Jeremy "JR" Roenick

Birthdate: 17 January 1970
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Height: 6'0
Weight: 206 lbs
Sweater Number: 97
Position: Center
Drafted/Acquired: Drafted by Montreal Canadiens in the 2nd round (33rd overall), 1987. Acquired by Flyers as a free agent, July 2001.
Marital Status: Married to Tracy. They have a daughter, Brandi, and a son, Brett.

Career Notes

Profile

(10/22/01) Any profile of Jeremy Roenick will probably involve some of the following adjectives: talented, veteran, physical, colorful, talkative, personable, confident, aggressive, arrogant, and cocky. There have been very few players in Philadelphia Flyers history to whom all those adjectives applied. Bob Clarke was a gritty and talented center in his day, but he was never one who relished talking to the media. Enforcers of the past like Moose Dupont have centainly been characters--but they never had Roenick's talent. Even on today's roster, most of the Flyers' stars are quiet folk whose discussions with the media are cautious and cliched. Oh, we battled hard tonight, got two points. Oh, my teammates helped me out a lot. Oh, it's a long season, we've gotta take it a game at a time. Blah blah blah--just a little boring.

And then there's JR. In the gloomy wake of the Eric Lindros circus, Jeremy Roenick has been a breath of fresh air. He tossed his stick into the crowd on opening night--promptly starting a tug of war between an old lady and a middle-aged man. After his linemate Mark Recchi got a hat trick against Washington, Roenick picked up a hat from the ice and plopped it on top of his helmet. He flips pucks to kids after practice; he likes posing for pictures in GQ; he even comes up with a noteworthy quote--every two or three minutes.

He's hardly been all personality, however, as his considerable talent and veteran savvy have been vital to the Flyers in the early part of the season. While some of the Flyers' other stars--as in Mark Recchi, Keith Primeau, Simon Gagne, etc.--have struggled to find their A-games, Roenick has been pretty consisently productive. Right now, he's among the league leaders in assists and points, and that's not likely to change for a while.

Will JR lead the Flyers to the promised land? Not alone, of course. Is he the missing piece? Probably not, especially when you consider the defense. JR isn't going to be the Flyers' hockey messiah. But he's a difference-maker--the kind of player who can change a game or a series with one shift, whether it be with a bruising hit or a slick goal. If we fail to win the Cup this season, it won't be for lack of fighting--at least not on JR's part.

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