The
Philadelphia Flyers are a professional
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Philadelphia,
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. They are members of the
Atlantic DivisionThe NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...
of the
Eastern ConferenceThe Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
of the
National Hockey LeagueThe 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). Part of the
1967 NHL ExpansionThe National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
, the Flyers were the first non-
Original SixThe Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
team to win the
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
, victorious in
1973–74 and again in
1974–75The 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since...
.
The Flyers' all-time points percentage of .578 (as of the end of the 2010–11 season) is the second best in the NHL, behind only the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
' .590 points percentage. Additionally, the Flyers have the most semifinal/conference final appearances out of all expansion teams (16, winning 8) and they are tied with the
St. Louis BluesThe St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
for most playoff appearances out of all expansion teams (35 out of 43 seasons).
The Flyers have played their home games on
Broad StreetBroad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
since their inception, first at the Spectrum from 1967 until 1996, and then at the Wells Fargo Center from 1996 to the present.
The Flyers have had
rivalriesRivalries in the National Hockey League have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons, the primary ones including geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, on-ice incidents , and cultural, linguistic, or national pride.The importance of...
with several teams over the years. Historically, their biggest rivals have been the
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, with an intense
rivalryThe Philadelphia Flyers–New York Rangers rivalry is one of the most storied and well known rivalries in the National Hockey League...
stretching back to the 1970s, the
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, with
whomThe rivalry between the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League is a rivalry between two teams in the Atlantic Division...
they traded the Atlantic Division title every season between and , and their bitter cross-state rivals the
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe 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...
.
History
While attending a basketball game on November 29, 1964, at the
Boston GardenThe Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
,
Ed SniderEdward M. Snider is the American Chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company that owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, the Wells Fargo Center, the Spectrum, the regional sports network Comcast SportsNet and Global Spectrum, an international facilities...
, the then vice-president of the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, observed a crowd of
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
fans lining up to purchase tickets to see a last-place ice hockey team. He began making plans for a new arena upon hearing the NHL was looking to expand due to fears of a competing league taking hold on the West Coast and the desire for a new television contract in the United States. Snider made his proposal to the league, which chose the Philadelphia group — including Snider, Bill Putnam, Jerome Schiff, and Eagles owner
Jerry WolmanJerry Wolman is a former Washington, D.C. developer and the former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles football team of the National Football League. Wolman bought the Eagles franchise in 1963 from the "Happy Hundred," a group of investors that owned the team from 1949–1963, for a sale price of...
— over the Baltimore group.
On April 4, 1966, Putnam announced there would be a name-the-team contest. Details of the contest were released on July 12. The team name was announced on August 3.
1967–1972: Straight to a division title and the playoffs
The new teams were hampered by restrictive rules that kept all major talent with the
Original SixThe Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
. In the NHL Expansion Draft, most of the players available were either aging veterans or career minor-leaguers before expansion occurred. Among the Flyers' 20 selections were
Bernie ParentBernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
,
Doug FavellDouglas Robert Favell is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, most notably for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. He was also a box lacrosse player.-Playing career:...
,
Bill SutherlandWilliam Fraser Sutherland is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre and a former National Hockey League coach...
,
Ed Van ImpeEdward 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:...
, Joe Watson,
Lou AngottiLouis Frederick Angotti is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues. He was the first ever captain of the Flyers in the NHL and coached for the Blues and the Penguins...
,
Leon RochefortLeon Joseph Fernand Rochefort is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centerman who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for seven clubs...
and
Gary DornhoeferGerhardt Otto Dornhofer , better known as Gary Dornhoefer, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, known for winning two Stanley Cups with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League in 1973-74, and 1974-75....
. Having purchased the minor-league
Quebec AcesThe Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. The Aces were founded in 1928, and played until 1971. The team played home games at the Quebec Coliseum from 1930 to 1971.The Aces were Allan Cup...
, the team had a distinctly Francophone flavor in its early years, with Parent, Rochefort, Andre Lacroix,
Serge BernierSerge Joseph Bernier is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Quebec Nordiques. He also played six seasons in the World Hockey Association for Quebec...
,
Jean-Guy GendronJean-Guy "Smitty" Gendron is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 863 games in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers...
