Long-time jersey snafu finally made right for Flyer

PHILADELPHIA -- Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossman might be the nicest player on the ice, but he's pretty cordial when it comes to the equipment guys.

Now in his sixth season in the NHL, he's never corrected any of the folks who took care of his jersey in Dallas or Philadelphia -- even though it's had his name misspelled since he arrived in the League.

Tuesday against the Red Wings, Grossman for the first time will wear his name spelled correctly on his jersey -- Grossmann.

"I just started off and they put it on the wrong way and I just kept it like that," he told reporters following the Flyers' morning skate. "My dad said something a while ago, why is it spelled wrong, and I said that's the way it came and I didn't change it."

It was Flyers Director of Team Services Bryan Hardenbergh who noticed recently that Grossman's name was spelled one way on his jersey and a different way on his passport.

"He (Hardenbergh) came up to me and said I notice your name (on your jersey) is a little different than what's in your passport and I said that (the passport) is what it should be," Grossman said. "He said we can change it for you, so I said OK."

Grossmann said he never said anything early in his career. Since then, he's just gotten used to it.

"When I was young coming up I didn't want to say anything," he said. "I was just happy to have a jersey with my name on it."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK

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