I was wondering around the local hockey supply store recently when I came across a mother and her young son looking at numerous pairs of skates. The boy, no more than ten or so, had gone through about four or five styles of skates when he appeared to finally settle on one that not only felt good, but to him also looked good.

With a sense of accomplishment, he looked to his mother and proclaimed “Now I can play just like one of the all-time greats, number 88!” I smiled as I said “Smart kid. Eric Lindros is near the top of my list as well”. His response?

“Who is Eric Lindos?”

His mother quickly pointed to a poster hanging on the wall. It was No.88 hoisting the Stanley Cup. It was Patrick Kane.

“Oh. Kane. Yeah, of course. Wait, really?” I was blown away. Kane is a phenomenal player – a franchise player – who has helped turn the Chicago Blackhawks into a modern day dynasty. Perplexed, I realized that I was in the midst of a generational shift. What I assumed was understood was now misunderstood. Needing to dive further into this new paradigm, I asked the boy (and his mother of course) if we could play a few quick rounds of number association. He obliged, and the results were what I expected.

Times are changing.

I asked him who his favorite team was and he replied the Philadelphia Flyers. “You’re in luck! Mine too” I said. I proceeded to give him a number and see what player he associated it with. First up was No. 17.

Boys reply: Wayne Simmonds

Ah, The Wayne Train. Excellent choice and a great, young player. Simmonds, entering his fifth season in Philadelphia, is on the doorstep of a 30-goal season and his tenacity on the power play has seen him score double-digit goals on the man advantage in three of the past four seasons.

He is a leader on and off the ice and a fan favorite in the City of Brotherly Love. While absolutely an acceptable answer for any Flyers fan, it wasn’t the first that came to mind.

My reply: Rod Brind’Amour

Flyers to induct Jimmy Watson and Rod Brind’Amour into team Hall of Fame | http://t.co/XwMoTWdBSI — SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) July 4, 2015

The 21-year NHL veteran spent nine of those seasons in orange and black where is amassed 601 points in 633 games played. He was an iron man for the Flyers and one of their most respected leaders during their successful campaigns in the 1990’s. He would go on to win a Stanley Cup with Peter Laviolette and the Carolina Hurricanes and will soon be inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame.

Needing to really test this young gent, I throw the next number at him. No. 10.

Boys reply: Brayden Schenn

Arriving in Philadelphia along with Simmonds in the Mike Richards trade, Brayden Schenn has been somewhat slow to warm up having registered 58 goals in 265 games for the Flyers. Having been shifted around the lineup the past few seasons under Craig Berube, Schenn figures to have more of a prominent role under first-year coach Dave Hakstol who has molded players such as Jonathan Toews and T.J. Oshie while at the University of North Dakota.

Sorry, kid. No dice on that one. If we are talking about the Flyers and number 10, there is only one logical choice.

My reply: John LeClair

Of course my reply would be John LeClair. Not only do I think he is the best number 10 in team history, I think he is one of the best players in team history. Recently inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame along with Eric Lindros, LeClair scored 643 points in 649 games with the team spanning 10 seasons. He scored 50 or more goals in three consecutive seasons and scored 40+ goals in the two seasons after that. Heck, the guy was on a line called the Legion of Doom! You can’t think of Flyers hockey without thinking of John LeClair.

I decide to throw one more number his way. I give him the No. 27.

Boys reply: Ron Hextall

Ron Hextall? Why on earth would be pic…..wait? Did he say Ron Hextall? The same Ron Hextall that was MY choice for No. 27? Yes, he most certainly did. He then proceeded to blow me away. “My Dad has a Ron Hextall jersey that he wears all the time.No. 27. Did you know he scored before?”

Did I know he scored before? Kid, I saw it happen.

I gave the boy a fist bump and wished him luck in his budding hockey career. As I walked away, a gentleman fairly older than me came up and said the following:

“No. 17 is Ed Hospodar, No. 10 is Mel Bridgman and No. 27 is Reggie Leach”.

Shocked, I realized that I was now the young boy, confirming to the elder that there indeed was a generational shift in the game.

The man said to me “It doesn’t really matter though”. I wondered why out loud to which he proclaimed “Sidney Crosby still sucks”.

Once a Flyers fan, always a Flyers fan. There is no such thing as a generational shift there.

Would you have picked similar players with the jersey numbers given? Have you seen a similar scenario with another team? Let me know in the comments and/or on twitter @healedbyhockey