Giroux, Richards highlight Flyers’ NHL quarter-century team

The best players from one of the most storied franchises over the past 25 years have been revealed.

The league has begun rolling out its multi-phased celebration, honoring the best players for each of the 32 franchises, including the Philadelphia Flyers.

The first team is set with longtime teammates Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne and Mike Richards.

Giroux played his first 15 NHL seasons for Philadelphia and was captain for 10 of those. He is one of two players to skate in 1,000 games for the Flyers. Giroux is second in Flyers history with 900 points and 609 assists.

Gagne registered back-to-back 40-goal seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07. His 257 goals for the Flyers since Jan. 1, 2000, are second to Giroux. Gagne had some huge moments for the Flyers throughout his career, he scored in overtime in Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, then he helped start Philadelphia’s historic comeback from down 3-0 against the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2010 playoffs.

Richards was captain for the Flyers for three seasons including the 2009-10 team that made the Stanley Cup Final. cored 30 goals twice in six seasons with the Flyers, and leads them with 23 short-handed goals this century, including three 3-on-5 goals. During the 2008-09 campaign, Richards was second in voting for the Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the NHL.

Eric Desjardins and Kimmo Timmonen round out the defenseman for the first team.

Desjardins was captain from 2000-02, including when the Flyers reached the 2000 Eastern Conference Final where he had 12 points while averaging 28:00 of ice time in 18 playoff games. Desjardins remained the best defenseman for the Flyers until he retired in 2006, with a plus-49 rating, while racking up 38 goals and 130 assists for 168 points while averaging 23:58 of ice time in 360 games.

Goaltender Roman Cechmanek played just three seasons in Philly but his 20 shutouts are second in Flyers history behind Hall of Famer Bernie Parent. He was second in voting for the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL in 2000-01 after he led the NHL with a 2.01 goals-against average. During the 2002-03 campaign, he shared the Jennings Trophy with Robert Esche.

The second quarter-century team is comprised of Daniel Briere, Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek, Chris Pronger, Ivan Provorov and Brian Boucher.