NHL cameo for Flyers remains career summit for Wranglers’ Fritsch

In a sense, Jamie Fritsch is hockey's version of Moonlight Graham, the character in the movie "Field of Dreams" who appeared in one major league game but didn't get an at-bat.

Fritsch, a Wranglers defenseman, played one game in the NHL on April 12, 2009, shortly after wrapping up his senior season at the University of New Hampshire.

"It was definitely one of the best days of my life," he said.

The 26-year-old Fritsch, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers in their 2008-09 regular-season finale against the New York Rangers, had just arrived in Washington, D.C., where he was scheduled to compete in the "Frozen Four" skills challenge, when he got a call from his agent.

"He was saying I might need to get on a train and head to Philly," Fritsch said. "Something had happened."

What had happened was the Flyers had no salary cap space and therefore couldn't call up anyone from their farm team, so they had to sign an amateur so it wouldn't put them over the cap.

Enter Fritsch, who practiced for two days with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the American Hockey League before he was called up by the Flyers.

"A couple days before, they had told me there was a chance it might happen, so I just practiced and stayed ready. Then I got the call," Fritsch said. "It was an awesome experience.

"It was pretty surreal, just walking in and seeing your jersey and your name and number hanging in an NHL locker room next to some huge names."

Fritsch said the players were accepting and encouraging and the coaches made the game plan simple for him.

"It was a real controlled style, a very organized system they played," he said. "It was kind of just get the puck and move it, take care of things and keep everything in front of you."

Fritsch, who filled in for injured defenseman Ryan Parent, fared well in the Flyers' 5-4 home loss as he was on the ice for two goals for and one against.

"I was a little jittery in warmups, but once the puck dropped for the game, it was just like another game," he said. "I was just trying to keep things as simple as possible."

Fritsch suspects he was noticed by Philadelphia when it scouted James Van Riemsdyk, his college teammate and the Flyers' 2007 No. 2 overall draft pick.

"It was definitely a little bit of luck and hard work," he said. "It was a right-place-right-time kind of thing. Things fell into place."

Fritsch framed the Flyers jersey he wore in the game and hung it in his home in Portsmouth, N.H. But it wasn't long after his debut in the NHL that he realized he might never make it back there.

"That was my first pro game, and after that you kind of realize how hard it is to get there," he said. "It was awesome to get that game, but it just makes you hungry to get back there. It's definitely a battle to get up there."

Fritsch played for Gwinnett (ECHL) and Norfolk (AHL) as a rookie in 2009-10. He was traded to the Wranglers before last season, when he split time between Las Vegas and Houston (AHL).

Wranglers coach Ryan Mougenel said the 6-foot-2-inch defenseman has what it takes to return to the NHL.

"He's a guy you've got to watch," he said. "He's a no-mistake, consistent defenseman who plays hard every shift, plays the right way and skates phenomenally well.

"Of all the guys on the back end, he's got a lot of potential. He's just got to find a home."

Regardless if Fritsch makes it back to the NHL, he can always say he made it.

"It's something that will be on my resume forever," he said.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.