Hathaway: "I want to be here when the plan really takes off"

Recently signed to a two-year contract extension through the 2026-27 season, veteran Flyers checking forward Garnet Hathaway spoke to local media via Zoom to discuss his new deal. Currently, the Flyers roster projects to be the second youngest by average age in the National Hockey League.

The elder statesmen on the roster are 32-year-old right wing Hathaway, 33-year-old rugged winger Nicolas Deslauriers and 36-year-old defenseman Erik Johnson. 

Hathaway will turn 35 a few months prior to the expiration of his contract. The extension will kick in for the 2025-26 season, carrying a $2.4 million average annual value (AAV). His current AAV is $2.37 million.

Hathaway said the No. 1 reason why he wants to spend not just the 2024-25 season with the Flyers but also the two seasons thereafter is that he believes, within that time period, the team can start coming out of the rebuilding phase and emerge as more of a legitimate threat to make noise in the Eastern Conference.

"I want to be here when their plan really continues to take off and you see us be more successful than we have been," Hathaway said.

The player dismissed any concerns that his age and aggressive physical style could reduce his effectiveness as he reaches his mid-30s. Hathaway, who dressed in all 82 games in 2023-24 (one of just four Flyers players to do so), keeps himself in excellent physical condition and has no plans to change his style. Hathaway's 326 credited hits last season ranked second in the NHL.

Hathaway's game is not a mystery to anyone: not himself, his coaches, teammates or opponents. He understands that the Flyers are banking on him remaining the same forechecking force, penalty kill contributor, on-ice agitator and off-ice locker room presence.

"I want to live up to how the organization sees me and the role I play for this team, I want to be there for them," Hathaway said.

Hathaway spent most of the 2023-24 campaign with Ryan Poehling as his center. Early in the season, they played on the fourth line with Deslauriers: the "PHD Line". Later in the season, Poehling and Hathaway moved up together to third-line and even sometimes second-line usage at 5-on-5. They often played with Tyson Foerster when elevated in the lineup during the latter part of the season.

For Hathaway's part, he hopes that he and Poehling remain together as linemates next season.

"I think we complement each other," Hathaway said. "He's got that speed, that skill, that vision and then his awareness on the D-side of the puck. I think he's really good."