Flyers

Wayne Simmonds on Bryz

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jul 11th, 2013 · 2:28 PM EDT

---

There were some connected folks who believed that it would be only a matter a time after Bryz left that teammates would speak publicly about how he wasn’t well-liked. Brayden Schenn went easy on him – “I don’t know. Everyone knows Bryz is Bryz. Some people may think he’s a little different, but I’m not going to say one way or another. I’m sure you guys [reporters] know how Bryz was.” – when he spoke with Sam Carchidi of Philly.com last month. But Wayne Simmonds was a bit more blunt, if not succinct, when he was on sports talk radio in Canada this week:

“I think (the change) will help guys out, nothing against Bryz or anything,” Simmonds, 24, told Brady and Lang in the Morning on Thursday. “When Mase (goaltender Steve Mason) came in last year, he played really strong for us. And you look at what Razor (Emery) did with Chicago, I think we got a great one-two tandem there. They can battle it out.”

That’s hardly damning. A loving sendoff it is not, however.

When Bryz left Phoenix, a few teammates complained about his desire and attitude. Neither Schenn nor Simmonds went quite that far, but you get the sense that more guys will weigh in as time goes by. And that’s not just my opinion– I’ve heard or read several accounts – public and not – about how much Bryz was disliked.