Former Flyer Jakub Voracek Retires At Age 34
Speaking to Czech news outlet CNN Prima News, former Philadelohia Flyers winger Jakub Voracek confirmed that he would be retiring at age 34 after a 17-year career.
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports - Former Flyer Jakub Voracek Retires At Age 34Speaking to Czech news outlet CNN Prima News, former Philadelphia Flyers winger Jakub Voracek confirmed that he would be retiring at age 34 after a 17-year career.
Voracek was drafted seventh overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007, and would play there until getting traded to the Flyers in 2011, where he would spend the majority of his career before rejoining the Blue Jackets in 2021. In 2023, he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes, but never played a game for the franchise, remaining on the long-term injured reserve due to concussion concerns.
He played 727 games for the Flyers, recording 177 goals and 427 assists in orange and black, along with establishing himself as a fan favorite, receiving raucous applause whenever he would return to the Wells Fargo Center.
The winger was also greatly loved and respected by his teammates, who continued to support him when he expressed fears of never being able to play hockey again back in 2022. (Unfortunately, those fears would turn out to be reality, as Voracek played his last NHL game in November of that year.)
"There's a different type of toughness I feel like," James van Riemsdyk said of his former teammate. "There's the openness of fighting and things like that or other ways to play tough, but part of it is being there for every practice, being there for every game, being reliable. That's a totally different type of toughness and maybe it goes underappreciated. You can always rely on him to be out there for practice, play in all the games."
Current Flyers alternate captain Scott Laughton also spoke on Voracek's tenacity and care for his teammates off the ice.
"He played through anything," Laughton said. "Didn't matter if it was a high ankle sprain, a broken foot, [he was] playing. It just kind of tells you [his] pain tolerance and what [he] went through on a day-to-day basis to be able to strap 'em up. He played through a ton for us. Played through a ton probably before I got here, too.
"I think he was unbelievable with young guys, bringing them in, giving guys apartments and letting them live there—things like that go a long way. Bringing guys around the city and show them how to live pretty much...Just a great human being and a guy that really cares about his teammates and would do anything for you. For sure one of the best teammates I've had and a lifelong friend that I'll have."
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