Even though he still had one more year left on his current deal with the Philadelphia Flyers, Garnet Hathaway knew one thing for certain when it came to thinking about his future.
"I want to be in Philly," he said. "That was a big thing for me, so timing on it...when it came down to it, this is where I want to be [and] this is where I want to play. I had a great year to get introduced to the players and the organization. It made sense to me and my family, so we're really happy."
Despite last season being his first with the Flyers, Hathaway quickly found his footing, becoming a fan favorite for his hard-hitting game and tireless work ethic on the ice.
That style of play is what had the Flyers interested in him in the first place, and when GM Danny Briere told Hathaway that he would be a perfect fit for the team, the 32-year-old knew where he was meant to go.
"That's a huge compliment [with] the history of this organization," he acknowledged. "If you ask Danny, we talked last summer and at that point, a two-year deal made sense for both of us."
Hathaway didn't shy away from the team's expectations for him, and he has no plans of doing so in the future. Right now, the focus is on helping bring as much success to the Flyers as possible.
"It was kind of a challenge to come in and prove myself and prove not only will they see me as part of their two-year plan, but more than that," he said. "I want to be here when their plan really continues to take off...You can see that striving more. No one is satisfied with just overachieving like people think we did last year...In this league, you can't take your foot off the gas. You can't think, 'Hey, I've made it, I have time for this, I can take a step back.'"
Choosing to stay in Philadelphia wasn't a hard decision for both personal and professional reasons, as Hathaway strives to not only make the city home for his family, but to prove that he earned every day of his contract extension.
"I have two young kids and a third on the way, so knowing that you're not gonna have to pack up and move," he said. "That's tough, and that can weigh on you, as any father that plays professional sports understands...[Staying in Philadelphia] is exciting. You want to prove yourself with every deal you get. I'm still here every day because I want to live up to how this organization sees me."
