Gritty steals the show again as the Flyers’ Community Caravan makes its stop in North Wildwood
Fans at the Shore had the chance to win exclusive giveaways, enjoy lawn games, interact with Flyers alumni like Joe Watson and Bob Kelly — and, most importantly, meet Gritty.
Hockey season remains a couple of months away, but the Flyers are already hitting the road with one of their biggest community-engagement events of the year: the Community Caravan. During stops at three Jersey Shore towns this week, fans had the chance to win exclusive giveaways, enjoy lawn games, interact with Flyers players and alumni — and, most importantly, meet Gritty.
On Wednesday, the caravan made its way to North Wildwood, where hundreds of Flyers fans of all ages turned out for the free event at Albert Allen Park.
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“We started the Community Caravan nine years ago to keep the Flyers brand out there during the offseason,” said Rob Baer, the team’s senior director of community relations and hockey development. “It’s so much fun to see all of the families here and see all of the people wearing Flyers colors and just interacting with our brand during the summer season, when we’re not always top of mind.”
One of the highlights of the Flyers’ Community Caravan is the presence of team alumni. On Wednesday, four former Flyers were in attendance: former tough guy Riley Cote, left winger Bob Kelly, and defensemen Doug Crossman and Joe Watson.
Kelly, who recently retired from his role as a team ambassador, and Watson were key members of the Flyers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams in 1974 and 1975. “The Hound,” as Kelly was belovedly known, scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in ’75 against the Buffalo Sabres.
Crossman, meanwhile, made two Stanley Cup Finals appearances in his time with the team from 1983 to 1988, and Cote, the youngest of the group at 43, played during the 2009-10 season, when the Flyers made a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Watson, in particular, said he is optimistic about the Flyers heading into this season under new head coach Rick Tocchet.
“[Rick’s] a former Flyer more than anything else, and he understands how the game has to be played,” the 82-year-old Watson said Thursday. “And I think with the draft, we picked up some good, young players. I think things bode well for the Flyers this year; they’ve got to make the playoffs.”
Some of the fans in North Wildwood shared Watson’s excitement for the Tocchet era to begin.
“I think a lot of people get the wrong idea of what Tocchet is. They think he’s this old-school guy who can’t adapt to the new NHL,” said fan Kurt Noce. “But I think he does well with communicating with young players, and guys like [Matvei] Michkov like playing for someone who’s hard on them.”
Throughout the two-hour event, the former Flyers signed autographs for the many fans in attendance.
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“It’s always funny interacting with the fans,” said Cote, who retired in 2010 and now cohosts Nasty Knuckles, a popular Flyers podcast. “There’s a lot of young kids that have obviously never seen us play, and different generations that have seen us play. But just interacting with people, seeing their excitement for the season, is always a fun time.”
The Community Caravan also featured Flyers in-arena DJ Everett Jackson, inflatables, and a range of giveaways. For many fans, however, Gritty was the main attraction.
“When we first started doing [Community Caravan], we didn’t have Gritty yet. So since 2019, Gritty has been the absolute star of the show. You can see that by looking at his line that’s halfway down the block,” Baer said.
Gritty’s popularity is especially strong among younger fans, many of whom cited the furry orange mascot as their primary reason for attending the event. One attendee, Daniel Stewart, who was visiting North Wildwood from San Diego, is not even a Flyers fan, but said he came just for Gritty. “I see him on the internet; I think he’s funny,” the youngster said.
The Flyers are holding their last Jersey Shore stop of Community Caravan Thursday, in Sea Isle City from 2:30 to 4 p.m. On July 30, they will host an event in Plymouth Meeting from 5:30 to 7:30.