A Philadelphia Flyers franchise record was broken amid the tumult of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoff race.
For those who don’t know, Nick Deslauriers established the Flyers’ single-season hit record last year, with 306 in 80 games. As of Friday night, that record has found a new home.
Forward Garnet Hathaway, one of the Flyers’ big summer acquisitions, has surpassed Deslauriers’ total from 2022-23. Hathaway passed Deslauriers on Friday night and extended his lead on Saturday night, with 312 hits in 78 games thus far.
Before those two, former Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas held the record, with 304 hits in 76 games during the 2015-16 season.
Rasmus Ristolainen, the current Flyers’ defenseman, is further down the list. He had 230 hits in 66 games during the 2021-22 season.
Nashville defenseman Jeremy Lauzon currently leads the NHL in hits with 359, and he is also on track to set the single-season NHL record. Robert Svehla set the single-season record of 386 in 2001-02, thus Lauzon just has a few games left to match or beat it.
Hathaway now ranks 22nd all-time in single-season hits with 312. It’s almost probable that Hathaway will not match Svehla or Lauzon’s totals this season, but a feasible objective could be Cal Clutterbuck’s 343 hits with the Islanders in 2014-15.
In his first season in the Orange and Black, Hathaway has become well-known for his post-whistle scrums and extracurricular activities, which irritate the Flyers’ opponents. Things aren’t going as planned for the club right now, but it’s wonderful to see Hathaway receive some recognition for his efforts and shenanigans.
Away from the hits, the 32-year-old has seven goals and nine points in his first season with the Flyers, including three helpers in his previous five games.
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