,
Simon NoletSimon Laurent Nolet is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Philadelphia Flyers...
and
Rosaire PaiementJoseph Rosaire Wilfrid Paiement is a retired a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He is the older brother of Wilf Paiement....
among others. Beginning play in 1967–68, the Philadelphia Flyers made their debut on October 11, 1967, losing 5–1 on the road to the California Seals. They won their first game a week later, defeating the St. Louis Blues on the road, 2–1. The Flyers made their home debut in front of a crowd of 7,812, shutting out their intrastate rivals, the
Pittsburgh PenguinsThe 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...
, 1–0 on October 19. Lou Angotti was named the first
captainIn ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
in Flyers History. Rochefort was the Flyers top goal scorer with a total of 21 goals. With all six expansion teams grouped into the same division, the Flyers were able to win the division with a sub-.500 record despite being forced to play their last seven home games on the road due to a storm blowing parts of the Spectrum's roof off. Playoff success did not come so quickly, as the Flyers were upset by St. Louis in a first round, seven-game series.
Angotti left the team in the off-season and was replaced by Van Impe as team captain. Led by Van Impe and the team-leading 24 goals of Andre Lacroix, the Flyers struggled during their sophomore season by finishing 15 games under .500. Despite their poor regular season showing in 1968–69, they made the playoffs; however, they were manhandled by St. Louis in a four-game sweep. Not wanting his team to be physically outmatched again, owner Ed Snider instructed General Manager
Bud PoileNorman Robert "Bud" Poile was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive.-Overview:Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers...
to acquire bigger, tougher players. While
head coachCoach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
Keith AllenCourtney "Keith" Allen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and former National Hockey League head coach and general manager. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada...
soon after replaced Poile as GM, this mandate eventually led to one of the most feared teams to ever take the ice in the NHL. The keystone of those teams was acquired when the Flyers took a chance on a 19-year-old diabetic from Flin Flon, Manitoba, named
Bobby ClarkeRobert 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...
with their second draft pick, 17th overall, in the
1969 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1969 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This draft is notable for being the first NHL draft to be conducted after the league ended direct sponsorship of junior hockey.-Selections by round:...
. Keeping to Snider's mandate, the team also drafted future enforcer Dave Schultz 52nd overall.
By the time training camp came around it was clear that Clarke was the best player on the team, and he quickly became a fan favorite. His 15 goals and 31 assists in his rookie season earned him a trip to the NHL All-Star Game. Despite his arrival, the team struggled in 1969–70 recording only 17 wins—the fewest in franchise history (as of completion of the 2006–07 season). They lost the tiebreaker for the final playoff spot to Oakland, missing the playoffs for the first time.
On December 11, 1969, the Flyers introduced what would become one of the team's best-known traditions: playing a recording of
Kate SmithKathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith was an American Popular singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s.Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia...
singing
God Bless America"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
instead of the
The Star-Spangled Banner"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
before important games. The perception was that the team was more successful on these occasions, so the tradition grew. The move was initially done by Ed Snider as a way to defray national tensions at the time of the Vietnam War: Snider noticed that people would regularly leave their seats and walk around during the anthem, but showed more respect and often sang along to "God Bless America". To this day, the team plays the song before major playoff games, currently with
Lauren HartLauren Hart is a professional recording artist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is best known for performing "The Star Spangled Banner" and "O Canada" prior to Philadelphia Flyers games, the team her father Gene Hart was the long-time television and radio announcer for 29 years, and also...
(daughter of Hall of Fame Flyers broadcast announcer
Gene Hart) performing the first part of the song, a recording of Smith singing the second part, and Lauren Hart joining the recording for the finale.
As of the close of the 2010–11 Flyers season, the Flyers have a record of 89–25–4 when
God Bless America is sung prior to Flyers home games.
In 1970–71 the Flyers returned to the playoffs, but were swept by the Chicago Black Hawks in the first round. Even though the team had improved their record in his second season behind the bench, head coach Vic Stasiuk was replaced by Fred Shero in the off-season. Clarke continued to progress as he led the team in scoring in 1971–72 and became the first Flyer to win an NHL award, the
Bill Masterton Memorial TrophyThe Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. However, in the season's final game, the Flyers needed a win or a tie against the second-year
Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
to beat out Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot. The score was tied late in the game, but with just four seconds on the clock, former Flyer
Gerry MeehanGerard Marcus Meehan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and the former general manager and Senior Vice President of the Buffalo Sabres.-Playing career:...
took a shot from 80 feet away that somehow eluded Flyers goalie Doug Favell. The Flyers lost the tiebreaker to Pittsburgh and missed the playoffs. As it turned out, it was the last time the Flyers missed the playoffs for 18 years.
