Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers left wing Oskar Lindblom has been named the 2021 Bill Masterton Trophy winner, the NHL announced on Tuesday.  

Perseverance, dedication, and sportsmanship.

Oskar Lindblom is the recipient of the 2021 Bill Masterton Trophy! 🏆👏 #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/0uQc9xfTeg

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 15, 2021

Congrats, @oskarlindblom! 🧡🖤

An inspirational journey culminates with winning the Masterton Memorial Trophy. #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/duFkbVvIJN

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 15, 2021

The award is handed out annually to the player who best showcases perserverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game—named for the only player to die as a direct result of injuries sustained on ice.

Lindblom returned to the NHL a year after battling Ewing's sarcoma and completing chemotherapy, posting 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 50 games this season. 

The 24-year-old was diagnosed with the rare type of bone cancer in December 2019 while tying for a team-high 11 goals on the year. He would go on to take an immediate leave from the sport and finish treatment in July 2020, returning to the ice two months later for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

"Just to get back from losing all the muscles when you start playing again and you feel like you're not really there, it's a tough time to get around, then it starts to hit you mentally as well and you feel tired all the time, so last season was a battle for me," Lindblom said. "But just to be able to get back on the ice again was so, so good. I can't say more than that. Awesome feeling to be back on the ice again."

The forward finished first in voting over Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba and San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau. Lindblom thanked his family, his girlfriend, the Flyers and all the healthcare providers who helped him recover. 

It's the second year the native of Sweden was named a finalist. He was presented this year's award by Bobby Ryan, who won it last season. 

Lindblom is the first Flyers player to win the award since Ian Laperriere in 2011 and the fourth in franchise history overall.  

You've heard of having a best man at a wedding, but what about a best mascot? 

Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty served that role for Brianna and Austyn Rowland, who got married at Lake Tahoe's Edgewood Tahoe Resort on Sunday, the same day the Flyers and Boston Bruins faced off at the resort in an outdoor game. 

After the wedding, the pair took pictures with Gritty and the Bruins' mascot, Blades.

"We took a photo by ourselves, and then they ran up and jumped in," Brianna Rowland told Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.

"They didn't want one with Austyn in it," she added, laughing.

The game was initially scheduled to be played at 11 a.m., which wouldn't have coincided with the 3:30 p.m. Rowland wedding. But when the NHL shifted the start time to 4:30 p.m., the Rowlands held a 31-person ceremony while the game was happening (though COVID-19 restrictions meant that access to the playing area was restricted).

"We had a couple of people at the wedding who were big hockey fans," Brianna Rowland said. "They wished we had told them before the wedding that the game was here. But we didn't tell everyone about it. We just let them find out for themselves."

Now they have photos with Gritty to forever memorialize their special day.

Tuesday's scheduled game between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers has been postponed as a result of COVID-19.

Tonight’s #PHI v #WSH game postponed. Arizona v St.Louis will now play 7 games in row pic.twitter.com/aTJj9uxH6i

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) February 9, 2021

Emily Kaplan of ESPN first reported the postponement. 

The Flyers reportedly have "COVID-19 issues," becoming the fifth NHL team to currently be on pause as a result of the pandemic.

The New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche have all suffered outbreaks of the virus within players and staff and postponed games as a result. The Capitals game is one of three postponed on Tuesday along with Wild-St. Louis Blues and Avalanche-Arizona Coyotes.

The latest change comes less than a week after the NHL revised its COVID-19 protocols.

According to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, the league had initially mandated that players arrive to the arenas no more than one hour and 45 minutes before game time, but changes were made to suggest players do so "whenever practicable."

The NHL has also made several changes since the start of the 2021 season, including the switch to rapid testing to get results before game time. The removal of glass behind benches was also made to potential improve airflow.

Philadelphia earned a 7-4 win over the Capitals on Sunday but now doesn't have another scheduled game until Feb. 14 after its two games against the Devils were postponed.

Washington will also have an extended break after its games against Buffalo and Philly were postponed. The team is currently set to face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.

It was September 2018, and neither Philadelphia nor the world had any idea what was about to be unleashed. 

