Two storylines built headlines in anticipation of alumni game . One was Bernie Parent participating in the game at the age of 66 . Parent decided to participate despite his age due to requests by fans . The return of Eric Lindros also grabbed headlines . Lindros was a very popular and successful player for the Flyers , but left the franchise amidst controversy and bad blood . The Flyers players all wore a small number " 10 " on top of their shoulders in memory of former Flyers defenseman Brad McCrimmon , who died in the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash earlier in the year
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
2012 NHL Winter Classic