Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Flyers will hold their annual Military Appreciation Game, presented by Toyota, on Veterans Day at the Wells Fargo Center. The event coincides with a match against the San Jose Sharks and includes various activities to honor military service members and veterans.

Earlier this month, the Flyers collaborated with Toyota and the United Service Organizations (USO) to host nearly 30 active-duty service members from different branches of the military. This marks the third consecutive year of this partnership. After a practice session at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, players skated with these service members, who received military-themed jerseys. The participants also toured the locker room and were given tickets to attend the Military Appreciation Game.

Flyers captain Sean Couturier expressed enthusiasm for these interactions: "They do so much for our country and for freedom," he said. "To get to meet them, and get to know a few Flyers fans among them, it's pretty special."

Defenseman Erik Johnson highlighted the significance of honoring service members: “We hope that honoring them and hosting them for these special experiences including our upcoming Military Appreciation Game demonstrates our team and organization’s gratitude for the sacrifices they have made for our country."

During Monday's pregame warmups, Task Force Paxton 2-112 Infantry members will observe from the bench after returning from an 11-month deployment in Africa.

The Flyers and Toyota are distributing game tickets through their Community Ticket Grant program to local military organizations such as USO, Team Foster, Veterans Multi-Service Center, among others.

A ceremonial puck drop will feature Veteran Combat Engineer Sergeant Josh Chilcote alongside his service dog Turbo. They will be joined by SEAC John Wayne Troxell (Ret.) and Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha (Ret.).

Beyond this annual event, the Flyers maintain regular interactions with military-related organizations throughout the year. Past initiatives include hockey clinics hosted by Flyers Alumni for United Heroes League and contributions during their "12 Days of Christmas" giving program.

In 2019, they formally adopted a disabled veterans hockey program known as Flyers Warriors as an official affiliate. This program has achieved national success in USA Hockey Warrior Classic tournaments while providing social support services to veterans.

The Flyers Warriors collaborate closely with various branches of the organization year-round under leadership from Brad Marsh and Rob Baer who serve as head coach and assistant coach respectively.