Highlights Beyond Highlights - Oct. 25 vs. Minnesota

John Tortorella said after Tuesday’s game that he wanted his team to continue to try to create offense, especially the defensemen.  Message received by Nick Seeler, who carried the puck from behind his own net almost all the way to the top of the left circle in the Wild end before dishing it off to Travis Konecny for the Flyers’ first goal. Seeler took what the Wild gave him, as the two Wild defensemen and one of the forwards turned and bailed to center ice to prepare to defend.  Seeler was never pressured before he dished the puck to Konecny.

Seeler pulled off his move against his hometown team. Not only did Seeler attend Eden Praire HS in Minnesota and later the University of Minnesota, but the Wild drafted him in 2011 and he later played 99 games for the club.  But that wasn’t the biggest event for a Flyer against their hometown Minnesota team – that goes to Bobby Brink, who scored two goals against the team that captured his interest while he attended Minnetonka HS.  It has run in the water in recent years – Noah Cates, who attended Stillwater HS and Minnesota-Duluth, made his NHL debut against the Wild in 2022 and had a goal and an assist over the two games between the clubs last season.

If it seemed strange to see a player in #37 on the Flyers’ back end, there’s a valid reason for that. Louie Belpedio made his Flyers debut in the contest wearing that number; he became the first Flyers defenseman to use it since Eric Desjardins wrapped up his career in 2006. Desjardins wore #37 for 738 games with the Flyers over 11 seasons.  Brian Elliott wore it most recently for three seasons, but before that only three forwards had worn it since Desjardins, all for limited engagements – Harry Zolnierczyk, Jay Rosehill and Jon Kalinski. Rosehill was the most recent skater to use it, and that was nine years ago during the 2013-14 season.