Whether the record is naughty or nice, the Flyers blessed the fanbase with core holiday memories. On the ice, this could include a big win. Off the ice, a youngster might have received a Santa Sack, or if you recall, Steve Coates and his beloved ‘Coatesy’s Corner’ segment.
After opening gifts, competing in the ‘feats of strength,’ ordering Chinese food, playing pond hockey, or whatever tradition you prefer during the holiday season, Flyers Nation would like to take a trip down memory lane. Here are a handful of core Philadelphia hockey memories worth unwrapping, unboxing, and hanging in the Louvre.
“Little Refrigerator”
Coates brought a ton of joy to the Flyers. Frankly, he kept spirits light with ‘Coatesy’s Corner’ between 1999 and 2011. The segment was officially retired at the end of the 2010-2011 season, the last time Philadelphia secured the division.
However, Christmas Eve of 2023 revisited ‘Coatesy’s Corner.’ After 43 seasons, Coates retired from the Flyers organization. Before his retirement, Todd Fedoruk, or ‘Little Refrigerator,’ joined Coates for the final installment of ‘Coatesy’s Corner.’ He helped ‘Santa Coatesy.’
It is the same idea. Coates nailed it with another edition of ‘Coatesy’s Corner,’ but this featured Sergei Bobrovsky.
Bobrovsky shared his time in the 2010-2011 season with Brian Boucher and Michael Leighton. The running joke during this episode is that after every question Coates asked Bobrovsky, Bobrovsky answered with, “Bob.” It was wholesome, and despite the language barrier, Bobrovsky shined with a winning personality alongside Coates.
The 2010-2011 season ended two eras: Bobrovsky as a starter in Philadelphia and ‘Coatesy’s Corner.’
Coates always took on the Santa Claus role. Whether he was ‘Santa Coatesy’ or ‘Coatesy Claus,’ he committed to the bit. In this episode, former Flyers, like Michael Raffl, Michael Del Zotto, Claude Giroux, Jakub Voráček, and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare visit ‘Coatesy Claus.’
A classic moment from this episode is the interaction between Coates and Voráček, resulting in a comedy masterclass.
“Hartsy Christmas Eve Dinner”
Scott Hartnell features Giroux, Brayden Schenn, and Matt Read to help with dinner, including a Caesar salad, grilled asparagus, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed shrimp, and grilled steak. Feel free to replicate this feast.
Giroux and Read battled in an intense game of table tennis. In the video, Giroux took the lead, 7-6. I assume Giroux won because Read added an entire stick of butter to the sautéed shrimp, which is insane behavior. However, I do not doubt the dinner was incredible.
These team bonding experiences lend a heartfelt glimpse into the camaraderie between teammates.
“Raffl and Voráček Wrap Gifts”
Voráček and Raffl were outed by their teammates.
The question was simple: Who is the worst gift-wrapper? Zac Rinaldo, Chris VandeVelde, and Sean Couturier outed Raffl. Giroux, Luke Schenn, and Steve Mason all roasted Voráček.
Raffl and Voráček each wrapped a gift. Admittedly, Voráček seemed more committed to silencing his critics, while Raffl embodied the Tasmanian Devil from ‘Looney Tunes.’
Gritty was in an advertisement for the Flyers’ Santa Sack in 2018. It was his first Christmas.
In 2018, the Flyers Santa Sack featured a Gritty ornament, a signed puck, and a pair of tickets to a Flyers and Philadelphia Wings game. That gift could inspire a long-term hockey and lacrosse fandom in Philadelphia. I remember the first Flyers Santa Sack I received, featuring a puck signed by Chris Therien in the early 2000s.
“The Night Before Christmas”
For the last moment down memory lane, I offer a gift I ‘unwrapped.’
Before my time, the 1984 Flyers team read ‘The Night Before Christmas.’ The players who took turns reading lines from this all-time Christmas story include Bill Barber, Mark Howe, Dave Poulin, Tim Kerr, Doug Crossman, Rick Tocchet, Brad Marsh, Brad McCrimmon, Mike Keenan, Brian Propp, Pelle Lindbergh, Murray Craven, Dave Brown, Peter Zezel, and Bob Clarke. It was an iconic list of players who set a standard and foundation for hockey in Philadelphia.
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