner career.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Roenick: It was extremely impactful to me. I don’t want to give away part of my speech because a big part of my speech tells you exactly why I loved Philly. It’s one of the best sports towns in the world, bar none. Some of the most passionate fans that you can find in any sport. If you’re one of them, you will always be one of them. They are as loyal as the day is long — as long as you give everything to their team and their city — and I felt that I did that, maybe even more because of some of the injuries. We just matched. We just matched a lot, and I always say, I wish I could go back to 2005, to that summer and tell [then Flyers general manager Bob Clarke] that, no, you can’t trade me. I’m staying here.

Roenick: It would be the 2004 goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Scoring that goal was insane. I loved playing in Toronto, and I used to crush Toronto when I played with Chicago. It was my favorite place to play. Beating Toronto always seemed to be one of my guilty pleasures. But it was such a big, big time for the Flyers. That was the best team I was on, that 2004 team. We were a powerhouse. We had everybody and we were so stacked. To beat Toronto in that second round, overtime, and knock them out of the playoffs was awesome. And you know, that was in 2004 and it took [the Maple Leafs] 19 years to win another round. It was the J.R. jinx.

Roenick: Probably standing on the blue line during the national anthem of the gold-medal game in 2002, U.S. vs. Canada. We’re on the biggest stage in the world, in the biggest game in hockey history — the gold medal game in the Olympics. And we were there against Canada, which was just an amazing, amazing accomplishment but it also signified the fact that we were a world powerhouse. That we were world leaders in hockey. It was amazing to be a part of that generation that got us there.

Roenick: I don’t think you can put it into words how proud I am of that. Because I know Mike Eruzione, and he scored that goal for the team that shocked the world in 1980. Everybody on our team was inspired by that. You look at USA Hockey now, and we’re a powerhouse. When I got to the league 14% of the players were American, now it’s over 32%. It’s changed USA Hockey forever in terms of its popularity and we were role models for the kids today who are dominating the league at way bigger masses than what they did in the 80s.

Roenick: Always. It’s crazy, that’s all I did when I was a kid. I was in my driveway, shooting pucks and shooting pucks and shooting pucks. I would hang cans in the corners of the nets and try to hit the cans. So it was a constant thing for me. I always was one of those guys that didn’t have the hardest shot in the world, but knew that I had to have the accuracy because my shot wasn’t the hardest. So my accuracy became more important.

Roenick: I think because I played the game the right way. I had a very good mix of every aspect of the game of hockey. The talents that are needed to get this kind of accolade or recognition. I think my effect and the imprint that I put on American hockey is very important. I think the attention that I brought to the National Hockey League, whether it was good, positive, or negative, or controversial, was something that people gravitated to and there were conversations — whether you liked me or not.

You put all the points and the games played, and playing through injury, and playing in high-pressure situations. I think there are reputations or images, that when people think of how somebody played, I’m pretty confident that people will say that I was a beast on the ice and that I was very difficult to play against because I had many, many different traits that could be very beneficial for myself and the team I was playing on. And consistency. I played almost 1,400 games, playing the way that I did. You finish in the top three of the highest scorers in the game as an American, top 40 in the game, those are numbers that are pretty elite.

And then you look at the way that I played the game. So I think there’s a lot of different reasons. Now, there are a lot of reasons why probably people kept me out, and that’s what we’ve already talked about. But as far as playing, I think that’s why my frustration over the 12 years that I was passed by probably consumed me.

Jeremy Roenick waited.

After retiring in 2009 from an NHL career that spanned 1,363 regular-season games and included 1,216 points, he did it patiently for the three years required to be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame.

But then Roenick continued to wait. And wait.

Why wasn’t the phone ringing? A nine-time All-Star who played for five NHL teams, notably the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Flyers, he sits 48th all-time in points — with the only players above him not in the Hall not yet eligible. Roenick is also among the greatest American-born players to play the game. He ranks fifth in points and fourth in goals (513) and was also part of the foundation that has made USA Hockey a powerhouse today.

But he would wait in anticipation for the 416 area code of Toronto to pop up on his phone year after year. Finally, on June 25, as he sat in a Starbucks drive-through waiting for his grande red eye with half and half after completing a spin class, the area code popped up — and he missed the call.

“I call it back and it says, ‘Welcome to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Press three for tickets, press four for tours.’ I hung up and I started thinking wow,” Roenick said. “I got nervous, and about two minutes later, as I’m sitting in the line waiting for my coffee the phone rings again. It’s a 416, and I get all flustered, and I pick it up, and it’s Mike Gartner and Lanny McDonald.”

Gartner, the chairman of the selection committee, and McDonald, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s chairman, were calling to tell Roenick that after 12 years of eligibility — after he had all but given up — he would become an honored member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

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“It’s going to be everything that I can muster in my body to try to fight through a lot of tears and emotions to get my speech out in a timely manner,” Roenick said of a speech he’s written about four times, which he said has humor and stories, and humility, amends, and gratitude.