The Philadelphia Flyers like to say this was around the time they found an orange creature that had been living under the bleachers of the Wells Fargo Center. But the real story of how the hockey club ended up with an accidental sensation goes back to earlier in the year, when the neighboring Eagles returned home from their Super Bowl 52 win. 

The four Philadelphia teams all share a sports and entertainment complex in the southeastern part of the city near the Navy Yard. The other three showed up to the Eagles' practice facility to greet the team and participate in the fanfare. 

In attendance was the Philly Phanatic, the ever-mischievous mascot of the Phillies; Franklin the Dog, the mascot for the 76ers; and, of course, Swoop the Eagle.

"We were noticeably absent," said Christine Mina, the senior manager of digital media for the Flyers and Wells Fargo Center. 

The Flyers had been considering a mascot for years. Conscious of their position as one of the historic teams in the NHL, they weren't quite sure if it was a fit. But there had been moments in the past when they thought they needed something. The Flyers never had a mascot at NHL All-Star Games or other league events. They recognized the missed opportunities for community outreach and awareness. 

A mascot might be seen as simply a marketing ploy, but if the Eagles could have so much luck with one, then why not the Flyers?

"And I think that was sort of the last little push we needed to to get serious about it," Mina said. "So, summer of 2018 was when we really got to work on the concept."

So, that was it. The idea for Gritty was hatched, and he emerged in his orange glory by the start of the 2018-19 season. But as for how he became an overnight sensation, that's a different story. 

The Flyers still aren't quite sure what that story actually is. 

       

The Birth of a Mascot

Mark Zarthar, the senior vice president of marketing for the Flyers and Wells Fargo Center, came to Philadelphia in 2020, well after Gritty had already become one of the most easily recognizable mascots in professional sports. But he had been part of a mascot launch with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, a minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. 

There's a lot more to it than just a person putting on a costume. 

"There's his or her persona, their wardrobe, their design, their name, their story, there's a whole history to build," Zarthar said in a phone interview. "And you only have that chance to launch your mascot once. I think it probably sounds like a fairly simple, easy exercise. But the reality of it is that you can't relaunch a mascot over and over again. So you have to make sure the community is receptive of it."

Philadelphia fans once threw snowballs at Santa Claus, so the Flyers were unsure how receptive their fanbase would be to a mascot. They went through several designs and concepts to try to create something that would be emblematic of the city and the team. The end result was a monster in Flyers orange. 

"We looked at animals, we looked at pilots, we looked at 'what is a Flyer really considered?'" Mina said. "We debated, is this aviation? That route felt very safe but didn't really feel right. And I think we all kind of landed on, 'OK, it needs to be sort of a monstrous creature or something that doesn't currently exist.'"

Former team president and Flyers alum Paul Holmgren named the beast. He described characteristics of the Flyers and kept coming back to the word "grit."

"He's really a good physical embodiment of what our organization is," Mina said. "Gritty was a word that... he kind of looked at everyone and said, 'That's what you should name it.' And I think from that point, everyone agreed that had felt really right."

So it had a name and face, but the reception was still missing. The club consulted with Dave Raymond, the original Phanatic, and he warned them that it would take time for the fans to embrace a new mascot. The marketing team braced themselves for a chilly reception. 

The first reception was actually quite warm, but that was to be expected. The team debuted him at the Please Touch Museum, and the kids couldn't get enough of the new Wells Fargo Center bleacher creature. But the livestream of the event didn't go quite as well. 

Twitter discovered Gritty. Like many things on Twitter, it didn't go well. 

It me. #Gritty pic.twitter.com/HfTMVtEAFy

— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) September 24, 2018

"People are looking at his picture being like, 'What is this thing?' And people were calling for all of our jobs, wondering what the heck we were doing looking at this horrifying mascot," Mina said. "And we're all kind of looking at each other like, 'Oh no, what's going on?' Philadelphia audiences were like, 'What the heck did the Flyers do?'"

A social media chirp at the Pittsburgh Penguins and a comical debut just fueled the fire. But the more Gritty was criticized, the more the residents of the Philadelphia area and Flyers fans pushed back. 

He might look like a drunk uncle come to life in muppet form, but he was their drunk uncle muppet. 

