Wayne Simmonds will be in Flyers' lineup; Ed Snider ceremony set for 'icon'
Wayne Simmonds said he was good to go for Thursday's game against visiting Nashville. At 4:30 p.m., an Ed Snider statue will be unveiled outside the Wells Fargo Center.
Wayne Simmonds took part in the Flyers' morning skate Thursday and said he was ready to play tonight against visiting Nashville, and rookie defenseman Travis Sanheim will return to the lineup.
Simmonds apparently tweaked his groin in Tuesday's 5-1 win over Florida and went to the locker room in the middle of the third period for precautionary reasons.
"I feel good," Simmonds said after Thursday's morning skate in Voorhees.
The star right winger leads the Flyers with five goals. He remained on a line with Val Filppula and Jordan Weal at Thursday's morning skate.
Sanheim has been a healthy scratch in three games, including the last two. Brandon Manning will be a healthy scratch tonight.
It will be interesting to see if Manning returns to the lineup Saturday afternoon against visiting Edmonton and superstar Connor McDavid. Manning and McDavid have had a long-running feud.
Goalie Michal Neuvirth will make his second straight start Thursday.
So far, the Flyers (4-2) are 2-0 on the five-game homestand, which equals their longest of the season.
Nashville (3-2-1) is led by Filip Forsberg (five goals, nine points), who scored a power-play goal with 36 seconds left to give the Preds a 6-5 win over the visiting Flyers nine nights ago. The power play was created by the Flyers' failed offside challenge on the Predators' fifth goal.
Former Flyer Scott Hartnell has three goals — two against the Flyers — and is minus-4 for Nashville.
Ed Snider ceremony
A statue of the late Ed Snider will be unveiled at a 4:30 p.m. ceremony Thursday outside the Wells Fargo Center (near the team store). The ceremony, which will be attended by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, is open to the public.
Several former Flyers will be attending, including Lou Angotti, the first captain in franchise history.
Other Flyers alumni who are expected to attend: Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, Mark Howe, Brian Propp, Paul Holmgren, Joe Watson, Jim Watson, Bob Kelly, Dave Schultz, Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen, Tim Kerr, Dave Brown, Keith Primeau, Todd Fedoruk, Bill Clement, Terry Crisp, Terry Carkner, Don Saleski, Orest Kindrachuk, Ron Hextall, Brad Marsh, Ed Hospodar, Riley Cote, Doug Crossman, Jack McIlhargey, Ross Fitzpatrick, Ray Allison, Rich Sutter, Donna Ashbee (representing her late husband, Barry), Mitch Lamoreaux, and Dave Fenyves.
"It's an exciting day for us," said Hextall, now the team's general manager. "He created the franchise. This is an icon. You look at the Flyers' history, the 50 years, and you think of Mr. Snider. Nobody else is even a part of this if it wasn't for Mr. Snider. It's pretty simple. He had a huge impact on this organization, on Philadelphia sports, on the city of Philadelphia. It'll be a good moment for all of us."
A smiling Hextall recalled now Snider phoned him 15 minutes before the trade deadline ended a few years ago.
"He said, 'Are we getting better?' That's one of my fondest memories," Hextall said. "He couldn't help himself. He knew the answer, but he couldn't help himself. It was great."
Hextall stayed pat, preferring to build with his young players.
Outdoor alumni game
Several former Flyers will participate in an outdoor alumni game at Hersheypark Stadium on Jan. 19 at 7 p.m.
The game will match alumni from the Flyers and the AHL's Hershey Bears.
Eric Lindros, Briere, John LeClair, Propp, Timonen, and Arron Asham are among the former Flyers who will participate. Parent and Holmgren will serve as coaches.