In Fort Lauderdale Post-Naugle, Hockey Players Encouraged to "Bond" on the Beach

Flickr: Peter Ellis

Traditionally, the Flyers' "team bonding events" involve pummeling men with different jerseys.

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The Philadelphia Flyers just arrived in town to play our Panthers -- on Friday night. That means the team has four days and three nights to kill before they suit up in the BankAtlantic. That is, a couple dozen mostly twentysomething multi-millionaires who play a sport known for hard hits and hard partying, all with nothing but time on their hands.

Sorry, Seminole Hard Rock! The Flyers coaches have decided that this South Florida trip will be for "team bonding events." Philly Inquirer columnist Frank Seravalli explained what that entails in his column yesterday:

The Flyers kicked off a week-long team bonding session yesterday by having a barbecue before watching the Eagles punch Tampa Bay in the mouth. The entire team sat in Section 236 at the Linc, among the Philly faithful.

The Flyers will travel to Fort Lauderdale tonight to begin preparations for Friday's game against the Florida Panthers. Between now and then, they will have a fishing tournament and a regatta-style sailing competition on the Atlantic Ocean to get to know everyone better.

That article is here. Anyway, I don't buy it. Fishing sounds like too mellow a sport for hockey players. I hope the conservationists are watching, because I fear the Flyers are going to go on a murderous safari for actual Florida panthers, in advance of their Friday game.