The second of three retirement celebrations continues tonight for the Flyers, as they will pay tribute to Danny Briere prior to tonight's game against Buffalo.
Briere, as you've most definitely heard by now, retired this summer after a 923-game NHL career, where he spent six of his seasons with the Orange and Black. Fittingly, his celebration comes against the Sabres team that he spent four years with before coming to Philadelphia.
As a Flyer, Briere scored 124 goals and 283 points in 364 games, after signing a ballyhooed eight-year, $52 million contract when free agency opened in 2007. His joined the Flyers after what was their worst season in franchise history, and was a key cog in their return to the playoffs (where they fell short in the Eastern Conference Final).
Briere truly endeared himself to Flyers fans once the pages of the calendar turned to April, as he scored 37 goals and 72 points in 68 playoff games. His 'Mr. Playoffs' moniker was well-earned, and he was always a scoring threat in the most important time of the year.
But where does Briere rank among the greats that represented the Orange and Black?
In his six seasons as a Flyer, Briere played in 364 games. That's a number that has been eclipsed by the likes of Terry Carkner (376), Luke Richardson (387) and Doug Crossman (392), just to name a few.
Of Briere's various accomplishments as a Flyer, one thing he had not done (as hard to believe as it may seem) was play a full 82-game season. His second season here was marred by abdominal and groin injuries, leading to just 29 games played (despite this, he still managed 11 goals and 25 points). Aside from that, Briere still played in at least 70 games a season — save for the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, where he played 34 games — and was still largely productive when healthy.
Statistically, Briere doesn't rank as an all-time great Flyer, either. He is nowhere near any top-10 lists in franchise history, save for hat tricks (he scored three hat tricks as a Flyer, tied with teammate Simon Gagne for seventh in team history).
Playoffs, on the other hand, are a different story, as his 72 points rank him sixth in franchise history. His 37 goals rank him at seventh,. Something else that may seem hard to believe is that 'Mr. Playoffs' scored just one playoff overtime goal in his time here, but that does not diminish what he was able to do once the calendar turned to April.
Briere was a terrific talent to watch during his time in Philadelphia, even though his stats don't reflect him as an all-time franchise great. His arrival was a symbol that the Orange and Black were bound to return to playoff glory, which he helped provide — even though he ultimately did never get to hoist the Stanley Cup.
Briere's Number 48 sweater will continue to be prominently displayed in the Wells Fargo Center seats for years to come, and some time down the line, he may even earn a Flyers Hall of Fame spot. Just don't hold your breath for the Danny Briere Jersey Retirement ceremony.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
