With 2025 underway, the NHL is celebrating the best of the past 25 years by revealing Quarter-Century Teams for each of the League's 32 franchises and the Arizona Coyotes.
Each club will be represented by a First Team and Second Team of six players -- three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie -- who played for the franchise from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec. 31, 2024. The first and second teams were selected by broadcasters, national writers and local writers and NHL.com writers who have covered the respective teams, in addition to select former players.
The six players voted to each First Team will be on the ballot for the NHL All Quarter-Century Team that will be chosen via a fan vote that will start in February.
Today, the First and Second Quarter-Century Teams for the Philadelphia Flyers. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS QUARTER-CENTURY TEAMS
First Team
Forwards
Simon Gagne
Claude Giroux
Mike Richards
Defensemen
Goalie
Forwards: Gagne had back-to-back 40-goal seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and his 257 goals for the Flyers since Jan. 1, 2000, are second to Giroux (291). Gagne also produced huge goals during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He scored in overtime in Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, then he helped start Philadelphia's historic comeback from down 3-0 against the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2010 playoffs, scoring in overtime in Game 4 and then had game-winning goal in Game 7. Giroux, selected by the Flyers in the first round (No. 22) of the 2006 NHL Draft, played his first 15 NHL seasons for Philadelphia, and is one of two players to skate in 1,000 games for the team, along with Hockey Hall of Fame member Bobby Clarke (1,144). Giroux is second in Flyers history in points (900) and assists (609), behind Clarke (1,210 points, 852 assists). He was captain for 10 seasons (2012-22). Richards was captain for three seasons, including the 2009-10 Cup Final team, which he led in scoring with 62 points (31 goals, 31 assists) in 82 games. He scored 30 goals twice in six seasons with the Flyers, and leads them with 23 short-handed goals this century, including three 3-on-5 goals. In 2008-09 he led the NHL with seven short-handed goals and finished second in voting for the Selke Trophy as best defensive forward in the NHL.
Defensemen: Desjardins' best seasons came before the turn of the century, but he remained the best defenseman for the Flyers until he retired in 2006, with a plus-49 rating and 168 points (38 goals, 130 assists) while averaging 23:58 of ice time in 360 games after Jan. 1, 2000. He was captain from 2000-02, including when the Flyers reached the 2000 Eastern Conference Final, and he had 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) while averaging 28:00 of ice time in 18 playoff games. Like Desjardins, Timonen was a workhorse who averaged 22:27 of ice time while playing 519 of 540 regular-season games during his seven seasons in Philadelphia (2007-14). He had at least 35 points six times.
Goalie: Cechmanek played three seasons for the Flyers, but his 20 shutouts are second in Philadelphia history, behind Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie Parent (50). He was second in voting for the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL in 2000-01 after he led the NHL with a 2.01 goals-against average (minimum 30 games) and was second with 10 shutouts in 59 games. In 2002-03, he shared the Jennings Trophy with Robert Esche for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL and finished third in the NHL with a .925 save percentage and second with a 1.83 GAA in 58 games.
