Posted by Scott Burnside
A familiar face was on the ice for the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday morning, but he won't be in the lineup at any point in the series. In fact, it seems all but certain veteran defenseman Kevin Hatcher, 36, has played his last NHL game, a victim of a bad knee and the wear and tear of 1,045 regular-season games and 133 playoff contests, mostly played with an aggressive edge.
Hatcher, the eighth overall pick in the 1990 draft, missed almost a month at the end of last year's regular season, but came back for the playoffs. After missing the first two games against first-round opponent Washington, the 6-foot-5 former U.S. Olympian played the rest of the playoffs basically on one knee.
He has not played a game this season, but coach John Stevens thinks his presence will be a benefit for young defensemen like Randy Jones, Braydon Coburn and Ryan Parent, who will be called on to shoulder an even greater burden in these playoffs.
"He's just one of those guys you love having around," Stevens said of Hatcher, who has been a fixture around the Flyers' room all season. "He just loves the game. He's intense, but he's relaxed."
ESPN.com Stanley Cup playoffs blog
