Meet the Flyers' equipment crew powering an unlikely playoff run
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Rick Bronwell. Photo: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers
On game days, fans see Flyers head equipment manager Rick Bronwell on the bench — towel over his shoulder, best seat in the arena — and think: must be nice.
- They don't see the 5am alarms, the 120-hour weeks, or the job that never really stops.
Why it matters: The Flyers' five-person equipment crew is the invisible force behind the team's unexpected playoff run — keeping players' uniforms crisp, their skates dialed in and even delivering hot dogs between periods.
What they're saying: Even after more than three decades in hockey, Bronwell still struggles to explain the job.
- "You need to be on call, you need to be available. You're a 'yes man,'" he tells Axios ahead of Wednesday's Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
- It's not just about gear. It's about knowing everyone in the room — who likes their skates a certain way, who burns through sticks and who might need a quiet word on a tough day.
- "It's one of those things where you're helping these kids grow, too. I hate saying you're a father figure, but they're away from their families."
State of play: The Flyers lead the Penguins 2-0 and can close out the series with two wins at home.
- It's an unexpected spot for the Broad Street Bullies — a franchise once defined by legends like Bernie Parent and Eric Lindros, but more recently known less for its on-ice play than for Gritty's headline-grabbing antics.
- In his first year as head coach, Rick Tocchet — a former Flyers winger — has helped orchestrate a turnaround, transforming a team that often missed the playoffs and struggled to win 40 games into one with a steely identity.
The intrigue: The franchise has leaned into what once made it formidable: tapping former players as executives and advisors who understand the "Flyer Way." And relying on a young core of players, led by rookie Porter Martone.
- The team's youthful energy is palpable in the locker room, where the equipment staff sees players at their most unguarded.
- Nikita Grebenkin is the team's resident jokester, Bronwell says. Martone, despite being just 19, already carries himself like a veteran.
"There's not one bad apple," Bronwell says. "You can tell the guys in the room give a sh--t about each other every day, and they fight for each other."
- "It translates just in the smiles you see and even the times where somebody is yelling at another player on the ice. They're trying to keep them accountable."
Bronwell and his crew have one mission on Wednesday: stick to the same tried-and-true master class in gameday prep, so the players can focus on playing hockey.
The bottom line: "I've worked over 2,000 games," he says. "I've seen a lot of hockey, and every time I see it, it's like new again. I can get an hour and a half of sleep and still get up ready to come to work — because I f---ing love coming to work."