1975–76 Philadelphia Flyers season
Encyclopedia
The 1975–76 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

' ninth
Philadelphia Flyers seasons
The Philadelphia Flyers are an American ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They compete in the National Hockey League Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. Since their inaugural season in 1967, the team has played its home games on Broad Street in South Philadelphia, first at...

 season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...

 in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 (NHL).

The Flyers recorded the best record in team history (points wise) with a record of 51–13–16 in 1975–76. The LCB line, featuring Reggie Leach
Reggie Leach
Reginald Joseph Leach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He is best known for his time in Philadelphia, winning a Stanley Cup with...

 at right-wing, Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...

 at center, and Bill Barber
Bill Barber
William Charles Barber is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played twelve seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League . As part of the famed LCB line, Barber helped lead the Flyers to the franchise's two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975...

 at left-wing, set an NHL record for goals by a single line with 141 (Leach 61, Clarke 30, Barber 50). Clarke, on his way to a third Hart Trophy, set a club record for points in one season with 119. Heading into the playoffs, the Flyers squeaked past Toronto in seven games and defeated Boston in five games, Game 5 featuring a five-goal outburst by Leach, the Riverton
Riverton, Manitoba
Riverton is a village in the province of Manitoba in Canada located approximately 110 kilometres north of Winnipeg. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Bifrost. The CPR's train conductor is reputed to have named the town....

 Rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

, to head to a third straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Flyers didn't come close to a third straight championship, as they ran into an up-and-coming dynasty in Montreal, and were swept in four straight games. Despite the loss, Leach was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...

 for scoring 19 goals in 16 playoff games.

The highlight of the season had no bearing on the season standings. On January 11 at the Spectrum, the Flyers, as part of the Super Series '76
Super Series
The Super Series were exhibition games between Soviet teams and NHL teams that took place on each NHL opponents' home ice in North America from 1976 to 1991. The Soviet teams were usually club teams from the Soviet hockey league. The exception was in 1983, when the Soviet National Team represented...

, played a memorable exhibition game against the Soviet Union's dominant Central Red Army
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...

 team. As the Bullies had put intimidation to good use the past three years, the Flyers' rugged style of play led the Soviets to leave the ice midway through the first period, protesting a hit by Ed Van Impe on Valeri Kharlamov (whom Clarke had slashed on the ankle in the famous Summit Series '72
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...

). After some delay, the Soviets returned after they were warned that they would lose their salary for the entire series. The Flyers went on to win the game rather easily, 4–1, and were the only team to defeat the Red Army outright in the series. Head coach Fred Shero
Fred Shero
Frederick Alexander "The Fog" Shero was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager. He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . However, he spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues...

 would proclaim, "Yes we are world champions. If they had won, they would have been world champions. We beat the hell out of a machine."

Game log

1975–76 Game Log
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Game log

1976 Stanley Cup playoffs
EWLINE

Skaters

Note: Pos = Position (C = Center
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...

; D = Defense; G = Goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

; LW = Left wing
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...

; RW = Right wing); GP = Games played; G = Goals
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

; A = Assists
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus-minus (playoff plus-minus not available); PIM = Penalties in minutes
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

; Bold denotes franchise record; = Joined team via trade or waivers during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only. = Left team via trade or waivers during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
# Player Age Pos GP G A P +/- PIM GP G A P PIM
Regular season Playoffs
16 26 C 76 30 89 119 83 136 16 14 16 28
23 LW 80 50 62 112 74 104 16 13 18
27 25 RW 80 61 30 91 73 41 16 19 24
26 25 C 76 26 49 75 32 101 16 11
12 32 RW 74 28 35 63 14 128 16 43
10 20 C 80 23 27 50 22 86 16 14 31
11 26 RW 78 21 26 47 33 68 16 11 47
18 28 LW 80 19 28 47 29 87 16
19 26 C 51 22 23 45 6 16
23 D 77 8 34 42 45 83 16 11 14
23 D 80 14 23 37 45 68 16 14
26 D 75 9 27 36 40 214 15 46
20 23 D 79 2 34 36 65 66 16
26 LW 71 13 19 32 24 307 16 90
14 32 D 78 2 22 24 56 28 16 10
25 LW 79 12 8 20 3 125 16 44
15 32 C 38 6 9 15 6 28 10
35 D 40 0 8 8 16 60
29 23 D 57 1 2 3 11 205 15 41
21 24 C 2 1 0 1 1 0
35 31 G 66 0 0 0 11
30 G 11 0 0 0 2
30 31 G 4 0 0 0 2
25 25 D 3 0 0 0 0 2
30 26 G 2 0 0 0 0
33 24 G 1 0 0 0 0
21 21 RW 1 0 0 0 0 0
17 20 RW 1 0 0 0 0 2

Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GA = Goals against; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average; MIN = Minutes played; = Joined team via trade or waivers during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only. = Left team via trade or waivers during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
# Player Age GP W L T SO GA SV% GAA MIN GP W L SO GA SV% GAA MIN
Regular season Playoffs
35 31 66 40 10 13 1 164 .907 2.58 3819 8 4 4 0 22 .904 2.67 494
30 11 6 2 3 0 24 .908 2.34 615 8 4 4 0 27 .892 3.38 480
30 31 4 3 1 0 0 15 .880 3.75 240
30 26 2 2 0 0 0 3 .950 1.50 120
33 24 1 0 0 0 0 1 .667 10.00 6

Awards

NHL
Award Recipient
All-Star Game
29th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The Wales Conference All-Star team defeated the Campbell Conference 7-5 after opening up a 6-1 lead in the second period.Peter Mahovlich was voted most valuable player of the game after scoringa goal and three assists.- Wales Conference All-Stars :...

 representative
Bill Barber
Bill Barber
William Charles Barber is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played twelve seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League . As part of the famed LCB line, Barber helped lead the Flyers to the franchise's two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975...


