I Don't Think the Flyers Are the Flyers Anymore

Photos: Alicia DeFillipo

Frank Seravalli, writing about the Flyers’ use of analytics and new hire Ian Anderson:

His name is Ian Anderson. He is a 31-year-old California native who has never played hockey. His official title is “Manager of Hockey Analytics.” He is also the Flyers’ most mysterious employee, his work shrouded in secrecy in an increasingly paranoid and copycat sport.

But who is Anderson and what will he bring to the table?

Will he have an impact on transactions and personnel?

Hextall declined comment for this story, saying he’d like to keep that information “internal.” Anderson has been instructed to not speak to the media.

And Mike Sielski (of all people!), who has cultivated a weird kinship with Craig Berube after Berube told him to “get lost,” writing about the Flyers being sans goon:

The average number of fights per game has fallen 36.7 percent since 2009, according to hockeyfights.com, an online database that tracks fighting majors throughout hockey, and maybe it took a head coach who was once the Flyers’ leading heavyweight to understand that it was long past time for a more progressive way of building a team.

“It’s just getting beyond it,” Berube said. “I still think it is part of the game at the right time. I don’t like staged fighting. I never did. I didn’t even like it when I did it back in the day. I liked the emotional part of the game, and when you play hockey and it’s physical and guys are battling and you get [ticked] off and you fight – I like that. I don’t mind that. I think it’s good for the game. Fights have been used to change the momentum of the game, and I still think it has its place a little bit for that. But that’s it.”

Things might start looking real different around here… at least until the first Kate Smith mashup.