
VOORHEES, N.J. – Hockey locker rooms are a lot like offices, only the personnel are seated a lot closer together.
This intimate setting can provide the foundation for a lot of solid friendships, some which last a lifetime.
So that’s why it’s tough emotionally when two veteran players are suddenly traded away, as the Flyers’ Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee were late Thursday night.
While the new players coming in from Calgary – Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier – will be welcomed with open arms, it’s going to take some time for the Flyers to get used to not having Farabee and Frost around.
That said, the Flyers know professional ice hockey is a business and money plays a big part in every single player’s future.
And any player can be traded. Just ask Wayne Gretzky.
“It’s tough,” said Scott Laughton after Saturday’s practice at the Flyers Training Center. “They are probably my two best friends on the team. Any time you lose two really good guys from the room, I think it’s really tough.”
Indeed. After a scheduled Friday off, the Flyers took to the ice to get ready for Sunday’s game at Colorado. There didn’t appear to be too many smiles or kidding around.
“We probably won’t get over it for a little bit,” Laughton said. “They were two guys who grew up in this organization that I thought brought a lot of value.”
Most of the Flyers knew there were roster moves coming. They’ve played inconsistent hockey all season, currently have a record of below .500 and are well out of the playoff picture.
“I guess this is the business of it,” Laughton said. “When you don’t provide results, that’s what happens. I wish them all the best.”
Defenseman Travis Sanheim has been with the organization since he was selected 17th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft.
He made it a point to hit a Philadelphia nightspot with Farabee and Frost after the game on Thursday night to wish his friends well as their careers go on in a different city.
“It’s an unfortunate part of the business,” Sanheim said. “I really think they’re going to do great things in Calgary. They’re both young players who have a lot to still do. I think their games are going to grow and get better. I’m pushing for them. I’ll be watching their game tonight (at home against Detroit). Cheering for them.”
The last meeting in downtown Philly had to be an emotional one.
“I wanted to make sure I saw both of them before they took off,” Sanheim said. “Losing two good friends. Just going through some stories. Having some fun. Saying goodbye is the tough part.”
Garnet Hathaway dressed in the locker right next to Frost’s (and Farabee was one more locker over). The 33-year-old Hathaway was sort of a mentor to the 25-year-old Frost, who had been with the Flyers organization since he was a first-round draft pick (27th overall) back in 2017.
Hathaway has been traded only once in his career but he knows it can be a painful experience. Yet, in the back of every player’s mind, they know this day could be coming.
“It’s the National Hockey League,” Hathaway said. “Sometimes the lines blur between fun and games in a business. I think that’s when you’re at your best. You’re really enjoying every part of it. That leads to success and confidence, camaraderie.
“I think a day like today snaps you back into reality. There is a reason the trade happened. And we have faith in this room that it’s leading us to the road we want to be on.”
For the moment, this sort of roster shakeup kind of stings, according to Hathaway.
“I was in this tight little corner with them,” he said. “Today was a lot different. They’re going to be really missed. I just hope they take full advantage of the situation they’re in.”
>Kuzmenko questionable for
The Flyers begin a two-game road trip in Colorado on Sunday afternoon and due to immigration issues, both Kuzmenko and Pelletier probably won’t be in the lineup for at least the Avalanche game, if not both.
Coach John Tortorella told media on Saturday morning he understands how the transaction might have an emotional impact on his team for the near future.
“We move forward,” the coach said. “The roster is changed because they (Frost, Farabee) are not on it. There’s always a human side to this. I like the two guys. But this is part of the game; I think everybody knows that.”
Both players have been in and out of Tortorella’s doghouse in recent seasons but it was always business, nothing personal.
“I talked to Joel, ‘Frosty’ wasn’t there after the game,” Tortorella said. “Only talked for a minute. There was a lot of emotion for Joel. Talked to both by phone yesterday. It’s hard. The players have to uproot their families.”
Tortorella acknowledged this move was made for the future, that it’s part of the rebuild.
But no one is raising a white flag just yet.
“There should never be a thought in our heads ‘is that it? Do we stop playing?’ First, those guys just play,” Tortorella said. “As much as they will miss those guys, it’s a tight room. It hurts some guys. But we’re pros. You come into work every day, do the best you can and see where it goes.”