Eagles have 'awesome' time at Stadium Series between Flyers, Penguins

PHILADELPHIA -- Doug Pederson's reaction said it all.

The coach of the Philadelphia Eagles had just come off the ice and gone up the tunnel from the field after dropping the puck for the ceremonial face-off between Sidney Crosby and Claude Giroux at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagle's home stadium, on Saturday.
The Philadelphia fans were going nuts, still buzzing from seeing the coach who led their NFL team to the city's first Super Bowl championship last year. Pederson was practically glowing in his personalized Philadelphia Flyers sweater.
"That was awesome," Pederson said.
He repeated it again.
"Awesome," he added.
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Pederson, who calls Lincoln Financial Field his office on Sundays during the football season, was here on a Saturday as a fan, taking in the 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series between the Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"You know what, No. 1, it's relaxing," Pederson said. "I don't have the pressure of calling plays and trying to win a football game. And it's exciting at the same time to be able watch our Philadelphia Flyers and to support our guys just like they come watch us on Sunday afternoons. It's very special for me and my family to be here and watch them, and to watch it under a little less stress and pressure than a normal Sunday game.
"It's a spectacular event."
Pederson has become a Flyers fan, he said, after playing quarterback here for the Eagles in 1999, returning as an assistant coach from 2009-12 and then as the head coach in 2016.

It was special for him to see his favorite hockey team play in what has become his favorite football venue.
"Going to hockey games here, you become a fan and you become a fan of all our sports teams here in the city of Philadelphia," Pederson said. "Hockey, I don't know a lot about it from a rules standpoint but at the same time it's exciting because it's fast paced, there's a lot of changes going on and there's a lot of strategy, so I'm always interested in the game."
Pederson was joined at the game by Eagles center Jason Kelce, who once had a burgeoning hockey career growing up in Cleveland.
"It was short lived," he said. "Right after high school I was done, but it was fun."
Kelce played four years as a forward at Cleveland Heights High School. He was an all-Cleveland area forward in his senior season, 2005-06, when he had 36 points (21 goals, 15 assists) in 27 games. He finished his four-year career with had 95 points (57 goals, 38 assists) and 190 penalty minutes in 98 games.
"I grew up playing," Kelce said. "I think I started when I was 8 years old. Loved the sport, still love it. In another lifetime I would have liked to see how far I could play in this one too. There's just something special putting on the skates, the speed of the game. I loved always playing contact sports, strap up a helmet, get after it. It's just a fun sport to play."
And watch, which is what Kelce was so excited about Saturday, especially after he participated in the pregame festivities.

Kelce was on stage and introduced to the crowd along with fellow Philadelphia athletes Jimmy Rollins, a former Phillies shortstop, 76ers forward Tobias Harris and center Boban Maerjanovic, and Flyers legend and Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke.
They were also joined on stage by Gritty, the Flyers mascot.
"It's an incredible atmosphere here," Kelce said. "Obviously, you have the two histories of the Flyers and Penguins and these teams have been pretty much arch nemesis for a while now. Then obviously with the stadium, the crowd, how many people are here, and then to just be able to be with Bobby Clarke, a legendary Flyers guy, Jimmy Rollins, it was a really fun evening."