Andre Dupont
Andre Dupont
André "Moose" Dupont is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Quebec Nordiques...


Reggie Leach
Reggie Leach
Reginald Joseph Leach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He is best known for his time in Philadelphia, winning a Stanley Cup with...


Rick MacLeish
Rick MacLeish
Richard George MacLeish is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings...


Fred Shero
Fred Shero
Frederick Alexander "The Fog" Shero was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager. He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . However, he spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues...

 (Coach)
Wayne Stephenson
Wayne Stephenson
Wayne Frederick Stephenson was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He was born in Fort William, Ontario.-Playing career:...


Jim Watson
Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...

 
Reggie Leach
Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...

 
Bobby Clarke
NHL First All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...

 
Bobby Clarke (C)
Bill Barber (LW)
NHL Second All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...

 
Reggie Leach (RW)
Team
Award Recipient
Barry Ashbee Trophy  Jim Watson

Records

NHL player
Player Record Mark
Reggie Leach Goals, one playoff season 19
Reggie Leach Goals, one playoff game 5
Reggie Leach Longest playoff goal scoring streak 10 games
Dave Schultz Penalty minutes, one playoff game 42
Flyers player
Player Record Mark
Reggie Leach Goals, one season 61
Bobby Clarke Assists, one season 89
Reggie Leach Goals, one playoff season 19

Trades

Date
Details
June 4, 1975
To Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 
1st-round pick in 1975
1975 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and the 18th overall pick to the Washington Capitals for the number one overall selection,...

To Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

 
Bill Clement
Don McLean
1st-round pick in 1975
1975 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and the 18th overall pick to the Washington Capitals for the number one overall selection,...

December 15, 1975
To Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 
John Paddock
John Paddock
Alvin John Paddock is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . During his long career in the American Hockey League he won five Calder Cup championships and was inducted into the AHL's Hall...

To Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

 
Bob Sirois
Bob Sirois
Robert Sirois is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 286 games in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals...

March 9, 1976
To Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 
Gary Inness
Gary Inness
Gary George Inness is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and teacher.-Playing career:Signed as a free agent in 1973 by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Inness would play for parts of almost three seasons in Pittsburgh before he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers...


futures
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...


Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor (ice hockey)
Robert Ian Taylor , affectionately known as "Chief", is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently the colour commentator on Tampa Bay Lightning television broadcasts. Previously, he held the same role for the Philadelphia Flyers...


Ed Van Impe
Ed Van Impe
Edward Charles Van Impe is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.-Playing career:...


Additions and subtractions

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"> Additions
Player Former team Via
Dave Kelly
Dave Leslie Kelly
David Leslie Kelly is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in 16 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1976–77 season.-External links:...

 
Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...

 (HE
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....

)
free agency (8/6)
Larry Wright
Larry Wright (ice hockey)
Larry Dale Wright is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played in 106 National Hockey League games over parts of five seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, California Seals, and Detroit Red Wings....

 
California
California Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...

 
free agency (9/10)
Wayne Schaab
Wayne Schaab
Wayne Schaab is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. While he never played in the NHL, he was a top point producer throughout the 1970s and early 1980s in the AHL with the Richmond Robins and Maine Mariners, the CHL with the Omaha Knights, and the EHL with the Charlotte...

 
Omaha
Omaha Knights
The Omaha Knights were a minor league professional ice hockey team from 1959 to 1975, based in Omaha, Nebraska at the Ak-Sar-Ben arena. The Knights were founded in 1959 as members of the International Hockey League...

 (CHL)
free agency (9/10)
Terry Murray
Terry Murray
Terry Rodney Murray is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and current head coach of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings...

 
California free agency (9/23)
class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"> Subtractions Player New team Via Ted Harris  — retirement (6/2)

Draft picks

Philadelphia's picks at the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft
1975 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and the 18th overall pick to the Washington Capitals for the number one overall selection,...

 in Montreal, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

.
Rnd # Player Position Nationality Drafted From
1 1 Mel Bridgman
Mel Bridgman
Melvin John Bridgman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1975–76 until 1988–89....

Center Victoria Cougars
Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1922 to 1924, and in the Western Hockey League from 1924 to 1926...

 (WCHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...

)
3 54 Bob Ritchie
Bob Ritchie (ice hockey)
Robert Ritchie is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played 29 National Hockey League games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings.-External links:...

Left wing Sorel Black Hawks (QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...

)
4 72 Rick St. Croix
Rick St. Croix
Richard St. Croix is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently one of the assistant coaches of the AHL's Manitoba Moose. He was a 4th round NHL draft pick, as were his two sons.-Playing career:St...

Goaltender Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...

 (OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

)
5 90 Gary Morrison
Gary Morrison
Gary Morrison is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played in 43 National Hockey League games with the Philadelphia Flyers over parts of three seasons.-External links:...

Forward U. of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 (CCHA
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...

)
6 108 Paul Holmgren
Paul Holmgren
Paul Howard Holmgren is an American former professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars. He moved into coaching after his playing career, serving as head coach of the Flyers and Hartford Whalers...

Forward U. of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

 (WCHA
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....

)
7 126 Dana Decker Left wing Michigan Tech (WCHA)
9 160 Viktor Khatulev Defenseman Dynamo Riga (USSR)
10 175 Duffy Smith Defenseman Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...

 (CCHA)

Farm teams

The Flyers were affiliated with the Richmond Robins
Richmond Robins
The Richmond Robins were a professional ice hockey team based in Richmond, Virginia. They were a member of the American Hockey League for five seasons from 1971–72 to 1975–76...

 of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 and the Philadelphia Firebirds of the NAHL.
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