Flyers Quarter Century Team: First Team

Across the National Hockey League, organizations are announcing their "quarter century teams" of top players from the last 25 seasons. In each city, a specialized panel was convened to select a First Team and a Second Team of the quarter century group. Each panelist voted independently, and the results were compiled by the NHL according to the overall consensus.

Inevitably, voters had to make several tough choices as to whom to include (and whether to place him on their personal First Team or Second Team). When voting, panelists were not privy to one another's ballot choices.The entire exercise is designed to honor each of the chosen players but also to spark fan discussion and debate.

Below is the Flyers 1st Team based on the collective panel vote: Three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender.

Simon Gagne (LW/C); 691 Games, 264 goals, 271 assists, 535 points.

Drafted by the Flyers in the first round (22nd overall) of the 1998 Draft, Gagne broke into the NHL as a center but was soon moved to left wing for the vast majority of his career.

Gagne made an immediate mark as a rookie and quickly established himself as one of the team's top offensive threats throughout the 2000s. He played in two significantly different eras of the franchise before and after the 2004-05 lockout and was an impact player in both scenarios. His clutch performances at critical times in the playoffs and regular season will particularly be remembered for years to come.

Overall, Gagne played in 11 seasons for the Flyers over two NHL stints with the club (1999-2000 to 2009-10 and 2012-13).

Flyers career highlights

• Ranks 10th in franchise history in goals, 12th in points, 13th in
  games played, tied for 17th in cumulative plus-minus, 19th in assists, and sixth in game-winning goals. Within the last quarter century of team history, he ranks second in goals,third in points, fourth in assists, first in game-winning goals and first in cumulative plus-minus.
• Six career playoff game-winning goals, including Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals vs. Tampa Bay and Games 4 and 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. BOS.
• Back-to-back 40-goal seasons (47 in 2005-06, 41 in 2006-07).
• Two-time winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy as Flyers team MVP.
• Represented Flyers in the 2007 All-Star Game
• Appeared in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics and 2004 World Cup of Hockey for Team Canada.

Claude Giroux (C/W): 1,000 GP, 291 G, 609 A, 900 Points

Over the entire course of Flyers history, only franchise icon Bobby Clarke played more games or recorded more assists than Giroux. "G" also had the longest continuous stretch as team captain in the history of the organization.

Drafted as a right winger by the Flyers in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Giroux made the rare-switch from young winger to full time center during his third pro season. Later in his career, he made a highly successful switch from center to left wing. Wherever he played, Giroux was the Flyers No. 1 offensive catalyst throughout his years in Philadelphia.

Overall, Giroux played all or portions of 15 seasons with the team including a two-game emergency recall in 2007-8.

Flyers career highlights

• He ranks 2nd in team franchise history in games played, assists and points. Giroux ranks first in power play points (339), first in regular season overtime goals (11) and seventh in game-winning goals. Over the last quarter century, he's number one in games played, goals, assists, all-situations points and power play points.He is second in game-winning goals.
• Giroux was a Hart Trophy finalist in 2013-14 and placed fourth in the Hart Trophy balloting in 2017-18.
• The long-tenured captain is a member of the Flyers' 100-point club, recording a career-best 102 points (34 goals, 68 assists) in 2017-18
• As a member of the Flyers, Giroux played in the NHL All-Star Game seven times (2010-11, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18 2018-19, 2021-22). He won NHL All-Star Game MVP honors in 2022.
• Giroux was selected as an NHL Second-Team All-Star in 2017-18.
• Giroux scored an overtime winning goal in Game 3 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final against Chicago. Overall during the 2010 playoffs, he posted 21 points (10g, 11a) in 23 games.
• In the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against Pittsburgh, Giroux racked up a 14 points (six goals, eight assists). His six-point explosion in Game 2 (hat trick, three assists) is a franchise single-game record in the playoffs.

Mike Richards -- C: 453 games played, 113 goals, 216 assists, 349 points

Drafted by the Flyers with the latter (24th overall) of their two first-round picks in the landmark 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Richards epitomized a heart-and-soul leader on the ice during his Philadelphia career. Although he was far from the biggest, fasted or more dynamically skilled player on the team, Richards' competitive drive and well-rounded game made him the backbone of the forward corps for most of his prime years.

Laconic off the ice, Richards' play spoke volumes about his will to win and sheer hustle. At his peak, he was an elite penalty killer and power play regular in addition to absorbing some of the toughest matchups at five-on-five.

Flyers career highlights

• Richards registered 349 points (133-216=349), including 36 power-play goals, 23 shorthanded goals and 21 game-winning goals in 453 career games with the Flyers in six seasons (2005-11)
• The hard-nosed center served as Flyers Captain for three seasons (2008-11).
• Richards ranks fifth in franchise history in shorthanded goals and seventh in shorthanded points (32).
• The two-way forward ranked second on the Flyers during the 2008-09 regular season with career-high 80 points (30g, 50a) in 79 games and led the NHL with seven shorthanded goals and nine shorthanded points.
• He was named a finalist for 2008-09 Frank J. Selke Trophy.
• Richards represented the Flyers at the 2008 NHL All-Star Game.
• He led the Flyers during the 2007-08 regular season with 75 points (28-47=75) in 73 games and was named the Gene Hart Memorial Award winner.
• Richards appeared in five postseason runs with the Flyers and recorded 50 points (16g. 34a) in 63 Stanley Cup Playoff games (2006, 2008-11).
• He ranks tied for third in Flyers playoff history in shorthanded goals (3), ninth in power-play points (23) and tied for 11th in assists.
• The captain ranked second on the team during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 23 points (7g, 16a) in 23 contests. His 23-point postseason campaign ranks tied for seventh in team history for most playoff points in a single postseason. Richards also led the Flyers and ranked second in the NHL with 12 power-play points during the 2010 postseason.
• Richards scored an iconic shorthanded goal in Game 5 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Final vs. Montreal.
• Two-time Bobby Clarke Trophy winner (2007-08, 2008-09).