"Very quickly, it turned from a lot of anger against us to devotion and passion for a brand new mascot," Mina said. "And by that night, he was being asked to go on Good Morning America. The next day, he had built a huge following on social media. So it was a very rapid turn of events." 

The Flyers marketing staff had a bona fide sensation on their hands, and they had to figure out how to run with it. 

"Honestly, that whole first week... we were flying the plane as we built it a little bit, capitalizing off of these moments that were handed to us in a lot of ways," Mina said. "We were prepared for fans to hate this mascot."

        

Building the Gritty brand

Zarthar describes Gritty as the Flyers' No. 1 fan. He's passionate about cheering on the Flyers, spreading joy on social media—a medium that doesn't see much of that—and growing the game. The Flyers knew they needed to leverage Gritty's celebrity status to attract new fans. 

"He's become an unofficial mascot of Philadelphia. And maybe he can be a symbol for the entire game of hockey," Zarthar said. "I think his popularity stretches well beyond the city of Philadelphia. And the viral nature of his content, the amount of creative means that exists, people across the country and even more recently, throughout the world, are taking notice of Gritty."

It's hard not to notice a 7-foot orange ball of beard. But Gritty has become more than a mascot. He's become a brand thanks to the work of Mina and her digital team, dubbed Team Gritty. 

"We were just given this opportunity where he was everywhere," Mina said. "And it wasn't what we expected. But when you've got lightning in a bottle like that, you just sort of have to do what you can."

So they gave Gritty a personality, a snarky Twitter presence and an Instagram account. The dance moves are all his—Zarthar says the performer is a "unbelievable athlete"—but the voice is the work of Mina and her group. The voice is what makes him relatable, and it's what makes the jobs of the Flyers marketing team enjoyable. 

Staff meetings consist of planning out Gritty's antics. How will he get in trouble? How will they document it? Which opposing player will he chirp at during pregame warmups? 

He also interacts with the Flyers players, of course, which was key for their marketing plan. Kevin Hayes said he wouldn't play this season unless Gritty was allowed in the building. 

Big decision to make! If @GrittyNHL is not allowed in the building for games then I don’t think I can play this year! #GetGrittyIn

— Kevin Hayes (@KevinPHayes12) December 21, 2020

"They're all pretty, pretty great about it," Mina said. "I think that they like the fact that they've got this mascot which is popular and a little different from a lot of other teams. That's pretty cool."

         

Pandemic Gritty

So, what happens to a mascot when there are no hockey games? What happens to a mascot when fans aren't allowed into hockey games? How do you market a sports team when fans are forced to stay at home?

Professional teams still need revenue, which is heavily reliant on fans buying tickets, concessions and jerseys. Right now, they need to ensure they're keeping their old ones and trying to attract new ones without their key recruiting tool, which is live games.

"It doesn't matter which sport, you utilize your in-game experience in your home arena as a great introduction point to new fans," Zarthar said. "It's a great way to get a sample of the experience and become a long-term fan. Without fans in the arena, we have to rely so much more on the digital environment and on the TV broadcast."

The Flyers are relying on Gritty. 

"From the very start, when our season got paused in March, we immediately thought, 'What is he going to do now?'" Mina said. 

The club purchased a frighteningly humorous billboard in Toronto, where the Flyers played in the Toronto bubble during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They played on The Police's "Every Breath You Take" with a billboard featuring Gritty's face saying, "I'll be watching you." They had Gritty take a trip to Canada, only to wind up in Toronto, Ohio. 

"As the ultimate fan, he would do everything he possibly could to try to be there even if he can't," Mina said. "A lot of our content strategy around that came from that premise of like, he would be doing anything and everything."

That's still the content strategy. They have a stage for him at Wells Fargo Center and a digital team documenting his every move. The season opener against the Penguins on NBC Sports Network was the network's most-watched regular-season game in history. Their engagements on Gritty's Twitter account have been off the charts. 

When you can't have fans, you double down on the only one that's allowed inside of the building. 

"It's a focal point of the content we feature on our social platforms, and fans of Gritty tune in to our games," Zarthar said. "They tune in to our social channels to see the variety of antics that he's up to each game."

The coronavirus pandemic changed many things about how we live our daily lives, but it hasn't changed Gritty and his popularity. 

