Flyers forward leaves team due to family emergency: reveals amazing news to flyers fans and teammates

He wouldn't be on the starting lineup on Thursday or Saturday, according to John Tortorella. Laczynski missed the Flyers' final two games after the first six because his wife gave birth.

"Let's remember what we're doing. We're entertainers. It's a sport," Tortorella said Monday after practice. "There was no way he was coming back here. Everybody's thrilled for him, thrilled for his wife. I know it was a long night for her. That stuff's more important than anything - your family."

"He was great about it," said Laczynski, in response to how Flyers John Tortorella was with the situation. "He said, 'Be with your family, that's most important.'

"There's so much stuff in the league, you're always so busy that you don't usually get that time. It was nice to have two or three days off to be there for my wife and our beautiful boy."

The entire Flyers roster also gave him some stick taps when he returned to the team after becoming a father: