The Flyers locker room has been a close-knit group over the past few seasons. A significant factor in this closeness was the presence of Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, who were drafted into the Flyers organization in 2017.
Flyers trade fallout
Following the Flyers’ 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday night, it was announced that Frost and Farabee were traded to the Calgary Flames. In return, the Flyers received forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier, a second-round draft pick for the 2025 draft, and a seventh-round draft pick for the 2028 draft. The Flyers had an off day on Friday. The team took the ice Saturday morning without their former teammates and friends.
Some of Farabee and Frost’s best friends on the team were Cam York and Bobby Brink. Sitting next to York, Brink went first to talk about his thoughts regarding the trade:
“It’s sad seeing two of your good buddies go. They were great guys, and they’ll be friends for life for both of us (York). It’s the bad part of the business, but it’s the reality of it. We’re not the first guys to have friends traded. You must attend work the next day and welcome your new teammates because we’re bringing in two good guys (Kuzmenko and Pelletier). That’s the way it goes.”
York touched on what this trade meant for him losing his best friends, “I’m pretty devastated. Two very well-liked guys in the locker room. Some of your best friends are gone just like that. It hurts for sure, but they will kill it in Calgary. They’ll make that team a lot better, which hurts to say, but it’s true.”
In hockey, a lot, if not most, players are on multiple teams throughout their careers. One of the veterans on the team, Garnet Hathaway, spoke candidly about what took place, “I think the timeline of everything, it happened at a weird time. We had a scheduled day off yesterday, so it was nice to get everyone back together. It feels like something is missing right now, and it might for a little bit.” Hathaway continued, “They were cool off the ice and will be missed. It’s tough right now. The business side of things kicks in, and you have faith that the vision that’s set up to help us succeed is up to the line.”
Hathaway, who has been a leader on the Flyers since he joined the team last season, and a former Calgary Flame himself. touched on the message to Kuzmenko and Pelletier on what it’s like to be traded.
“I’ve been traded. It’s an absolute whirlwind. That’s the first word that comes to my head. As quickly as we can help them acclimate, they will focus on their hockey. That’s where they’re most valuable to the team and its success.”
There’s no doubt a bond in the locker room, and Hathaway attested to that:
“Hey, we have a special group in here. When I arrived in my first year, you could tell with the characters we have here how welcoming they are and how much respect is in this room.”
Finally, Hathaway wanted it to be known that they (Flyers) were not looking for Kuzmenko and Pelletier to replace Farabee and Frost. He wants them to be themselves, and they’ll fit right in.
Another player who knows about trades is defenseman Jamie Drysdale. In January 2024, he was traded from Anaheim to Philadelphia for Cutter Gauthier.
Drysdale stated how he was going to miss both Farabee and Frost. However, Drysdale’s leadership became apparent with how he reached out to Kuzmenko and Pelletier via text to welcome them to the team, “I know what it’s like to be the new guy coming in, so you want to welcome them with open arms and looking forward to meeting the new guys and showing them what it’s like to be here, it’s a great spot to be”.
Over a year later, Drysdale reflected on what being traded is like, “I would put it as in the most typical way possible hockey is the least stressful part of it. When you’re at the rink and around guys, at least for me when I came here, coming to the rink was awesome. The guys are fantastic, the coaches are great, and the organization is excellent. That was the easy part; it’s when you go home and the social media aspect of it and just the outside noise, the new city, the new spot, and just the outside things that affect you.”
The locker room wasn’t as upbeat as it usually is after practice. The Flyers have a game against the Avalanche tomorrow at 3PM EST, and Flyers’ general manager Danny Briere thinks that Kuzmenko and Pelletier won’t be able to play due to visa issues. The nature of the game can be challenging occasionally, but the players seem optimistic about their plans for the future to better this team.
Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images
