2012–13 Philadelphia Flyers season


The 2012–13 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 46th season in the National Hockey League. The regular season was reduced from its usual 82 games to 48 due to a lockout. The Flyers missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2007, and only the second time since 1994.

Off-season

The Flyers first roster move of the off-season was trading backup goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to the Columbus Blue Jackets for three draft picks the afternoon prior to the NHL Entry Draft. The Flyers re-signed Michael Leighton, who had spent most of the previous two seasons playing for the Adirondack Phantoms, the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, to a one-year contract on July 1 to replace him. Shortly after day two of the Draft, the Flyers traded James van Riemsdyk to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Luke Schenn, Brayden Schenn's older brother. The trade gave the Flyers their first pair of brothers since Ron and Rich Sutter back in the mid-1980s.
When the free agency period opened on July 1 the Flyers heavily pursued the two most coveted unrestricted free agents on the market, forward Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils and defenseman Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators. The Flyers lost out on both as Parise and Suter signed identical 13-year contracts worth $98 million with the Minnesota Wild on July 4. The Flyers had reportedly offered Parise a contract worth a total of $110 million. As the pursuit of Parise and Suter was occurring, the Flyers lost their two biggest unrestricted free agents, Jaromir Jagr and Matt Carle. Jagr signed a one-year contract worth $4.5 million with the Dallas Stars on July 3. He later said the Flyers requested that he wait while they pursued Parise and Suter, but Jagr did not want to wait and signed with the Stars after Dallas promised him a spot on the top line. Carle signed a six-year contract worth $33 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 4. The Flyers most notable unrestricted free agent signings were former Flyer Ruslan Fedotenko to a one-year, $1.75 million contract and defenseman Bruno Gervais to a two-year, $1.65 million contract.
After failing to land Suter or re-sign Carle, the Flyers signed restricted free agent defenseman Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators to a 14-year offer sheet worth $110 million, $68 million of which was a signing bonus, on July 19. The offer sheet was the richest in NHL history in terms of total money, money per season, and length, surpassing the previous offer sheet record set by Thomas Vanek. The Predators, already having lost Weber's defensive partner Suter to Minnesota, matched the offer sheet five days later. Had the Predators declined to match, they would have received the Flyers' next four first-round draft picks as compensation.
In the weeks leading up to the 2012–13 lockout, the Flyers re-signed wingers Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell to six-year contract extensions. Simmonds extension was worth $23.85 million and Hartnell's $28.5 million.
With team captain Chris Pronger unlikely to return as a result of continuing post-concussion syndrome which has placed his playing career in jeopardy, the Flyers named Claude Giroux team captain on January 15 shortly after the lockout ended.

Regular season

The Flyers started the season 0–3–0, the franchise's worst season start in 17 years.
The Flyers did not qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2006–07 season and only the ninth time in team history.
The Flyers were the most penalized team during the regular season, with 184 power-play opportunities against.

Standings

Schedule and results

Regular season

Player statistics

Scoring

  • Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
  • = Joined team via a transaction during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
  • = Left team via a transaction during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

    Goaltending

  • = Joined team via a transaction during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
  • = Left team via a transaction during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

    Awards and records

Awards

Records

Team

Milestones

PlayerMilestoneReached
1st Career NHL GameJanuary 19, 2013
1st Career NHL GameJanuary 22, 2013
1st Career Goal
1st Career Point
1st Career Assist		January 26, 2013
300th Career GameFebruary 15, 2013
400th Career Game
30th Career Shutout		February 18, 2013
200th Career PointFebruary 20, 2013
400th Career GameFebruary 25, 2013
200th Career WinMarch 2, 2013
100th Career GameMarch 7, 2013
100th Career GameMarch 10, 2013
1,000th Career GameMarch 18, 2013
1st Career NHL GameMarch 30, 2013
1st Career Point
1st Career Assist		April 3, 2013
100th Career GameApril 6, 2013
400th Career GameApril 13, 2013
750th Career Game CoachedApril 15, 2013
1st Career Assist
1st Career Point		April 16, 2013
600th Career GameApril 20, 2013
1st Career GoalApril 23, 2013
1st Career NHL Game
1st Career Point
1st Career Goal		April 27, 2013
200th Career AssistApril 27, 2013
100th Career WinApril 27, 2013

Suspensions and fines

Transactions

The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from June 12, 2012, the day after the deciding game of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 24, 2013, the day of the deciding game of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.

