Where is Pronger?
Daily News Flyers blog
Where is Pronger?
A Flyers spokesman said yesterday that captain Chris Pronger was not in attendance at the team’s Winter Classic festivities over the past week.
That got us thinking... Where has Pronger been?
Pronger, 37, has been sidelined since Nov. 19 with post-concussion symptoms.
But Pronger has yet to speak publicly since 2 Pittsburgh-area concussion experts advised him on Dec. 15 to sit out for the balance of the regular season and playoffs.
Pronger did not participate in the team’s family activities after practice on Saturday at the ballpark. He has not been spotted at the team's practice facility recently. Most visibly, alternate captain and elder statesman Kimmo Timonen took Monday’s ceremonial puck drop in Pronger’s place at the Classic.
There are usually two types of injured players: ones that consistently hang around the team to provide moral support and ones who think it's best to stay away and let the active players do their thing. It has been interesting to figure out which role Pronger, the team's vocal captain, would choose. It is, of course, impossible to maintain a pertinent role if you're not in the lineup or even in the locker room.
At this point, it remains unclear whether the Flyers have had any internal discussions about naming a possible replacement captain in Pronger's absence. So far, they haven't needed to. Pronger was named the 18th captain in team history on Sept. 16 but he has played just 13 of a possibly 37 games this season.
Without him, Danny Briere, Timonen and Claude Giroux have picked up the slack with "A's" on their jerseys.
TWEET OF THE YEAR? Ilya Bryzgalov has posted consistently hilarious streams of consciousness on his personal Twitter account (@bryzgoalie30), but few were as good as his tweet late Wednesday night when Russia hung on to a 5-0 lead to outlast Canada, 6-5, in the semifinals of the World Junior Championships in Calgary:
"Why Canadians so aggressive on twitter," Bryzgalov asked.
Bryzgalov also tweeted that "Both Russian goalies is brilliant great generation," but he must have missed the third period.
BROTHERLY LOVE: Up north in Toronto, Maple Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn said his younger brother, Brayden, predicted that he would score his first NHL goal in the Winter Classic.
“The night before the game he told me he was going to score,” Luke Schenn told the Canadian Press yesterday. “He told me he was due and figured there was no better time to get it. I was watching the game actually by myself and kind of had a little celebration -- just a fist pump. I think it's even more special seeing my brother getting his first NHL goal than it was for myself. I couldn’t be more happy for him.”
IMPRESSIVE LONGEVITY: Just 57 days after being hired by the Blues, former Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock is now the longest-tenured coach in St. Louis professional sports.
Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa retired after winning the World Series in October. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo was canned on Monday. The Blues are 15-5-5 since ‘Hitch’ was hired on Nov. 6. Hard to believe, Harry.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
[subhead] Stat watch
Just 57 days after being hired by the Blues, former Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock is now the longest-tenured coach in St. Louis professional sports. Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa retired after winning the World Series in October. Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo was canned on Monday. The Blues are 15-5-5 since ‘Hitch’ was hired on Nov. 6. Hard to believe, Harry.
Maybe Bryzgalov should spend a little more time figuring out his game and less time Tweeting.
I think Pronger is smart to stay out of the limelight. Let the players that are active have the spotlight. Besides, it's got to be depressing not to be able to play. Give him a break.— NYluvsPhylers- Prongs has been hanging with bud Timmy Panotch down on the town.— Romus
- Considering he's reportedly dealing with loss of memory, severe nausea, dizziness, lack of coordination and other issues, he's probably at home.— JSaq
Comment removed.- Why is there such a rush to put a C on someone's sweater? Until it is determined that he will no longer be with the team permanently, its a bit disrespectful to strip the C from Pronger just because he is hurt. I am willing to bet the players are refusing to take a C on out of respect.
Also, it is best for him to stay away from the rink - if he is not involved day to day, his words are not relevant and could cause conflict within the room. I am sure that a few of the guys are in touch with him (text, call) as any friend would be if they were hurt. Plus its gotta be tough on Pronger to show up at the rink but not be permitted to do anything. Best he spend some qt with the family. - Pronger is sitting on a warm beach spending each day counting his stolen cash.— kelprod2
- The guy is hurt pretty bad, so you think he owes you clowns a press conference so you can pester him about a condition he has no control over and then just call him names like 'capt warmth', etc. Grow up.— spittooncj
- Bryzgalov has already ascended to the title of most annoying philadelphia athlete, supplanting andre igoudala, and also previously held by brett myers and of course the most annoying dude of all time, donovan mcnabb.— CosmoK
a good friend of mine who coaches a former Flyers' son was told by that former Flyer that Pronger can't even drive a car right now as his symptoms are that bad.- yeah?
well my sister knows a guy who has a cousin whose mother's dermatologist had a patient who knew a guy that pumped gas into a car that was once driven by a guy who saw Pronger play once on TV, and he says that it was a pretty good game.— ekw555 - I got a good source close to pronger, not the flyers, that told me he is retiring after the season. That he has already told the team, but will wait until the end of the season to announce it publicly. He said "Its not good, not good at all". I guess he isn't even hanging around the team anymore....— azguz
- Pronger is probably at home and doing nothing - Exactly where he should be and doing exactly what he should be under the circumstances. He owes nothing to the fans and we fans don't care if the press hasn't been able to talk to him.— mikegdj
- My best friend's sister is the hairdresser to a guy who steamcleans the carpets of a guy who lives 3 houses down from Ilkka Sinisalo and he says that Pronger is at home with his wife and kids.— MikeWizowski