Eric Desjardins -- D: 738 games, 93 goals, 303 assists, 396 points, +143

The lone player on the Flyers' Quarter Century Team who was a notable player on the roster prior to the 2000s, the Flyers Hall of Fame defenseman and seven time Barry Ashbee Trophy winner's career in Philly could be divided into two separate periods.

In the early 2000s, Desjardins played through a partial ACL tear in his knee. Robbed a full stride of his previous silky smooth mobility, the cerebral defenseman took a bit of time to readjust aspects of his his style. Thereafter, he re-emerged as the Flyers best all-around and top offensive defenseman until the final stage of his NHL career following the 2004-05 lockout.

For purposes of the Quarter Century Team, we will look only at Desjardins' Flyers career highlights from the 2000s.

Flyers career highlights (2000s)

• "Rico" won the Barry Ashbee Trophy in 1999-2000 and 2002-03: his sixth and seventh seasons of being selected as the Flyers' best defenseman.
• Desjardins served as Flyers captain during portions of the 1999-2000 and 2001-02 season as well as the entire 2000-01 campaign.
• Specific to the 1999-2000 season onward, Desjardins ranks sixth among Flyers defensemen in regular season games played (397), fourth in goals (48), fifth in assists (148), fifth in points (196), number one in accumulated plus-minus (+60), and for first in game-winning goals (11th).
• Spanning the latter two-third of the 1996-97 season to the late portion of the 2003-04, the pairing of three-time NHL All-Star (twice with the Flyers) Desjardins with Chris Therien played more games as a regular pairing than any duo in Flyers history

Kimmo Timonen - D: 519 games, 38 goals, 232 assists, 270 points

Acquired on June 18, 2007 from Nashville, Timonen immediately stepped in and became one of the best all-around defensemen in franchise history. Timonen’s powerful lower body, puck skills, ability to make smart plays away from the puck, heart, desire and two-way hockey sense more than made up for
anything he lacked in size.

The Finnish stalwart's presence on the blue line anchored five consecutive seasons of success that included seven playoff series victories, the 2010 trip to the Stanley Cup Final and a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2008.

Flyers career highlights

• Timonen was a five-time winner of the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ top defenseman (2007-08, 2008-09, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14).
• The Finn represented the Flyers at the NHL All-Star Game in 2007-08 and 2011-12. He was selected five times overall in his NHL career
• Among defensemen in Flyers franchise history, Timonen ranks third in points (270) and assists (232) and 10th in games played (519).
• Timonen's playoff stats rank him ninth among defensemen in games played (71), fifth in assists (26) and eighth in points (29).
• Kimmo ranks 4th in games played as a Flyer among all European players and is first among European defensemen.
• While a Flyer, Timonen represented Finland at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, winning a pair f bronze medals.
• Timonen is a member of both the IIHF Hall of Fame and the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame. While he was a standout throughout his career, some of his best years overlapped with the Philadelphia portion of his playing days.

Roman Cechmanek -- G: 163 Games, 92-43-22, 1;96 GAA, .923 SV%, 20 SO.

From the standpoints of regular season success and statistical accomplishments,Cechmanek's three-season run (2000-01 to 2002-23) as the Flyers starting goaltender saw him post some lofty accomplishments in a short period period of time.

Cechmanek's size and highly unorthodox playing style -- including signature "cranium carom" method of deliberately using the crown of his mask to deflect pucks to safety and the multiple times in which he came up with saves while seemingly caught too far out of position or seated on the ice facing into his net -- made him unpredictable for opposing attackers and teammates alike.

In the playoffs, Cechmanek's high-wire act had mixed results. Some outings were debacles, others were brilliant. It should be noted that, during the Flyers 2002 and 2003 playoff series against Ottawa (losses in five and six games), Cechmanek did not receive more that two goals of support in any of the 11 games. Yet he won three of the games, all by shutout. He also bested Hall of Famer Ed Belfour by the end of the epic 2003 first-round playoff series against Toronto.

Flyers career highlights

• The Czech netminder placed as the top runner-up for the Vezina Trophy and fourth in the Hart Trophy voting in 2000-01.
• Cechmanek represented the Flyers in the 2001 NHL All-Star Game.
• He shared the Jennings Trophy with teammate Robert Esche for the lowest goals against average in the NHL during the 2002-03 season.
• Cechmanek won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as Flyers' MVP during the 2000-01 and 2002-03 seasons.

All time in Flyers history, Cechmanek ranks second to Bernie Parent in regular season shutouts, No. 1 in goals against average in the regular season (minimum 25 or more career games), tops in save percentage, and tied for sixth in wins.

With the last quarter century, only Steve Mason (104 in 231 games) and Carter Hart (96 in 227 games) had more wins among Flyers goaltenders than Cechmanek's 92 wins in 163 games.