He’s the constant professional. He showed up to the rink ready to play. He didn’t speak a lot, but when he did it carried a lot of weight. I think that was one of those things about Eric, he had a way of presenting it, when he did speak, you listened and took it out on the ice with you. - Keith Jones
ERIC DESJARDINS1999-2000 to 2001-02
Coming off a blockbuster trade in 1994 that sent Mark Recchi to the Canadiens in exchange for John LeClair, little did Flyers fans know that they had acquired a future leader and captain in Eric Desjardins.
His impact was immediately felt by the club. Desjardins led Flyers’ defensemen in scoring in four of his first five seasons, including a career-high 41 assists and 55 points in 1999-2000, when he led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third time and first as captain.
In his 10-plus seasons on the blueline for the Orange & Black, Desjardins garnered a total of 396 points, scoring 93 goals and 303 assists.
He was twice an NHL all-star and was awarded the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers’ best defenseman seven times and ranks second in Flyers’ history in scoring by a defenseman in both the regular season and playoffs, behind only Mark Howe.
VIDEO: CAPTAINS CEREMONY - ERIC DESJARDINS