"The sky's the limit," Mina said. "The wackier the idea, the more we try to make those things that seem so unrealistic happen. I think that's just led us this far and what we're going to try to continue to do."

Love him, hate him or be indifferent about him, but Gritty is everyone's brother in the City of Brotherly Love.

Coming off a strong 2019-20 regular season and their first playoff series win in eight years, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in an interesting position this offseason.

On the one hand, the core group that led them to finishing second in the Metropolitan Division is going to return next season. 

Travis Konecny had his most prolific scoring output with 61 points, despite playing a career-low 66 games in the regular season. Sean Couturier had the second-best plus-minus (21) of his career. Carter Hart, 22, had his best year with a 2.42 goals against average in 43 games. 

On the other hand, Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher told reporters last month the NHL's cap ceiling due to the pandemic will force every team to get more creative in order to add talent:

"There's a lot of teams right now that don't have cap space already. The teams that do have cap space over the next three years, every one of them has some young players that are going to get raises, potentially big raises. Teams that spend money on UFA's this summer and have young players aren't necessarily going to have any more money in year two and year three."

Matt Niskanen's decision to retire with one year left on his contract does create an opening on the roster for a defenseman. 

Justin Braun to re-signed for a reasonable average annual salary of $1.8 million over the next two years. 

There are still plenty of questions for the Flyers to address with free agency set to begin Friday at 12 p.m. ET. 

         

Latest on Patrik Laine Trade Talks

The hottest rumor involving the Flyers has been about their trade talks with the Winnipeg Jets for Patrik Laine. 

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, the Jets had "multiple discussions with a number of clubs" about Laine and other players. 

Frank Seravelli of TSN added the Flyers "were the team most engaged" with Winnipeg about Laine, but those talks "have cooled for now."

According to Seravelli, Philadelphia's offer for Laine included a defenseman going to Winnipeg, and Niskanen's retirement "is a nonfactor in (the Flyers') ability to revisit a potential Laine deal."

In July 2019, Fletcher told reporters his approach with the roster was to build around their young players and supplement the roster in free agency. 

More than one year later, it doesn't sound like Fletcher is dramatically altering that approach, but Laine would also fit into his philosophy. The Jets star is only 22 years old and had 63 points in 68 games last season. 

One big catch if the Flyers do aggressively pursue Laine is his contract status. The Finland native is eligible for restricted free agency after next season and could command a lot of money on a long-term deal. 

Based on Fletcher's comments about being pragmatic with the cap over the next few years, Laine might not make sense for the Flyers in that regard.

On talent alone, though, there's no denying that Laine's offensive capability would make him a fit for a Philadelphia team that ranked seventh in the NHL with 3.29 goals per game in 2019-20. 

      

The Shayne Gostisbehere Market

One way for the Flyers to create some cap flexibility would be to move someone who has fallen out of favor. 

The most-talked about potential trade candidate is defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. 

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported last week that Gostisbehere is on the market, and the Flyers "have shown a serious willingness to move him if they get the right offer."

Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim and Robert Hagg are currently under contract with Philadelphia. Ghost has three years and $9.75 million left on his current deal. 

Head coach Alain Vigneault seemed to lose faith in Gostisbehere as the season went on. The 27-year-old averaged just over 18 minutes of ice time per game, his fewest in five full seasons. He only played in five of Philadelphia's 13 playoff games, including once in seven games against the New York Islanders. 

Given how much depth the Flyers have at the position right now, dealing Gostisbehere makes the most sense based on where they are at heading into next season. 

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier has won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for the first time in his career as the top defensive forward in the NHL.

🏆 BEST. DEFENSIVE. FORWARD. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/00POIyGw4u

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 10, 2020

Couturier earned the most votes over finalists Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly.

The 27-year-old had been a finalist for the Selke in the past, but he was finally recognized for the honor after a breakout 2019-20 season. The Phoenix native excelled in all phases of the game, with his 59 points in 69 games ranking second on the Flyers.

On the defensive end, he tallied 60 hits and 40 takeaways while helping to limit elite opposing players.

"Couturier found a way to elevate his game every time he matched up against a star this season," Charlie O'Connor of The Athletic wrote in March, noting the nine-year veteran led the Flyers to a 19-6 goal advantage versus elites according to Puck IQ's quality of competition statistic.

