It was an infamous moment. A stilled and suspended moment in time. Not just a moment in Flyers history, not just a moment in hockey history, but a moment in history in general.
On September 20th, 2001, just nine days after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, the Philadelphia Flyers met the New York Rangers for a pre-season game at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA.
It was the Flyers 3rd scheduled preseason game for the 2001 season. The game on September 15th was cancelled and the team played against the Washington Capitals 2 days prior on September 18th.
Allow me to start off by telling you all what people won’t remember from the preseason game on September 20th.
The flurry of 5 first period fights resulting in game misconducts of PJ Stock, Chris McAllister, Francis Lessard and Dale Purinton.
They wont’t remember the goals by Jesse Boulerice, Mikael Samuelsson, Barret Heisten, or Mark Recchi.
The game was tied 2-2 headed into 3rd period when something unique happened.
The fans that packed the Wachovia Center that night had paid to see a hockey game, but they knew that there was something much more important which required their attention.
It was President George W. Bush’s speech to the Nation addressing the events on September 11th.
According to Flyers’ Historian, Scoop Cooper, the speech started playing during the second intermission but was turned off once of the players started coming onto the ice for the 3rd period.
The arena was immediately filled with a loud and thunderous series of “boos” (I’m sure we are familiar with those).
The speech was then put back on the main screen and everyone stopped and stared in silence as the President addressed the Nation.
There were no hockey players in the building that night. Just members of society. Humans. Not one greater than the other. American, Canadian, Russian, or other.
Everyone was unified in that moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIjRKlM2nXM
If you watch the video, the faces of the Rangers and Flyers players, officials, and fans that piled into the Wachovia Center tell the entire story.
Expressions of anger, uncertainty, sadness, sorrow, and concern, mixed-in with a few faces of encouragement, optimism, and retribution.
The Hockey World had stopped for that moment. The game wasn’t bigger than the moment at hand. Everyone recognized the importance and embraced it.
After 33 minutes, President Bush’s speech ended and the game was promptly ended, as well.
Two of the leagues most storied franchises in the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers, who have been intertwined in a heated rivalry full of physicality and hatred, met at center ice and engaged in a moment of camaraderie via a handshake line.
A moment of solidarity for a country that was hurting.
It was a moment in time where we can look back 20 years later and it reminds us that a game is just a game. It reminds us that rivalries don’t matter, hatred has no place of existence and camaraderie triumphs all.
September 11th, 2001. Never Forget.
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