The speech is only supposed to be 5 minutes but he is the last to speak on the night that also will see Pavel Datsyuk, Natalie Darwitz, and Krissy Wendell-Pohl inducted as players, and Colin Campbell and David Poile as builders.

“My speech is pretty emotional, so they’re not going to dare shut me off,” Roenick said.

The Inquirer caught up with the former Flyers great to chat about his tenure with the Orange and Black.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Roenick: It was extremely impactful to me. I don’t want to give away part of my speech because a big part of my speech tells you exactly why I loved Philly. It’s one of the best sports towns in the world, bar none. Some of the most passionate fans that you can find in any sport. If you’re one of them, you will always be one of them. They are as loyal as the day is long — as long as you give everything to their team and their city — and I felt that I did that, maybe even more because of some of the injuries. We just matched. We just matched a lot, and I always say, I wish I could go back to 2005, to that summer and tell [then Flyers general manager Bob Clarke] that, no, you can’t trade me. I’m staying here.

Roenick: I did because they were bringing in Peter Forsberg, who at the time, I thought was a better player than me. I figured the team had a better chance of winning the Cup with Peter Forsberg than me. I thought I was actually helping the Flyers by allowing the trade to happen. It’s unfortunate that Peter’s injury kept him from really doing anything in Philly. At the time, I thought I was helping the team. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to be in Philly, I just felt I was literally putting the team in a better situation.

Roenick: I was in Detroit. I had just finished dinner with the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings [Ken Holland] and I’m sitting in my hotel room and Clarkie calls and says, “Listen, we’re going to sign another player unless you decide here in the next 15 minutes.” I had to make a decision. Sitting next to my wife after just touring Detroit, and we picked Philly. I picked Philly mostly because of my wife [Tracy’s] needs in the horsing world, her day-to-day ability to ride horses and continue her business. … And because Rick Tocchet said he’d beat me up if I didn’t.

Roenick: It would be the 2004 goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Scoring that goal was insane. I loved playing in Toronto, and I used to crush Toronto when I played with Chicago. It was my favorite place to play. Beating Toronto always seemed to be one of my guilty pleasures. But it was such a big, big time for the Flyers. That was the best team I was on, that 2004 team. We were a powerhouse. We had everybody and we were so stacked. To beat Toronto in that second round, overtime, and knock them out of the playoffs was awesome. And you know, that was in 2004 and it took [the Maple Leafs] 19 years to win another round. It was the J.R. jinx.

Roenick: Probably standing on the blue line during the national anthem of the gold-medal game in 2002, U.S. vs. Canada. We’re on the biggest stage in the world, in the biggest game in hockey history — the gold medal game in the Olympics. And we were there against Canada, which was just an amazing, amazing accomplishment but it also signified the fact that we were a world powerhouse. That we were world leaders in hockey. It was amazing to be a part of that generation that got us there.

Roenick: I don’t think you can put it into words how proud I am of that. Because I know Mike Eruzione, and he scored that goal for the team that shocked the world in 1980. Everybody on our team was inspired by that. You look at USA Hockey now, and we’re a powerhouse. When I got to the league 14% of the players were American, now it’s over 32%. It’s changed USA Hockey forever in terms of its popularity and we were role models for the kids today who are dominating the league at way bigger masses than what they did in the 80s.

Roenick: Always. It’s crazy, that’s all I did when I was a kid. I was in my driveway, shooting pucks and shooting pucks and shooting pucks. I would hang cans in the corners of the nets and try to hit the cans. So it was a constant thing for me. I always was one of those guys that didn’t have the hardest shot in the world, but knew that I had to have the accuracy because my shot wasn’t the hardest. So my accuracy became more important.

Roenick: Well, everything for me was, if it was on my mind it was coming out of my mouth. And sometimes it hurt people. I think sometimes it embarrassed people. Sometimes it degraded people. Sometimes it was, I was more showboat-y than serious. I was able to turn it on and off. That was definitely one of my traits that I could do. I wouldn’t call it a good quality, but I was able to do it. And when you’re like that I think you turn some people off. Some people who just don’t want to be around that, and there’s some people who enjoy it, that get a kick out of it.

So, I think I probably lost the attention, or maybe the respect, or the opportunity of being a fan with either the way I acted or things that I said, or the way that the media maybe portrayed me. But, I don’t know. It’s just sometimes humbleness and just letting your play do more of the talking than your mouth. But I was one of the guys who really did a lot of both.

[Editor’s note: Roenick was fired from NBC Sports in February 2020 following lewd comments he made on a podcast.]

