Trisha Shetty (Editor)

2003–04 Philadelphia Flyers season

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Division
  
1st Atlantic

2003–04 record
  
40–21–15–6

Road record
  
16–10–12–3

Conference
  
3rd Eastern

Home record
  
24–11–3–3

Goals for
  
229

The 2003–04 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 37th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers reached the Eastern Conference Finals but lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Contents

Regular season

Free-agent goaltender Jeff Hackett was signed from the Boston Bruins to replace Roman Cechmanek and challenge backup Robert Esche for the number one spot in 2003–04, but Hackett was forced to retire in February due to vertigo. During the course of the season, serious injuries suffered by both Jeremy Roenick (broken jaw) and Keith Primeau (concussion) in February forced the Flyers to trade for the Chicago Blackhawks' Alexei Zhamnov, who filled in well and kept the Flyers afloat. Esche entrenched himself as starter and remained in that position even after the Flyers re-acquired Sean Burke from the Phoenix Coyotes, as the Flyers clinched the Atlantic Division title over the New Jersey Devils on the last day of the season.

Season standings

Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast

Z- Clinched Conference; Y- Clinched Division; X- Clinched Playoff spot

Playoffs

Though solid in net, Esche's performance was over-shadowed by the play of captain Keith Primeau in the playoffs. Primeau led the Flyers past the defending Stanley Cup champion Devils in five, and the Toronto Maple Leafs in six on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and a match-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite winning Game 6 on the late-game heroics of Primeau and winger Simon Gagne, the Flyers would come up short once again losing Game 7 in Tampa, 2–1.

Skaters

  • Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
  • = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
  • = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

    • Goaltenders

  • = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
  • = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.

    • Records

  •   *  NHL record
  •  **  Tied for NHL record

    • Transactions

    The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from June 10, 2003, the day after the deciding game of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 7, 2004, the day of the deciding game of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.

    Trades

    Trade notes
  • a Condition not met.

    • Free agency

    The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).

    Re-signed

    The following players were re-signed by the Flyers. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).

    Entry level contracts

    The following players — Flyers draft picks, undrafted free agents, and the unsigned draft picks of other teams — were signed by the Flyers to entry level contracts.

    NHL Waiver Draft

    The 2003 NHL Waiver Draft was held on October 3, 2003. Each NHL team placed 18 skaters and 2 goaltenders on a protected list from which the other teams could not select. First-year professional players were exempt.

    The Flyers protected the following players: goaltenders Robert Esche and Jeff Hackett, defensemen Eric Desjardins, Kim Johnsson, Marcus Ragnarsson, John Slaney, and Eric Weinrich, and forwards Tony Amonte, Donald Brashear, Eric Chouinard, Todd Fedoruk, Simon Gagne, Michal Handzus, Sami Kapanen, Claude Lapointe, John LeClair, Keith Primeau, Mark Recchi, Jeremy Roenick, and Justin Williams.

    The Flyers left the following players unprotected: goaltender Neil Little, defenseman Chris Therien, and forwards Boyd Kane, Kirby Law, Ian MacNeil, Mark Murphy, Mike Peluso, Andre Savage, Mike Siklenka, Pete Vandermeer, and Peter White.

    Waivers

    The Flyers were involved in the following waivers transactions.

    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 (*).

    Draft picks

    Philadelphia's picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nasvhille, Tennessee, on June 21–22, 2003.

    Draft notes
  • a The Phoenix Coyotes' first-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as a result of a July 1, 2001 trade that sent Daymond Langkow to the Coyotes in exchange for a 2002 second-round pick and this pick.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers' second-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a January 29, 2003 trade that sent Eric Chouinard to the Flyers in exchange for this pick.
  • b The Carolina Hurricanes' third-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as a result of a June 22, 2002 trade that sent a 2002 third-round pick to the Hurricanes in exchange for a 2002 sixth-round pick and this pick.
  • c The New York Rangers' third-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as a result of an August 20, 2001 trade that sent Eric Lindros to the Rangers in exchange for Kim Johnsson, Pavel Brendl, Jan Hlavac and this pick.
  • d Compensatory pick received from NHL as compensation for Group III free agent Adam Oates.
  • e The Edmonton Oilers' third-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as a result of a June 18, 2002 trade that sent Jiri Dopita to the Oilers in exchange for this pick.
  • f Compensatory pick received from NHL as compensation for Group III free agent Luke Richardson.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers' fourth-round pick went to the Los Angeles Kings as the result of a March 1, 2003 trade that sent Dmitri Yushkevich to the Flyers in exchange for a 2004 seventh-round pick and this pick.
  • g The Columbus Blue Jackets' fifth-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as a result of a June 23, 2002 trade that sent a 2002 sixth round pick and a 2002 seventh round pick to the Blue Jackets in exchange for this pick.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers' fifth-round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of a March 9, 2003 trade that sent Claude Lapointe to the Flyers in exchange for this pick.
  • h The Colorado Avalanche's sixth-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as a result of a February 5, 2003 trade that sent Chris McAllister to the Avalanche in exchange for this pick.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers' seventh-round pick went to the Florida Panthers as the result of a June 22, 2003 trade that sent a 2004 sixth-round pick to the Flyers in exchange for this pick.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers' eighth and ninth-round picks went to the Tampa Bay Lightning as the result of a June 22, 2003 trade that sent 2004 seventh and ninth-round picks to the Flyers in exchange for these picks.

    • Farm teams

    The Flyers were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL and the Trenton Titans of the ECHL.

    References

    2003–04 Philadelphia Flyers season Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA