Sports

Philadelphia Flyers Welcome a New Orange Mascot

"Gritty" joins the NHL mascot family — but we're not quite sure what he is

The Philadelphia Flyers introduced "Gritty" as their new mascot today at the Please Touch Museum's Hamilton Hall.

He is the second mascot of the Flyers, replacing "Slapshot," who debuted in 1976.

"Slapshot" was a neat, turtle-like mascot with reddish orange fur and a flying cap. Assumed to be a pilot, "Slapshot" fit the team pretty well. However, "Gritty" looks like a Muppet that had a few too many cups of coffee and perhaps even beer...that gut didn't come from nowhere.

"Gritty" has orange fur and wears what seems to be either a construction helmet or a hockey helmet — the latter probably makes more sense. The mascot wears the team's jersey coupled with black skates and gloves. However, the most striking part of this character is probably the eyes — almost circular and paired with a too-wide smile, some kids are definitely going to have nightmares tonight.

"His father was a "bully," so naturally he has some of those tendencies - talented but feisty, a fierce competitor, known for his agility given his size," said NHL in his bio. "He's loyal but mischievous; the ultimate Flyers fan who loves the orange and black, but is unwelcoming to anyone who opposes his team. Legend has it he earned the name "Gritty" for possessing an attitude so similar to the team he follows."

Apparently, our furry friend with daddy issues has always been around — we just haven't seen him because he was hiding. The NHL claims that recent construction at the Wells Fargo Center forced him to go out of hiding and into the public eye. His favorite foods are snow from the zamboni machine and hot dogs at the "Flyers Dollar Dog Night."

Twitter definitely had fun with "Gritty," comparing him to the clown from It and implying heavy drug use. I can't say I don't agree with most of these memes.



"Gritty" will make his debut tonight at 7PM during a hockey game against the Boston Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center. You can also follow "Gritty" on his Twitter and Instagram, or check him out on the NHL website — you can even book him for an event.


Amber Wang is a freelancer for Popdust, Gearbrain and various other sites. She is also a student at NYU, a photographer and a marketing intern.


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If you're like me, sports are an addiction.

Watching them is a compulsory task that controls much of your life. But now, on February 26th, is the beginning of what I call the February Lull. Usually, it's a month long hangover that follows the NFL season in which there are no games of consequence going on in any major sport. The NBA, NHL, and EPL are all the middle of their seasons, far from the must win games of March and April. The NCAA's March Madness tournament doesn't start until March 11th this year, and while the Olympics were a welcome distraction, the Closing Ceremony– with it's sparkling, ice-skating panda bears and K-pop performance– was last night.

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3. Division III: Football's Finest

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4. Semi-Pro

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BONUS: The Next Karate Kid

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Without the participation of NHL players, the caliber of play in Olympic hockey will go down significantly. Countries like the U.S. and Canada who are usually Olympic powerhouses, have resorted to fielding teams of amateurs. The best players on the ice for either country are members of the AHL, the NHL's minor league affiliate. On the one hand, there will be more parity between teams in this years' competition, but on the other, the NHL isn't the only hockey league in the world.

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A quick lesson in Olympic tournament ice hockey:

There are three groups of four teams. These teams face off against each other during the preliminary rounds to decide seeding. The top team in each group, along with the 4th best team overall, gets a bye to the quarterfinals. The tournament then begins with seeds 5-12 playing each other in the first round of the knockout stage and continues in a fashion similar to March Madness.

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Group B

Russia, USA, Slovakia, Slovenia

Group C

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Matt Clibanoff is a writer and editor based in New York City who covers music, politics, sports and pop culture. His editorial work can be found in Inked Magazine, Pop Dust, The Liberty Project, and All Things Go. His fiction has been published in Forth Magazine. -- Find Matt at his website and on Twitter: @mattclibanoff


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