Gagne Back on the Ice
by Kevin Kurz / Philadelphia Flyers| Simon Gagne hopes he is ready for the first day of training camp on Sep. 13. (Getty Images)
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Gagne spent about 30 minutes on the ice, skating lightly and shooting pucks at an empty net.
FlyersTV:
Gagne speaks“I was a little bit nervous when I went out there today, but I’m very happy with the way things went,” he told a group of reporters immediately after stepping off of the ice.
Several Flyers have been skating informally in the mornings getting ready for training camp, and Gagne would like to join them as soon as he is ready.
“The first step was to skate by myself and see how it goes, and from there we’re going to decide what’s going to be the best for me. I don’t know if tomorrow I’m going to skate with the guys, or if it would be smarter if I do another skate by myself and then Thursday jump into it with the guys and scrimmage or practice.”
He would certainly like to be ready for the first official on-ice day of training camp on September 13.
“I hope so. That’s why I’m here trying to skate and we’re going to go step-by-step,” he said. “I hope to be there for Day 1 but at the same time we’re going to be smart about it.”
Gagne left Team Canada’s three-day camp on August 25, the first day. He is hoping to play in his third Olympic games.
In 79 games last season with the Flyers, Gagne had 34 goals and 40 assists for 74 points. He is the longest tenured player on the club, about to enter his 10th season.
Flyers add Betts to camp roster
Forward Blair Betts was added to the Flyers' training camp roster on a pro try-out, the club announced this afternoon.
Betts, 29, is a seven-year NHL veteran with the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers. Last season with the Rangers, he had six goals and four assists for 10 points and 16 penalty minutes in 81 games.
He has been assigned uniform #11.