WAYNE SIMMONDS said he tried not to watch much hockey when the Flyers' season ended nearly six months ago.
But sometimes you can't help it. So he watched, like many others, as the Chicago Blackhawks topped the Tampa Bay Lightning and hoisted the Stanley Cup in June.
"It feels like it's been an eternity," Simmonds said after yesterday's practice. "Going home early, not making the playoffs, you sit on your couch and try not to watch the other teams play. You end up watching them play. For me, it makes me want to strive to get to that next level even more, watching someone else raise the Stanley Cup when that's really what our team's goal is.