A P Flyer

Laperriere goes on after frightening concussion

On all fours, a towel pressed to his face, Laperriere begged the Philadelphia Flyers trainer for some good news.

"Is my eyeball still there, Jimmy? Do I still have my eye?" he asked trainer Jim McCrossin.

Yes, the right eye was in place, even though he'd need about 70 stitches to patch up his face.

Laperriere had his eye and his eyesight — but he lost his career.

Laperriere, a gutty forward who built a 15-year career as a pesky agitator, has not played since the 2010 playoffs. He missed all of this season because of the lingering effects of the concussion he suffered from the vicious shot to the face when he tried to block the puck in a playoff game against New Jersey.

In Philadelphia, he's become a bit of a folk hero.

In the NHL, he hasn't been forgotten.

Laperriere is one of three nominees for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Goalie Ray Emery of the Anaheim Ducks and forward Daymond Langkow of the Calgary Flames also were nominated, which will be presented Wednesday at the NHL awards in Las Vegas.

Emery and Langkow both returned from injuries to play this season. Laperriere wasn't so lucky. He hasn't retired yet ("there's a chance because I'm breathing") but doctors have told him to quit and he's all but played his last game.

He should have been wearing that No. 14 sweater and helping the Flyers in their playoff push had he simply worn a visor. By his own admission, Laperriere was too macho to wear the protective shield because of his reputation as the type of player who absorbed any kind of hit, or dished 'em out, if it would help his team win.

He was never much of a scorer — 121 goals, 336 points in 1,083 career games — and knew if he wanted to stick around the NHL, he'd have to peform the dirty work the other player battling for his spot might not want.

So he took off his shield and started fighting.

Laperriere played for three teams in 1995-96, but that final stop in Los Angeles was a fortuitous one. Kings assistant coach Dave Tippett told Laperriere he needed to suck up injuries and stay in the lineup for 75-80 games, not 60.

Guest Post by Sandy Young, The AP Stylist: Flier versus Flyer

Well, it refers to what you are talking about, but in general, you will want to use “flier” to adhere to AP style.

According to the AP Stylebook, “Flier is the preferred term for an aviator or a handbill.”

When referencing an airplane pilot, you might write: “It is debatable whether the airplane flier fell asleep or if he was distracted while flying.”

If referring to physical handouts, usually made of paper, a correct sentence could be: “I was given 100 fliers to distribute by the end of the day.”

The only time you need to use the spelling “flyer” is if it is the proper name of something, such as a train or bus. (I suppose this spelling would also be correct for some periodicals, as well, but this seems contradictory, since these publications should be using AP style …)

The only time I believe “flyer” should be used? When talking about Radio Flyer wagons – those things are fantastic.

“The AP Stylist” is written by Sandy Young, SoCalPRBlog’s resident contributor for all things AP style. Young is a public relations account executive at J. Walcher Communications and freelance writer, as well as a board member for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) San Diego/Imperial Valley Chapter. She has been a member of several of San Diego’s top public relations and marketing communications agencies and has worked with high-profile clients in a wide variety of industries nationwide.