The forward had a plus-21 rating while averaging 19 minutes and 50 seconds of ice time per game, making him one of the most reliable players for a team that finished second in the Metropolitan Division.

Add in the fact that he won a league-high 59.7 percent of faceoffs, and Couturier was one of the best all-around players in the NHL.

After helping the Flyers reach the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, this award is another noteworthy honor to his resume.

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the New York Islanders in Game 2 on Wednesday 4-3 in overtime to even the series at 1-1 in spectacular fashion. 

Philippe Myers (@philmyers06) 🤝 OT winner#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/0HyJjP2kxX

— NHL (@NHL) August 26, 2020

New York had been one of the most defensively sound teams remaining in the playoffs, and it took just 15 minutes for the Flyers to dismantle it. Three first-period goals from Philadelphia put the Islanders in a hole they never recovered from and will surely force changes by head coach Barry Trotz moving forward.

The scoring onslaught in the first period is only more incredible given the Islanders had allowed just four even-strength goals in five games against the Washington Capitals during the first round—a total that was  matched in Game 3.

After blanking the Flyers 4-0 in Game 1, it's New York's turn to adjust. It can start by fixing a defense that was the club's strength until Wednesday evening. 

                 

Notable Performers

Kevin Hayes, C, Philadelphia Flyers: 2 goals, 3 SOG, 19:02 TOI

Philippe Myers, D, Philadelphia Flyers: 1 goal (game-winner), 4 hits, 17:59 TOI

Anthony Beauvillier, LW, New York Islanders: 1 goal, 6 SOG, 3 hits

Semyon Varlamov, G, New York Islanders: 3 goals allowed, 7 saves, 15:09 TOI            

Islanders' Costly Miscues 

The first sign New York's defense wasn't functioning well Wednesday came just two minutes after the opening puck drop. 

With the Flyers breaking out of their own end, four Islanders crowded the strong side of the ice, leaving Kevin Hayes open along the left wing with his defender drifting away. New York didn't have time to recover after Hayes received a pass from Travis Konecny across the blue line. That left him a small window on goalie Semyon Varlamov. It was all Hayes needed. 

Holy smokes @KevinPHayes12... what a shot! 😲 #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: https://t.co/v7WPBDoFjQ @NHLonNBCSports
🇨🇦: https://t.co/eVCyWTbCNm @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/c78mEZvBVK

— NHL (@NHL) August 26, 2020

The winger fired short-side, bar down to open the scoring early and expose a weakness in Varlamov's game. 

Hayes went right back to the same spot for his second goal of the game eight minutes later after Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock mishandled a clearing attempt and turned the puck over at center ice. 

The third goal of the first period saw the Islanders' forecheck leave the middle of the ice open again for a breakout pass that found Sean Couturier one-on-one with Nick Leddy at the blue line. 

Couturier bullied his way past the veteran defenseman and went right to Varlamov's short side. 

Sean Couturier and the @NHLFlyers are off to the start they wanted. ✔️ #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: https://t.co/VtYD75XBgU @NHLonNBCSports
🇨🇦: https://t.co/eVCyWTtdEU @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/T6mSIU1c91

— NHL (@NHL) August 26, 2020

        

New York's Goalie Decision

The Flyers' third goal of the game spelled the end of Varlamov's night. Trotz pulled the goalie in favor of backup Thomas Greiss, who provided both an improvement on the back end and a spark on offense. 

New York scored the next three goals, tying the game with just over two minutes remaining in the third period on a Jean Gabriel-Pageau shot off a failed clearing attempt by the Flyers. Meanwhile, Greiss provided some much-needed stability with 20 saves on 21 shots. 

OT is coming up! #StanleyCup

🇺🇸: https://t.co/HkEqyAeiDb @NHLonNBCSports
🇨🇦: https://t.co/eVCyWTbCNm @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/ZMZW0FaUmR

— NHL (@NHL) August 26, 2020

His only mistake came on the game-winner, a bouncing puck off a Myers slap shot that wound its way through traffic and into the back of the net. 

With only 24 hours until Game 3's puck drop, Trotz suddenly has a small goalie controversy on his hands. 

