A bunch of ex-Flyers spanning four decades gathered to practice a couple of seasons ago before the Winter Classic alumni game.

The team's coach, Pat Quinn, who was the Flyers' bench boss from 1978 to 1982, started forming his lines and defense pairings.

He put Eric Desjardins (acquired in 1995) with Terry Carkner and Chris Therien with Brad Marsh, splitting up one of the Flyers' longest-tenured pairs.

"He mixed up his decades," said Therien, a rookie in 1994.

Now a Flyers TV analyst, Therien would have loved another chance to play with his old defense partner.

"Eric was – and I say this with complete respect – a bigger No. 1 than I think this team's had in a long time," Therien said. "We had (Chris) Pronger here, but he was a steady, mainstay guy."

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