Ian Laperriere Retires A Flyer: “I’m Just Glad I Had The Chance To Wear The Orange And Black"

It's always sad to see an athlete retire before they should due to circumstances out of their control. Unfortuneately, that's exactly what ian Laperriere had to on Tuesday after missing the past two seasons with serious injuries.

Laperriere spoke glowingly about the Philadelphia Flyers on his untimely way out the door, according to CSNphilly.com:

"I'm just glad I had the chance to wear the orange and black. Pretty much, it's something that I would have missed just to play for a team that cares so much about their fans and their players so much."

Laperriere spent three years as a Flyer but only played in one, spending the other two watching for a luxury box due to a brutal battle with post-concussion syndrome.

"You see me at the rink and everything's good, I have a smile on my face, but trust me, it's been a really, really tough past two years, said Laperriere.

Laperriere also expressed an interest in coaching, something he says could keep him close to the game.

Over at our blog Broad Street Hockey, Travis Hughes sums it up best:

Laperriere will be sticking around for the time being, and perhaps he does get that start in coaching here in Philadelphia. The Phantoms need a new head coach, after all ... /baseless speculation. In all seriousness, we've always seen Lappy as one of those guys who'd be a Flyer for life regardless of the short time he spent in the uniform during his career, and it's apparent that the feeling is mutual.

For more on the Flyers, please be sure to check out our blog Broad Street Hockey and SB Nation Philly for all the latest news and updates.