Esche to bring back NHLers

Observer-Dispatch cmuder@utica.gannett.com

WESTMORELAND -- Robert Esche fell short of his goal of bringing the Stanley Cup home to the Mohawk Valley this year. But as part of his annual charity golf outing in two weeks, Esche will likely do the next best thing: bring in a Stanley Cup winner. Esche, the Philadelphia Flyers goalie, has spent the last month unwinding at home in Westmoreland following the Flyers' first-round exit from the National Hockey League playoffs. But Esche has also been busy planning his June 29-30 outing at Turning Stone Resort and Casino, where about two dozen of his NHL friends will dine and golf for a good cause: Esche's Save of the Day Foundation, which helps children with life-threatening illnesses. The star attraction will be Mark Recchi, whose second-period goal was the difference in the Carolina Hurricanes' 2-1 win over Edmonton on Monday night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Carolina leads the series 3-1 and needs only one win in three games to capture the Cup. "It's perfect timing, because at the dinner on June 29 we're roasting Mark Recchi, and he's going to end up winning the Cup," said Esche of his former Flyers teammate. "It's gotten really big and really out of control in a good way. We've sold out two courses at Turning Stone for June 30, and we've only got about 35 tickets left for the dinner there the night before. "On a modest level, we'll probably bring in about $125,000. We're hoping for 150 or 175 grand." Esche's foundation has helped grant wishes to more than 60 children over the last few years, providing vacations or simply helping with medical expenses. Since the start of 2006, Esche said the Foundation has given away more than $30,000. In past years, Esche has also hosted a charity softball game at Murnane Field in Utica, featuring his NHL friends. But the game will not be held this year because Esche said the event ended up costing the foundation money. Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Esche is already planning for next season with the Flyers. "Our coach, Ken Hitchcock, says it best: in 2004, when we went to the (Eastern Conference) finals, the one thing we had was a nucleus of guys that were there for a couple of years," Esche said. "But after the lockout last year, we turned over a lot of those people. So there's a building process to get back there. "I'm extremely excited for next season. We have one of the greatest players in the world (forward Peter Forsberg), and it's a fun experience just being in Philadelphia." The City of Brotherly Love is notoriously tough on goalies, but Esche appears to have won them over. In the Buffalo series, which the Flyers' lost in six games, Esche was pulled during Game 5 after allowing five goals. But the Philadelphia fans gave Esche a standing ovation as he was leaving the ice -- recognizing that he faced several odd-man rush situations that left him almost no chance to make a save. In Game 1 of the series, Esche made an incredible 55 saves in a double-overtime loss where Buffalo outshot Philadelphia almost two-to-one. "I thought I had a really good season," said Esche, who was 22-11-5 in the regular-season with a 2.97 goals-against average. "But when you don't win, you want to figure out how to win. Complacency doesn't set easy with me. "I don't want to be an average player. I want to figure out how to be the best at my position." Esche has established himself as a dependable NHL goalie -- and one that has risen to the occasion in back-to-back playoff appearances. As a result, he will no doubt be a hot commodity on the free-agent market when his contract expires after the 2007 season. Esche, however, has no desire to leave Philadelphia. "One of my highlights of playing in the NHL was that night when I got pulled in the playoffs," Esche said. "When I came off the ice, I just couldn't believe the support I got. That just doesn't happen. And as miserable as I was, I still savor that moment. "I'll be a free agent next year, but everyone knows my feelings toward Philadelphia. I love playing there and I don't want to go anywhere else."