Is Gritty the NHL’s Most Unhinged Mascot? Yes — and the Playoffs Are Happy to Have Him
The Philadelphia Flyers are back in the NHL playoffs for the first time in years, and their seven-foot-tall orange mascot is making up for lost time in the most unhinged way possible.
Gritty — the googly-eyed, wild-bearded, furry menace introduced by the Flyers in September 2018 — has long been a source of viral moments during the regular season.
But he has been largely absent from the postseason spotlight for one simple reason: the Flyers have only made the playoffs once since his arrival, and that was back in 2020, when teams played their games in Toronto due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, with the Flyers facing the rival Pittsburgh Penguins in an intense battle for Pennsylvania’s love, Gritty has been doing Gritty things ever since the start. And the internet cannot get enough.
Chasing Penguins Fans Down a Hallway
On April 22, Gritty took to social media to share a video of him chasing a man and a woman wearing Penguins’ jerseys down a hallway.
“Helping random penguins fans get home safe pt 2,” the video wrote.
“Get home safe,” the caption added.
Gritty kept closing in on the pair. As he neared, the camera switched to his face — and the only sound coming from the video was the sound of feet hitting the floor (and Gritty’s eyes clicking dramatically).
The video comes one year after Gritty debuted the series. On March 19, 2025, Gritty shared a video on his TikTok of him chasing a woman wearing a Sidney Crosby jersey down a similar hallway.
Fans ate it up. One wrote in a TikTok comment: “When Gritty was first introduced as the new mascot of the Flyers, I was skeptical. But now I think he is the best mascot of all time.”
Another TikTok comment read: “how is there not a horror movie made about this mascot.”
On Instagram, someone added: “No one’s talking about how he closed that gap in 3 seconds.”
Playoff Gritty Hits Different — Way Different
But this year it’s different. This year the Flyers are in the playoffs. And they have a 3-0 series lead over the Penguins.
The series began on April 18 with a 3-2 win. The Flyers followed that up with a 3-0 shutout on April 20 and a 5-2 win on April 22 — which spurred the hilarious part 2 video.
April 22 was the team’s first home playoff game since 2018, and Gritty kicked the chaos into overdrive. One video shows him rinkside behind the glass, staring down Penguins’ players as they warmed up.
At one point during the first period, a penguin mascot appeared on the jumbotron. Then, out of nowhere, Gritty ran into the frame and started beating the penguin up before throwing the Penguin down multiple levels of the arena.
The moment was foreshadowed a week earlier when Gritty posted a photo on TikTok of the Penguins’ mascot. Behind the penguin was Gritty, doing his usual staredown.
“Tick tock, little bird,” the caption read.
Another video, posted on April 18, showed Gritty kicking down a door to a dark room. One commenter captured the mood perfectly: “Not even a flyers fan, but I am absolutely here for unhinged playoff Gritty.”
An Open Letter From the Mascot Himself
Ahead of his first home playoff game on April 22, Gritty penned an open letter to fans that showed a surprisingly sincere side beneath all the chaos.
“Tonight’s my first playoff game. For the first time, I’m not just watching the playoffs from the comfort of my inflatable couch. I’ll be there, in the building,” he wrote.
“They say the air smells different in the playoffs (I beat asthma last year, so I will be fact-checking this). They say the lights are a little brighter, the orange a little orangeier, and the ftp chants a little louder,” he added.
“I wanted it. I needed it. I’m getting it… We’re getting it,” he continued.
Even in earnestness, Gritty managed to be unmistakably Gritty — equal parts heartfelt and absurd, with an energy that can only be described as “what if a Muppet had a criminal record.”
The Battle of Pennsylvania Rages On
The Flyers hold a commanding 3-0 series lead, and the Battle of Pennsylvania has been decidedly one-sided. The series continues in Philly on April 25.
Gritty will be there. And if the first three games are any indication, he will make his presence felt again — whether that means staring down opposing players, body-slamming mascots off the jumbotron or chasing fans in Penguins jerseys down hallways.
The playoffs may have been missing Gritty for years. They won’t be forgetting him anytime soon.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