It's clear Varlamov's stick-side weakness provided the Flyers with an easy target Wednesday. If one night is enough to correct those issues, he could jump back into the crease Thursday. 

If not, things get trickier. 

Gotta love a little give and go! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/QDiYPymTYZ

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) August 26, 2020

Greiss hasn't started back-to-back games this season and asking him to come off the bench and then own the crease a day later is no easy task. 

Had the Islanders won, a decision to stick with Greiss can be played off as sticking with the "hot hand." That's not the case anymore, and the decision comes right back to Trotz. 

           

What's Next

Game 3 between the Islanders and Flyers is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. 

The Philadelphia Flyers announced an agreement Wednesday with winger Oskar Lindblom on a three-year, $9 million contract extension.

Lindblom said of the move:

"I am very excited to be a part of the Flyers for the next three seasons. The support that the organization, the fans, and the entire NHL has given me has been quite overwhelming. I can't wait to get back skating with the boys and being the professional hockey player I know I can be. I want to thank the Flyers for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to the day I'm back and contributing to the team's success."

The 23-year-old was deemed cancer-free in early July after completing treatment for Ewing's sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, that forced him out of the Flyers lineup since December.

Lindblom, who was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at season's end, was off to a strong start before the cancer diagnosis. He recorded 18 points (11 goals and seven assists) in 30 appearances.

His last game was Dec. 7 against the Ottawa Senators. The 2019-20 season was halted March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sweden native continued to visit with the Flyers periodically during treatment.

"Makes everybody feel good," head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters after Lindblom stopped by the locker room in February. "There's no doubt that we're all behind him. His teammates are obviously checking up on him on a regular basis, so is the whole staff, but to see him live is beautiful."

Lindblom was named a finalist for this season's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

A timetable for his return to play hasn't been announced.

Meanwhile, the Flyers were one of the 24 teams selected to take part in the resumption of the campaign, which is advancing directly to a playoff tournament.

They are scheduled to face off with the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning as part of the seeding round, beginning Aug. 2.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom completed his radiation treatments for Ewing's sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, on Thursday, per Dan Gelston of the Associated Press.  

He rang the bell at the Abramson Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, signifying the end of his treatments. 

That’s amazing ❤️ https://t.co/oHQ6wE4Gza

— Claude Giroux (@28CGiroux) July 2, 2020

Lindblom, 23, was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma in December, and he has been ruled out from participating in the NHL season restart. The third-year player was having a breakout season in the 2019-20 campaign, with 11 goals and seven assists in 30 games. But hockey justifiably took a backseat on Thursday.

"I can't even explain how I feel," he told Gelston. "It feels like having my birthday, Christmas and all those holidays at the same time. It feels awesome to be done. I can't wait to get back to normal life again and feel like I'm living."

Lindblom presented the Abramson Cancer Center staff with his signed Flyers jersey after ringing the bell.

"From family to friends to fans, I can't explain how much that meant to me, especially at the start," he said. "It was a rough time and I got all those kind words. It just made me feel so much better and calm and [it was) a real help."

The Flyers are one of the teams that will play in the NHL's restart, currently sitting at second place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points. 

Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty got himself a makeover thanks to the Queer Eye team, although they didn't change too much of the fan favorite's look:

SURPRISE! 😱 What would a trip to Philly be without a special visit to one of the most beloved and feisty mascots in the country @GrittyNHL!!! Watch as The Fab 5 bring him…. well, try to bring him on a journey of self-care.💫🌈 https://t.co/TmHoLfFLJ4 pic.twitter.com/tPnb9W6aY3

— Queer Eye (@QueerEye) June 30, 2020

The Netflix show usually features makeovers for everyday people, including grooming, fashion and home changes.

The Fab Five didn't see much of an opportunity to change Gritty, appreciating his eyebrows for what they were, letting him wear his same Flyers jersey (after a few wardrobe changes) and allowing him to eat a cheesesteak for every meal.

He was at least able to get a new locker room set up and had a heart-to-heart conversation with the one who nominated him for the show: the Phillie Phanatic.

It seems Gritty has been keeping himself busy as he awaits the restart of the 2019-20 NHL season.