The Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce sponsored a recent event with retired Flyers defenseman Chris Therien, now an advocate for people struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
State Sen. Jimmy Dillon introduced Therien at the event, held at American Heritage Credit Union headquarters at 2060 Red Lion Road. Dillon knows Therien from training his daughters in basketball.
Charlie Kueny, president of the Northeast Chamber, invited Therien to speak after meeting him at a Self Help event.
Therien was a standout NHL player, but also dealt with alcoholism.
Now 52, Therien was drafted in the third round by the Flyers in 1990. He played three seasons at Providence and was on the Canadian hockey team that won a silver medal at the 1994 Olympics. He played parts of two seasons with the Hershey Bears before joining the Flyers during the 1994-95 season.
In all, he played 11 seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Flyers. He made the All-Rookie Team and was on the Flyers team that made the Stanley Cup finals in 1997, getting swept by the Detroit Red Wings. He was paired with star defenseman Eric Desjardins during most of his stint with the Flyers, and he holds the franchise record for most games played as a defenseman, with 753.
In March 2004, he was traded to Dallas, playing in 11 games for the Stars.
There was a lockout in the 2004-05 season, and no games were played.
“I spent the whole year drinking,” Therien said.
In the summer of 2005, General Manager Bobby Clarke called Therien and asked him to return to the Flyers.
During a home game against the Calgary Flames in December 2005, Therien said he played the first two periods hung over, then went to his car before the third period to retrieve an 8-ounce bottle of vodka.
“I chugged that whole thing,” he recalled.
Then he hit the ice.
“I drank myself sober,” he said. “I was the best player on the ice in the third period.”
Coach Ken Hitchcock spoke with him the next day, but did not know about Therien’s drinking. Still, the defenseman’s days were numbered.
“My career was over about five weeks later,” he said.
In July 2006, he signed in at Caron, a treatment center, with a stunningly high .63 blood alcohol, for a 30-day stay.
The treatment worked, though Therien had a relapse before going to AA in February 2011.
“I’ve remained sober for 13½ years, coming up on 14,” he said.
In recovery, Therien wanted to help others facing the issues he overcame.
“It’s time to share my story,” he said.
He wrote a book, Chris Therien: Road to Redemption, with longtime Flyers writer Wayne Fish. He’s the chief wellness officer at Pennsylvania Recovery Center, which has a location at 1026 Winter St. in Center City. And he founded Bundy Recovery – his nickname with the Flyers was “Bundy” – to serve as a resource for people struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
In addition to his work with the recovery community, Therien stays busy talking hockey and spending time with his children.
He was a Flyers broadcaster for eight years on radio and six years on television. Now, he’s back with the franchise as part of the Snow the Goalie podcast with Anthony SanFilippo and Russ Joy.
Therien has four children. Daughters Isabella and Ava played basketball at Loyola (Maryland) and another daughter, Lex, plays there now. Son Chris is a senior at Cherokee High School in Marlton, New Jersey who is a lineman on the football team and is being recruited to play in college. ••
For more information on Therien’s work, visit bundyrecovery.com or call 800-638-5370.
