Impact far-reaching for Flyers' Pronger

CHRIS PRONGER is a man of many talents.

That much is certain in his short time in Philadelphia; he joined the Flyers in a trade with Anaheim on the first day of the NHL draft in June.

From the drop of the puck in the Flyers' first preseason game in Detroit 2 weeks ago, Pronger has added the snarl on the ice that is synonymous with the club's 42-year history. He can move the puck like few other players in the league, has a cannon of a shot and he sacrifices his body like a Secret Service agent.

But to say only that Pronger's on-ice skills as an All-Star defenseman make the Flyers a Stanley Cup contender simply doesn't do him justice.

His domain reaches far beyond the boards and glass that enclose the rink.

Pronger is a people person; he has a way of drawing people to him. With his sense of humor and ability to speak up without being overpowering, he might help the Flyers just as much off the ice as he does on it.

But he isn't the drill sergeant that many thought this team needed when the Flyers dropped home-ice advantage to the Rangers on the final game of last year's regular season before promptly bowing out to Pittsburgh in the first round.

Instead, he brings a cool and confident demeanor to the Flyers.

"He is calm and a very competitive guy, I think that's the first thing that rubs off on other guys," fellow defenseman Braydon Coburn said. "He is fiery. But it's not necessarily a thing you notice when you sit next to him in the locker room. He is a normal guy.

"But he is a winner and he wants to win. He realizes that the only way that's going to happen is if he brings everyone on board and everyone is on the same ship."

Pronger, who will turn 35 in the second week of the season, was brought in to help establish an identity on a team filled with different personalities and styles.

Just like on the ice - when deciding whether to take another player's head off along the boards or patiently waiting for a better shot - Pronger looks at each situation in the locker room uniquely.

"In looking at the makeup of the team," Pronger said, "we are a very young team. We need a steady influence. I try and manage the [locker] room and the ice in a way that exudes confidence. I can't be running around with my head cut off. That doesn't set a very good example.

"It's a way of keeping things under control."

Pronger has learned - from his rookie days skating with Brad McCrimmon in Hartford in 1993 to most recently with Scott Niedermayer in Anaheim - that not every situation during the season needs a shouting match.

"There is a fine line," Pronger said. "I think I can have a subtle and calming influence sometimes. But it can be both vocal and not vocal. Everyone has their own way of preparing - both before the game and in between periods. It's a matter of finding what works for everyone and doing it."

"The leadership is different with each team," said Kimmo Timonen, Pronger's partner on the Flyers' power play. "Chris knows that. He knows how to balance the intensity and the calmness. It's one of those things; there is a time to say things pretty straight and there are times to take it easy."

One thing is for certain, at a menacing 6-6 and 210 pounds, he always commands attention - even without opening his mouth. Flyers captain Mike Richards cannot necessarily say the same thing.

Nonetheless, Pronger is not the captain. That is Richards' role. But Pronger will be one of the associate captains, there to supplement the strides Richards has made.

"Pronger has a presence almost like [Derian] Hatcher had," coach John Stevens said. "When he's here, you know he is here. He's not afraid to have a voice on the ice and in the locker room. He shows up ready to work every day and I think that has a profound impact on your team and the way everyone comes in ready to go."

With the Pronger trade, the expectations for this Flyers team shot through the roof. The Hockey News picked the Flyers to win the Stanley Cup earlier this month.

Consider this: The last two times Pronger has joined a team - in Edmonton in 2005-06 and Anaheim in 2006-07 - the team has gone to the Stanley Cup finals that year. Pronger helped drive that Anaheim team to the Cup.

The Flyers' roster moves have just been made and there is a lot of gelling to do. It might not happen before January. But the Flyers have a lot to learn - and observe - with Pronger teaching.

"We're not out there playing for the runner-up ribbon," said Pronger, who has settled in Haddonfield with his family. "Obviously, the expectations went up. We're here to win. Once we start getting through the season and understand the intangibles that often get overlooked on winning hockey teams, we'll put ourselves in a lot better position.

"We don't want to win the Stanley Cup in October. We want to win it in June." *

For more news and analysis, read Frank Seravalli's blog, Frequent Flyers, at

http://go.philly.com/frequentflyers.