Roenick: No. No, you just learn from them. If you don’t make mistakes, you don’t learn from them. Took me a little bit longer to learn. But, you know, that’s beside the point. No, I do things and I make my decisions, and I’m accountable for my decisions. I own up to them, and no, I wouldn’t take it back.

Roenick: It’s kind of in that same realm of learning from your mistakes in the past, learning from other people and their comments and their viewpoints and seeing how the decisions that one makes in their lives affects not only your life and — I’m saying your, not me because it’s a life lesson that I’ve really come to really appreciate, understand, and honor. Whereas, not slough it off as, well, that doesn’t have to be me, or that’s not me, or something like that.

Sometimes you’re just not living the smart life, doing the things you’re supposed to be doing, working hard in the right areas and that was me. There’s a lot of people who were disappointed in me and a lot of things that I let slide. A lot of work that wasn’t done, and things that I let go because I was too busy thinking that I was more special, or that I didn’t have to do it because of who I was, when that just doesn’t even matter. So, sometimes life kicks you in the [expletive] and you better respond to it.

Roenick: I think because I played the game the right way. I had a very good mix of every aspect of the game of hockey. The talents that are needed to get this kind of accolade or recognition. I think my effect and the imprint that I put on American hockey is very important. I think the attention that I brought to the National Hockey League, whether it was good, positive, or negative, or controversial, was something that people gravitated to and there were conversations — whether you liked me or not.

You put all the points and the games played, and playing through injury, and playing in high-pressure situations. I think there are reputations or images, that when people think of how somebody played, I’m pretty confident that people will say that I was a beast on the ice and that I was very difficult to play against because I had many, many different traits that could be very beneficial for myself and the team I was playing on. And consistency. I played almost 1,400 games, playing the way that I did. You finish in the top three of the highest scorers in the game as an American, top 40 in the game, those are numbers that are pretty elite.

And then you look at the way that I played the game. So I think there’s a lot of different reasons. Now, there are a lot of reasons why probably people kept me out, and that’s what we’ve already talked about. But as far as playing, I think that’s why my frustration over the 12 years that I was passed by probably consumed me.

Roenick: I do. I do. I think I’m as frustrated as anybody else.

Roenick: Every team that’s successful has an identity. They play a certain way. Teams know what they’re up against when they come into the building. There is a mentality on the team of how you’re supposed to play, of who you play for. And when I watch the Flyers, I don’t see that identity. I don’t see everybody on the same page every night. If the defense is playing good, the offense is terrible. The offense is playing great, the defense is terrible, or if they’re both playing good, the goaltender is weak and lets up really bad goals that deflates the team.

It’s also understanding the game and the history of the game, and appreciating and having respect for the history of the game. I don’t see that team on the ice that resembles a Philadelphia Flyer mentality, the Broad Street Bullies and that bothers me. I’ll give you a perfect example, the Florida Panthers have an identity. Every single team knows it’s going to be a tough game when they go onto the ice against that team, because they all play the same way. They all play with a purpose, they all play to a system, and they all play to an identity.

I don’t know if the Flyers are just too young to understand it or have to learn it, or if there’s somebody on that team that is the leader that brings them to that understanding. But to me, there’s just not a Philadelphia Flyers/Broad Street Bullies identity that makes it hard to play against them.

And John Tortorella, we are bonded together forever because he was my assistant coach [with Phoenix].

Roenick: He has a mentality, and he has a belief on how the game should be played, and he would be considered the last old-school coach, maybe, with the exception of [Buffalo’s] Lindy Ruff in the game. I don’t know in what part of the dictionary that it says a coach has to be nice or can’t be rigid, or can’t be vocal. I’ve never seen that definition of a coach. I’ve thrived under tough coaches. I’ve thrived under coaches yelling at me and I don’t think there’s many coaches that do it to hold grudges, I think it’s because they want better out of you.

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Unfortunately, in today’s game, the personalities that are in the game are softer. I think their emotions are weaker. I think they let their feelings get hurt and they take it personally. And that’s a hard way to be when you’re in a very physical, very high-intensity, and stressful profession, like being a professional hockey player. So I love John Tortorella. I have no problem with him being hard-nosed and tough and being in your face. If the team doesn’t respond, is it the coach’s fault or is it the players’ fault? So I just love how everybody blames the coach for being mean, or being unreasonable, or being aggressive, or whatever the case may be. Everybody has a job. Coach has a job, and the players have a job, and it bothers me a lot of times where the coach usually gets the finger pointed at him or players stop playing for him because they feel bad that they got yelled at.

I always thought, if you want respect, you’ve got to earn your respect. I love John Tortorella’s method, and plus, I love his ability to talk to the media and be forthright. His clips are legendary, in his press clippings, in his press conferences, and he gives a little bit of everything. If I want a coach, I want one like him. If I want a player on my team that has the same attitude, I want him as a teammate. So that’s how I feel about John.