When the LA Kings took a 3-0 series lead, Flyers fans started to accept the fact that the likes of Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, Justin Williams, John Stevens, Ron Hextall, etc would all get to experience the ultimate goal.
Last night it finally happened. The LA Kings defeated the NJ Devils 6-1 to take the series 4-2 and win the 2012 Stanley Cup.
Here's a video of Mike Richards handing the Stanley Cup off to his best bud Jeff Carter. This is probably how some fans in Philadelphia felt as this took place:
But out of all seriousness, we're happy for those guys. They all battled for the Flyers when they played in Philadelphia and according to Mike Richards, it's the "management [in Philadelphia] that drafted me that built me to be a winner" (video after the jump):
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And here's a nice quote from Kings assistant GM Ron Hextall from NHL.com about the Flyers organization:
"It comes down to culture and it's all about winning," Kings assistant general manager Ron Hextall, one of the most beloved players in Flyers' history, told NHL.com last week. "In Philadelphia, you're part of a team. There is no one person more important than the Flyers. That's pretty much what we've tried to bring to L.A."
And if Hexy's saying that about the Flyers from the other side, check out what Flyers legend Bob Clarke had to say:
"They're the only team other than the Flyers that I like and want to see win," Clarke said.
In all, it's not what Flyers fans envisioned when these guys got drafted by our organization. We pictured Gagne, Richards, Carter, and Williams hoisting a cup in orange sweaters.
But when it comes down to it, these guys earned it and we'd like to congratulate them for a victory well earned.
Let's not forget that this Flyers team is a piece or two away from bringing us that same joy the "passionate" hockey fans in Los Angles got to experience. 2012-2013 is a clean slate and a whole new opportunity for us to get a taste of Cup greatness.
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