After a tumultuous season, the Philadelphia Flyers held their annual breakup day, which took place over two days. While most players spoke to the media, one missing player was defenseman Egor Zamula.
Flyers’ Egor Zamula absent from breakup day
It was confirmed that the defenseman was in the building because he was in a meeting with Flyers general manager Danny Briere. When I asked Briere about Zamula’s absence, Briere stated that he was healthy and didn’t know why he wasn’t speaking to the media. The GM said, “I’m not sure why. I just talked with him (Zamula). He was in a good place mentality.” He said that Zamula knows what he has to do with pushing harder. Briere also stated that Zamula, an NHL defenseman, can’t stay complacent.
Fortunately, unaware of Zamula’s media day absence, I did a somewhat exit interview with the defenseman after practice a few weeks back. At the beginning of the season, I spoke with Zamula about his goals for the season. One of the main focus points of the talk was about more russian hockey players playing in the NHL.
Q: What does it mean to have a player such as Ovechkin break a record and impact the Russian community?
Zamula: “I’m happy to be in the league with him (Ovechkin) and play against him. I am happy to see how he works. I’m happy we have a Russian player like that because when you grow up, you always watch the Washington, Pittsburgh, and Detroit games, cheering for the Russian players. The Country is celebrating today, and it’s so fun to watch.”
Q: Is there anything you did this season that you’re proud of despite the outcome of the team not making the playoffs?
Zamula: “I’m proud of my teammates because we never gave up no matter what. Sometimes, we have a streak, but we try to help one another stay together and win the games.”
Q: How is the locker room after all the changes this season?
Zamula: “It’s a big positive that we have such a good locker room and friendly friends here. It’s a big family.”
While Zamula didn’t speak after the season was complete, it’s at least a positive that the Flyers locker room has been at least the one positive outcome of the season.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