Trades

Signings

Free agency

The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk.
DatePlayerPrevious team TermRef
July 3, 2012Cullen Eddy Adirondack Phantoms 2-year*
July 3, 2012Danny SyvretSt. Louis Blues2-year*
July 5, 2012Ruslan FedotenkoNew York Rangers1-year
July 5, 2012Bruno GervaisTampa Bay Lightning2-year
January 13, 2013Kurtis FosterMinnesota Wild1-year
January 24, 2013Mike KnubleWashington Capitals1-year
March 1, 2013Brandon Alderson Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 3-year*
March 21, 2013Kyle Flanagan St. Lawrence University 1-year*
April 11, 2013Petr Straka Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3-year*
May 31, 2013Maxim Lamarche Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3-year*
May 31, 2013Michael Raffl Leksands IF 1-year*

Internal

The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to entry level contracts. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk.
DatePlayerTermRef
July 1, 2012Michael Leighton1-year
July 3, 2012Mike Testwuide1-year*
July 9, 2012Tom Sestito1-year*
July 12, 2012Ben Holmstrom1-year*
July 24, 2012Harry Zolnierczyk1-year*
July 26, 2012Jakub Voracek4-year
August 8, 2012Marc-Andre Bourdon2-year*
August 8, 2012Scott Laughton 3-year*
August 15, 2012Wayne Simmonds6-year extension
August 20, 2012Scott Hartnell6-year extension
February 7, 2013Kimmo Timonen1-year extension
March 1, 2013Anthony Stolarz 3-year*
March 17, 2013Ben Holmstrom1-year extension*
April 7, 2013Mark Alt 3-year*
April 8, 2013Steve Mason1-year extension
April 17, 2013Zac Rinaldo2-year extension
April 17, 2013Jay Rosehill2-year extension

Waivers

The Flyers were involved in the following waivers transactions.
DatePlayerTeamRef
January 25, 2013Niko Hovinento Edmonton Oilers
March 1, 2013Tom Sestitoto Vancouver Canucks
April 3, 2013Adam Hallfrom Tampa Bay Lightning

Departures

The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk.
DatePlayerNew team ViaRef
June 12, 2012Ian Laperriere—Retirement
July 1, 2012Oskars BartulisHC Donbass Buyout
July 3, 2012Jaromir JagrDallas StarsFree agency
July 4, 2012Matt CarleTampa Bay LightningFree agency
July 22, 2012Jason BacashihuaStraubing Tigers Free agency
July 22, 2012Johan BacklundKärpät Free agency
September 16, 2012Pavel KubinaHC Vítkovice Steel Free agency
N/AAndrew RoweElmira Jackals Free agency
N/ADan Jancevski—Retirement
N/ABlair Betts—Retirement
April 6, 2013Andreas Lilja*Rögle BK Free agency

Draft picks

Philadelphia's picks at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 22–23, 2012. The Flyers traded their originally allotted second, third, and sixth-round picks in three different trades.
RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityTeam Notes
120Scott LaughtonCenterCanadaOshawa Generals
245Anthony StolarzGoaltenderUnited StatesCorpus Christi IceRays
378Shayne GostisbehereDefenseUnited StatesUnion College
4111Fredric LarssonDefenseSwedenBrynas IF Jr
4117Taylor LeierLeft wingCanadaPortland Winterhawks
5141Reece WillcoxDefenseCanadaMerritt Centennials
7201Valeri VasilyevDefenseRussiaМHC Spartak

Farm teams

;American Hockey League – Adirondack Phantoms
; ECHL – Trenton Titans