When it comes to future Flyers Hall of Fame inductees, there are arguably five slam-dunk candidates: Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Recchi, Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame member Rick Tocchet, five-time Barry Ashbee Trophy winner and IIHF Hall of Fame inductee Kimmo Timonen, and prolific playoff scorer Danny Briere. Current Flyers captain Claude Giroux will eventually join that group after his playing days.
MELTZER: The Case for Hartnell
Over his seven seasons with the Flyers, Hartnell scored at least 20 goals five times including seasons of 30 and 37 goals
Beyond those six candidates, there is a host of potential honorees for whom a case for inclusion could be made. One such Flyers alum is longtime power forward left winger Scott Hartnell.
A nine-time 20-plus goal scorer in the NHL, Hartnell hit the mark five times in seven years with the Flyers, including seasons of 37 (2011-12) and 30 (2008-09) goals. He topped the 100 penalty minute mark (with a high of 159 in 2007-08) in all but the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
"I think I was a good fit with the Flyers and the Flyers fans. They're very passionate and they let you know how they feel. I think they enjoyed my style, and I loved playing for them," Hartnell said in 2018.
Along with close friend Kimmo Timonen, the Flyers acquired Hartnell from the Nashville Predators on June 18, 2007 in exchange for returning Nashville's own 2007 first-round draft pick that the Flyers originally acquired as part of the trade that sent Peter Forsberg to Nashville several months earlier. The Flyers then signed both Hartnell and Timonen to six-year contracts.
Over his seven seasons with the Flyers, Hartnell scored at least 20 goals five times including seasons of 30 and 37 goals. He reached the 60-point mark three times. Twice, he notched Gordie Howe hat tricks (Jan. 11, 2011 against the Buffalo Sabres and Feb. 9, 2012 against the Toronto Maple Leafs) with one goal, one assist and one fight.
"Hartsy" also showed the ability to gel with linemates of varying styles, although his own style of play rarely varied much from its plow-straight-forward, physically aggressive basis. He was an effective left winger on three different lines that developed strong chemistry; first with Jeff Carter and Joffrey Lupul (2008-09), then with Danny Briere and Ville Leino (2010 playoffs and 2010-11 season) and finally with Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr (Hartnell's career-best 2011-12 season when he was an NHL All-Star Game participant). The gregarious Hartnell was also a fan favorite for much of his stint with the Flyers, and remains a very popular Alum in retirement.
In his 30-goal season of 2008-09, Hartnell mostly played on a line with Carter at center and Lupul on right wing. That year, "Hartsy" achieved 60 points, compiled 143 penalty minutes and was a plus-14. Linemate Carter led the team with 46 goals and 84 points while Lupul posted 25 goals and 50 points.
During the 2010 playoffs, Hartnell was placed with Danny Briere and Ville Leino in a trio that scored at a torrid pace (including eight goals and 17 points for Hartnell) after it was put together. The Flyers came within two wins of the Stanley Cup championship.
Hartnell looks back at the spring of 2010 as his favorite memories of his Flyers career; a magical run that started with a shootout victory to qualify for the playoffs on the final day of the season, continued through an historic second-round comeback from a three games to zero deficit to the Boston Bruins (and a 3-0 deficit within Game 7) and culminated in erasing a two games to zero deficit in the Cup Final against Chicago to draw even in the series.
"So many good times, so many good memories. That would be a highlight of my career, for sure," Hartnell said in 2018.
The Hartnell-Briere-Leino line remained intact for the 2010-11 season. Hartnell posted 24 goals, including 20 at even strength and four on the power play. As he did annually, Hartnell also topped the 100 penalty minute mark (142) the same year. Briere notched 34 goals and Leino added 19.
In 2011-12, Hartnell enjoyed his career year on a line with Giroux and the legendary Jaromir Jagr. Becoming an NHL All-Star for the first time in his career, Hartnell racked up 37 goals (16 on the power play) and 67 points as a member of the Flyers' top line and primary power play unit. Many of his goals were scored from the "bumper spot" from just just inside the left hash marks to the left slot. Hartnell also posted eight points in 11 games during the 2012 playoffs.
During his Flyers' career, Hartnell became a crowd favorite at the Wells Fargo Center. He was also well-liked in the locker room among his teammates.
"He was great to me, particularly my first year," said left winger James van Riemsdyk, who was a rookie on the 2009-10 Flyers team that reached the Stanley Cup Final.
"He was always somebody I could call and rely on to help me out. Different things happen over the course of your career, the course of your life, and he's been a great friend that way."
Scott Laughton was another young Flyers player whom Hartnell helped get acclimated to the NHL, and has always been grateful for the assistance and support.
"My first day here, he invited me to live at his place. He was awesome for me as an 18-year-old coming in and kind of showing me the ropes and cooking and things like that. I owe him a lot for that for taking me under and showing me the way it's supposed to be to be a pro," Laughton said.
Hartnell was selected by his Flyers teammates as the 2011-12 winner of the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Award as the team's most improved player. He earned the Philadelphia media's 2012-13 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award and previously earned the 2008-09 Gene Hart Memorial Award from the Flyers Fan Club.
Hartnell was injured for most of the shortened 2012-13 season, dressing in just 32 of 48 games. He had his fifth and final 20-goal season as a Flyer (seventh time in the NHL) in 2013-14.
After the season, the Flyers traded Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets, reacquiring forward R.J. Umberger. Although he was now in his 30s, Hartnell had seasons of 28 and 23 goals left in him, along with 100-plus penalty minutes, his first two years in Columbus.
Overall for his 1,249-game NHL career, Hartnell recorded 327 goals, 707 points and 1,809 penalty minutes. He scored 20 or more goals nine times. While those are not Hockey Hall of Fame caliber numbers by any stretch, it is worthy of potential inclusion in the Flyers Hall of Fame.
On Dec. 21, 2018, the Flyers honored Hartnell with a special night in which he dropped the ceremonial opening faceoff and, with his young son in his arms, visited his old teammates in the locker room after the game.
"It's just the love that they have for ex-Flyers players," Hartnell said at the time. "It's a special night and I really appreciate the Flyers are doing this for me."
In 2019, Hartnell made an appearance at the Stadium Series at Lincoln Financial Field, receiving a warm ovation and watching his old team down the arch-rival Pittsburgh Penguins; a club with whom Hartnell's Flyers teams had many wars in the playoffs and regular season in the late 2000s to mid 2010s.
Could a Hartnell Hall of Fame night at the Wells Fargo Center follow someday in the future? He might not be the first candidate in line but he's worthy of being in the discussion.
