For a while there it looked like he might be the first New Jersey-born goaltender to make it to the NHL and the first to leave it — possibly for good. After making a strong initial impression in his debut 2016-17 season with the Philadelphia Flyers, Anthony Stolarz missed almost the entire 2017-18 … [Read more...]
James van Riemsdyk heads back to the City of Brotherly Love
You could come up with all sorts of reasons why James van Riemsdyk chose the Flyers over other NHL free agent suitors on July 1. The money? Sure. Five years, $35 million. The proximity to home? Naturally. His native Middletown, N.J., is less than a 90-minute drive to Wells Fargo Center. The prospect … [Read more...]
Stoneman Douglas tragedy hits home for Flyers’ Shayne Gostisbehere
Life's unpredictability sometimes can force one to mature at an unexpected, accelerated rate. And that very well might have been the case with Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, the Union College graduate, this season. On the ice, things pretty much went according to plan, with … [Read more...]
Penguins’ center Zach Aston-Reese took a ride on the rookie roller coaster
William Aston-Reese grew up in Pittsburgh, so imagine his delight when his son, Zach, signed as a free agent with the Penguins on March 14, 2017. The only thing that could top that would be if Zach got to lift the Stanley Cup in June. A lot went into Zach’s long journey to the NHL, and his father … [Read more...]
Sonny Milano is confident in Columbus
Root canal? Couple weeks. Busted laptop? A little shorter. Car transmission? "Hey, we’ll get it back to ya soon, OK?’ But fixing Frank "Sonny" Milano’s hockey game? That took only four days. After a blazing start to the season (four goals in three games), the Columbus Blue Jacket rookie not only … [Read more...]
Johnny Gaudreau emerging as a leader for the Flames
With a great contract comes great responsibility. When Johnny Gaudreau, the pride of Carneys Point, N.J., signed a six-year, $40 million contract with the Calgary Flames in October 2016, everything changed. He went from being just a flashy "Johnny Hockey"-type figure to a core group leader. With … [Read more...]