You might get kicked out of a meeting for enjoying the new Flyers mascot too much

The Philadelphia Flyers revealed a new mascot, and  — well, it’s certainly *a choice*.

With the NHL season nearly upon us, teams are beginning to set their rosters in an effort to ensure their hard work this year pays off with a Stanley Cup victory. Only one team will be able to hoist the Cup, but that doesn’t mean the journey along the way can’t be interesting.

Philadelphia may not win a title this year, but they’ll be damned if they don’t leave an impression. On Monday, the Flyers kicked the week off by introducing the world to its new mascot, Gritty.

Our crack team of NHL experts had barely stumbled into the virtual office before being presented with the life-altering moment of seeing Gritty for the first time. Not everyone was a hater, however. Despite the ridiculousness of this mascot, there’s some positivity to be had.

Initial Knee-Jerk Reaction

Griffin Youngs: Hold on, his name is not actually “Gritty”. Who approved this?

Dave Stevenson: Unless Grit can play goalie, nothing good will come from this horrendous excuse of a mascot. The only way the Flyers could have botched this more is if they signed it to a huge offer sheet.

Joshua Axelrod: What is it with Philadelphia sports teams and terrifying mascots?

What Is ‘Gritty’, Exactly?

Bruin Belisle: Gritty might be the greatest mascot in NHL history. I have no doubt that he will lead the Flyers to multiple Stanley Cups. Put his name on the Cup when the Flyers win.

Griffin Youngs: Congratulations to Grimace from McDonald’s on his promotion.

C.L. Kohuss: If Cousin It fell in a vat of nuclear waste and came out a Philly fan

Hunter Hodies: This mascot is a mix of a sesame street character and a character from where the wild things are. It’s downright terrifying, especially with the googly eyes.

Joshua Axelrod: The Philly Phanatic looks like a sentient broccoli’s fever dream, and now there’s Gritty, the Flyers’ new mascot who looks like Animal from The Muppets gained 500 pounds and gouged out his eyes because he couldn’t stand looking at himself in the mirror and replaced them with dead googly eyes. How can anyone take the Flyers seriously at this point?

Derek Grochowski: Got me tossed from a meeting for laughing.

Dave Stevenson: I’ve got to hand it to the Flyers. Nothing says “fun family-friendly environment” like having an orange hairy Grimace as your mascot.

So, Is Gritty Going To Become *A Thing*?

Griffin Youngs: It’s a genius mind game to have him standing on the glass and staring at the other team so you can unsettle them. Shutouts every home game

Bruin Belisle: Dragging Gritty out of whatever hell-forsaken cave he lived in will go down as one of the greatest decisions in NHL history. His gorgeous orange fur and beautiful eyes are a national treasure and he should be celebrated by not only Flyers fans, but the league as a whole.

Hunter Hodies: This is the worst decision they’ve made since signing Andrew Macdonald to that monster deal. I wonder if he can play goaltender for them during the season.