3 storylines as Flyers look to get some revenge on Flames

The Flyers are finally back home, and they’ll look for some revenge at the Wells Fargo Center Tuesday night on a team who they lost 4-0 to on October 30, the Calgary Flames.

Here’s three storylines:

Ellis back on IR, gone for longer period of time

In his return to the lineup last Saturday, Ryan Ellis suffered a reinjury with his lingering lower-body issue that held him out for three weeks. He was placed on injured reserve Tuesday and is considered week-to-week as he undergoes further evaluation.

Ellis’ injury appears to be to the hip/groin area. The 30-year-old defensemen missed nine games before returning in the Flyers’ 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars.

Is surgery a possibility for Ellis?

“I don’t know,” Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said Tuesday after the Flyers’ optional morning skate. “We’re in the evaluation process here. He’s seeing a doctor today and he’s seeing one tomorrow. Until we get some results here off their findings, I won’t have anything for you for a couple of days.”

Vigneault was asked if Ellis perhaps rushed back to play.

“I don’t think so,” the said. “He was cleared by our medical staff, he wanted to play. These are things that happen sometimes; it’s unfortunate, but now we have to deal with it and we’ll see what happens.”

Though losing one, Flyers regain a blueliner

The Flyers will deal with it by turning right back to seventh defenseman Nick Seeler.

Seeler has been solid, having played 11 games already. He has qualities that teams value in their depth on the back end: good skater and plays the body when the time calls for it.

“I’ve really liked this young man, a young man that basically didn’t play hockey last year and comes here this year with a real strong training camp, caught our attention with his skating ability, the fact that he comes in and plays hard,” Vigneault said. “For us, when I was looking at the competition that was going through camp for that seventh spot, he definitely caught our attention. And like I mentioned at training camp, your seventh defenseman is going to play 50, 60 games just by how things unfold during a season. He’s been good for us.”

Seeler was drafted in 2011 by Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher and assistant general manager Brent Flahr when they were with the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year-old didn’t play in 2020-21, which led to an uncertain offseason. The Flyers signed him to a one-year, $750,000 contract.

“That was difficult and challenging, but my mindset and perspective on just hockey in general and being able to just trust in that process and rely on my faith has been huge,” Seeler said Tuesday. “Relying on that has helped me a ton and just controlling what I can has been really important to me. I’ve had a ton of support along the way, which has helped, too.

“Just trusting in the plan for me. Being that depth guy, you need to stay ready and be prepared to play at any time’s notice. This is one of those instances and that’s part of my job — just to be ready and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

Hall of fame ceremony for 2 Flyers legends

Rick Tocchet and Paul Holmgren were voted in by a committee made up of members from the Flyers Hall of Fame, Flyers alumni, the front office, broadcasters, and the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

“It’s so well-deserved,” Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO and Flyers governor Dave Scott said. “They belong in the Flyers Hall of Fame, it’s really an exclusive club. When you look at it, we have 25 people in, over 33 years, so it’s been very selective. They’re joining an elite group of people from Bernie Parent, Billy Barber, Bobby Clarke and many, many others. I’m excited about what’s coming up here on Nov. 16.”

While he may not view himself as one, Holmgren is a franchise icon. He has 40-plus years in the organization, serving the Flyers as a player, president, general manager, senior advisor (his current role), assistant general manager, head coach, assistant coach, and director of pro scouting. Holmgren played 500 career games for the Flyers and 67 in the playoffs. He owns the Flyers’ second-most all-time penalty minutes (1,600), behind only Tocchet (1,815).

After he’s enshrined in the Flyers Hall of Fame during November, Holmgren will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on December 9 in Denver.

Holmgren was a head coach and assistant coach of Tocchet during the winger’s early years with the Flyers.

Tocchet won a Stanley Cup in his playing career with the Pittsburgh Penguins and twice more in Pittsburgh as an assistant coach. But he is highly regarded by many as a Flyer. In his time in the City of Brotherly Love, he twice ran into the Edmonton Oilers’ dynasty. Tocchet and the Flyers lost to Edmonton in the Cup Final during 1985 and 1987.

Tocchet went on to play 95 postseason games for the Flyers. He ranks 10th all-time in the franchise’s playoff history with 27 goals and 60 points.

The ceremony begins at 6:30pm ET.