What Beers Are the Philadelphia Flyers?

Around this time of the year, you can walk into the city of Philadelphia and see everyone dressed in green, beer in hand. It’s the Saint Patrick’s Day celebration and everyone is in the drinking spirit. Usually, that is the feeling. Not this time around with preventive quarantining from the Coronavirus. So, I pose an idea and a toast to all of you missing out on festivities this year.

Grab your favorite frosted mug and pour your favorite adult beverage. If you are a Philadelphia Flyers fan, this is the list for you around this time of the year. It’s time we find out what beer represents each Flyers player. Cheers!

Travis Konecny

Travis Konecny represents a beer that you can drink a lot of all day long. More than likely, the kind of buzz you would receive from a beer representing Konecny is one that makes you chippy with the bartender. It’s all in good fun. The “TK” buzz would also live in the same realm as standing on the bar, “Wooooooo”-ing anyone cheering him on. He is a beer as smooth as him on the ice, which is an All Day IPA (Founders Brewing.)

Sean Couturier

Sean Couturier represents a beer that is tasty no matter the season. Like Couturier, this beer simply “gets the job done” and is a sentimental favorite. It’s a silky, crisp amber, just like “Couts.” The banana notes are as stubborn as Couturier on a forecheck. He is a Banana Bread Beer (Eagle Brewery.)

Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux is an original. He is a beer that you can go way back with and still love to this day. This beer goes great with an orange slice, just like Giroux’s hair. It’s described as an American Pale Wheat, which fits. “Captain Claude” is a Summer Honey Wheat Blue Moon.

Jakub Voracek

Jakub Voracek and Gritty would essentially be the same beer because they’re practically the same entity. This beer is created with 27lbs of wildflower honey. Gritty and Voracek put the wild in wildflower. There is a very elaborate brewing process to make this specific beer, which could be said about “Scoracek” and his productivity this season. This beer strikes with flavor, which is why he is a Tropic Thunder (Vortex Alley Brewing.)

Kevin Hayes

What I love the most about these articles is that Kevin Hayes is the easiest selection each time. The man has his own beer. There is no haze to this decision. This brew slashes through the offensive zone. Hayes is his own, Big Hayes-y 13 (Yards Brewing.)

James van Riemsdyk

James van Riemsdyk is a player with layers. He has been a commodity his entire NHL career, which serves as a reason he is back with the Philadelphia Flyers. He may be one of the more polarizing players on the Flyers roster. A polarizing taste is one of black licorice, which you either love or hate. “JvR” is Risky Business (vandeStreek Bier.)

Derek Grant

Derek Grant came to the Philadelphia Flyers from California. With the Anaheim Ducks, he was playing in the NHL just a stone’s throw away from Disneyland in SoCal. That sounds like easy living. I’ve enjoyed watching Grant just mesh with his teammates. He compliments and doesn’t overpower Kevin Hayes on the penalty kill, which matches the traits of a Greenskeeper Session IPA (Land-Grant Brewing Company.)

Scott Laughton

Scott Laughton has a simple selection as well. This one is easy to drink. It’s as refreshing as Laughton scoring a goal when Brady Tkachuk is on the ice. This brew from Colorado is a 7.6% ABV that can sneak up on the best of people, just like Laughton on goaltenders. This beer shares the namesake, so he is a Laughton (Bradley Brew Project.)

Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Let’s keep it relatively local with this next brew. Nicolas Aube-Kubel can put a puck right by a goaltender just as often as he collides with a body check on an opposing player. In a sense, Aube-Kubel isn’t only strong, but he is smooth on the ice. That’s the same as this Belgian strong dark ale. “NAK” is the Naked Elf (Troegs Independent Brewing.)

Joel Farabee

If I am being completely honest, Joel Farabee is twenty-years-old. No bartender will serve him. That didn’t stop me from drinking before I was 21. I’m going to have to give Farabee the starter pack. “Philly Joel” is a Yuengling Lager.

Tyler Pitlick

In a word, Tyler Pitlick’s play this season has been…sturdy. Smooth in instances where he is carving into the slot with great stick skills. Pitlick has been a nod to Chuck Fletcher making a move in the past offseason to sign a skilled depth forward. You need skilled depth to round out a great team. The Velvet Hammer (Peticolas Brewing) has a sweetness combined with a trace of moderate bitterness to round out the taste.

Michael Raffl

Michael Raffl is a depth forward that has found a place with the Philadelphia Flyers since 2013. He might not be a player to write home about, but he performs at a high level every so often. Raffl serves more as an anchor on the deeper forward lines. His beer will probably feel more like an anchor in your belly after you drink it because it’s a heavy brew. He is a Raffi (Tilted Barn Brewery) oatmeal stout.

Nate Thompson

Nate Thompson is proof that the enforcer is still a very real role in the NHL. He is a physical player before anything finesse. Thompson does his part to bring back the Broadstreet Bully vibe. It’s fitting that he and Derek Grant were acquired at the NHL Trade Deadline by the Philadelphia Flyers and will be represented by the same brewery. He is a Goon (Land-Grant Brewing.)

Ivan Provorov

As one of the shining stars on the Philadelphia Flyers defense, Ivan Provorov deserves a gold-standard beer. In the world of beers, Provorov is a golden ale. Serve in a stemmed beer glass because, like “Provy”, this is one to behold. The appearance of the beer when bottled doesn’t do it justice. Provorov is an Agent Provocateur (Brasserie Craig Allan Brewery.)

Matt Niskanen

Here is another easy pick. Matt Niskanen came to the Philadelphia Flyers and his former team picked up Radko Gudas. The Flyers won that exchange and we love to see it. I appreciate Gudas, but Niskanen won these bragging rights. Yes, I declare that “Nisky” is a Radko (Yards Brewing.)

Travis Sanheim

Another easy one. It almost rolls right off the tongue. Travis Sanheim…Sanheim…”Sanheineken.” Yes, I realize the beer is awful, unlike Sanheim. Regardless, he’s a Heineken.

Justin Braun

Justin Braun is not a flashy player. He sticks to his fundamentals and plays inside his comfort zone. That’s fine because he never is doing too much extra to throw off his game. That’s the same for this beer that was the original seasonal for this brewery since 1995. Braun is a Lagunitas IPA.

Robert Hagg

Robert Hagg is the exception to the list. He isn’t a beer. He is a hard liquor that hits harder on the ice. It’s perfect for Hagg. “Ironman Hagg” is Jagermeister.

Shayne Gostisbehere

This season has been tough on Shayne Gostisbehere and some Philadelphia Flyers fans began to sour on him. He went from sweet in 2017 to sour in just a couple years. It’s fitting for the beer I’ve selected for Gostisbehere. He is the only sour beer on this entire list. “Ghost Bear” is a Gose (Westbrook Brewing.)

Carter Hart

Carter Hart is clearly a smooth, crisp finished beer. For someone his age, that is a rather developed palette for beer. This beer has been revered for its quality and so has Hart on home ice in the 2019-2020 season. A beer like this “hits the spot” just like quality goaltending in Philadelphia. He is a Razor Back (Ringwood Brewery.)

Brian Elliott

Lastly, we have matured taste. Brian Elliott deserves an everyman’s beer. Brown ale has a lasting flavor and a smooth finish. Elliott has a long-lasting NHL career as a goaltender and is still smooth on the road. Fittingly, “Moose” is a Moose Drool Brown Ale (Big Sky Brewing.)

Are there any other beers that you would compare our 2019-2020 Philadelphia Flyers to? Comment below with your answers and I might even tweet about it @EricReesePSN. Give me a follow on Twitter and @PhiladelphiaSN for more sports content.