We’re back with part five of our series, looking at some of the most forgettable numbers in Flyers history. While there are great players to follow, there are many that are more forgettable. Without further ado, let’s dive into part five of the Flyers jersey number series!
Best Flyers jersey by number: 41-50
41. Andrej Meszaros
Meszaros moved between several NHL teams during his career, but his longest stint with one team was in Philadelphia. He spent four seasons with the club from 2010 to 2014. Although he did not achieve great success in his career, Mezaros was an above-average defenseman in Philly. In his first season with the club, he was awarded the Barry Ashbee Award by the club, an award given to the team’s best defenseman. In addition, he appeared in 192 games, but only scored a total of 76 points (20 goals, 56 assists).
42. Robert Ash
Esche and Cechmanek defended the goal together and won the Jennings Award in the 2002/2003 season. The Jennings Award goes to the best goaltending duo in the NHL, and Esche was involved in it. Aside from the Jennings Award, Esche was a strong goaltender for the Flyers in Philly. In the 2004 season, he almost led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup. However, the club lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to eventual champions Tampa Bay.
43. Martin Biron
The next Flyers jersey number is another goalie. Biron is another veteran goalie that Flyers fans saw in the 2000s. Biron spent two and a half seasons with the Flyers and posted an impressive .909 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average. Biron was also a winner in Philly. Although they didn’t achieve the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, Biron performed well in the postseason. In his short time in Philadelphia, he posted 11 postseason wins as well as 134 regular season wins.
44. Kimmo Timonen
This next Flyers jersey number is a legend for the iconic franchise. Timonen is a franchise legend to say the least and was the leader of the Flyers defense for a time. First of all, he won the Barry Ashbee Trophy five times during his time with the club. In addition, he was a key part of the core that won the Cup in 2010. Timonen spent seven years with the club and appeared in 519 games. During his Flyers career, Timonen was a plus-44 and collected 301 points (79 goals, 222 assists).
45. Arron Asham
Asham was a fourth-line enforcer, and a very good one at that. He was known for his tough play, big shots, and of course, his fighting spirit. His greatest success with the Flyers came during the 2010 Cup run, when he was a linemate of future captain Claude Giroux.
46. Al Conroy
Before moving to the Japanese Hockey League, Conroy spent three seasons with the Flyers. He wore number 45 for the first two seasons before switching to number 15. Conroy played only 114 games during that time and collected just 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists).
47. Andrew MacDonald
Although MacDonald was not a fan favorite during his time in Philadelphia, he was the best choice for the position. MacDonald was grossly overpaid by Flyers management, which earned him a lot of negativity from fans. MacDonald was a bottom-line defenseman who performed his role well, but did not live up to his contract.
48. Daniel Briere
The Flyers’ new General Manager and one of their all-time best playoff players. Briere had so many iconic moments with the Flyers, both in the postseason and regular season. He was a crucial player in the playoffs and a huge fan favorite when he wore the orange and black jersey. He was instrumental in the historic comeback against the Bruins and the 2010 Cup win.
49. Michael Leighton
Although he is best remembered for the game-winning goal, he was a big reason they made it that far in the first place, having a stellar series against Montreal in the Eastern Conference finals that won them the Cup. After the 2010 season, however, Leighton spent the majority of his career with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate team, Lehigh Valley.
50. Ruslan Fedotenko
The Flyers’ last jersey number is that of a veteran player. Fedotenko is better known for wearing number 26 with Philadelphia, but in his first NHL game he wore number 50. The competition for that spot was incredibly weak, so he got the nod, as he would never have gotten the spot wearing number 26.
Main photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
