sportsjabber.net

When Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren signed 34-year-old enforcer Jody Shelley to a three-year, $3.3 million contract, there was an outbreak by the fans about paying a fighter $1.1 million per season.

Shelley, who scored only two goals in 57 games with the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers last year, was added to the orange and black’s roster to drop his gloves and bring a sheriff to the lineup lacking a true authoritarian.

For the last couple of years, the Flyers had been utilizing Riley Cote as the enforcer. While Cote played the role well, getting in 65 fights in four seasons with the Flyers, but was not a good hockey player.

Cote was a terrible skater with little to none hockey skills. He played no more than four minutes a game in his stint with Philadelphia.

In 156 games in the NHL, Cote scored only one goal and had seven career points. To be frank, some goalies have more career points than Cote. For example, former Flyers goalie Martin Biron has four more points than Cote.

Playing in only 15 games last year, it was quite clear that the Flyers had no plans going forward with Cote as a player, and Cote decided to hang up the skates to join the Adirondack Phantoms in a coaching position.

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