1972–1978: The Broad Street Bullies
It was during the 1972–73 season that the Flyers shed the mediocre expansion team label and became the intimidating
Broad Street Bullies, a nickname coined by Jack Chevalier and Pete Cafone of the
Philadelphia BulletinFor the 2004 resurrection of the Bulletin, see The Bulletin .The Philadelphia Bulletin was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the...
on January 3, 1973 after a 3 to 1 brawling victory over the
Atlanta FlamesThe Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
that led Chevalier to write in his game account, "The image of the fightin' Flyers spreading gradually around the NHL, and people are dreaming up wild nicknames. They're the Mean Machine, the Bullies of Broad Street and Freddy's Philistines." Cafone wrote the accompanying headline, "Broad Street Bullies Muscle Atlanta". That same month, Clarke was the youngest player (at that time) in NHL history to be named team captain, replacing Ed Van Impe.
Rick MacLeishRichard 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...
became the first Flyer to score 50 goals in a season and the Flyers recorded their first winning season. An overtime goal by
Gary DornhoeferGerhardt Otto Dornhofer , better known as Gary Dornhoefer, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, known for winning two Stanley Cups with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League in 1973-74, and 1974-75....
in Game 5 turned the tide of their first round series with the
Minnesota North StarsThe Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in the Flyers' favor, as the Flyers got their first playoff series win in six games. They were outmatched in the semifinals by the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, however, losing in five games. After the season, Clarke was awarded the
Hart Memorial TrophyThe 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...
as the NHL's
Most Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
.
Goaltender
Bernie ParentBernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
returned to the franchise in the off-season, and the Flyers proved that the expansion teams could challenge the
Original SixThe Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
in . The Bullies continued their rough-and-tumble ways, led by Dave Schultz's 348 penalty minutes, and reached the top of the West Division with a record of 50–16–12. The return of Parent proved to be of great benefit as he established himself as one of if not the best goaltender in the league by winning 47 games, a record which stood for 33 years. Since the Flyers, along with Chicago, allowed the fewest goals in the league, Parent also shared the
Vezina TrophyThe Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
with Chicago's
Tony EspositoFor the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
.
Come playoff time, the Flyers swept the
Atlanta FlamesThe Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
in four games in the first round. In the semifinals, the Flyers faced the
New York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. The series, which saw the home team win every game, went seven games. Fortunately for the Flyers, they had home-ice advantage as they advanced to the
Stanley Cup Finals by winning Game 7 and in the process made history by becoming the first expansion team to win a playoff series over an original six team. Their opponent,
Bobby OrrRobert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
and the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, took Game 1 in Boston, but Bobby Clarke scored an overtime goal in Game 2 to even the series. The Flyers won Games 3 and 4 at home to take a 3–1 series lead, but Boston won Game 5 to stave off elimination. That set the stage for Game 6 at the Spectrum. The Flyers picked up the lead early when Rick MacLeish scored a first period goal. Late in the game, Orr hauled down Clarke on a breakaway, a penalty which assured the Flyers of victory. Time expired as the Flyers brought the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia for the first time. Parent, having shutout Boston in Game 6, won the
Conn Smythe TrophyThe 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...
as the Playoff MVP.
Throughout the 1973–74 season, the Flyers often used a recording of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" instead of the national anthem. Smith herself appeared before Game 6 to lead the crowd in the song, even miming a "knockout punch" after her performance.
In 1974–75, Schultz topped his mark from the previous season by setting an NHL record for penalty minutes (472 in all). Clarke's efforts earned him his second Hart Trophy and Parent was the lone recipient of the Vezina Trophy. The Flyers as a team improved their record slightly with a mark of 51–18–11, the best record in the league. After a first-round bye, the Flyers easily swept the
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and were presented with another New York–area team in the semifinals. The Flyers looked to be headed toward another sweep against the
New York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
after winning the first three games. The Islanders, however, fought back by winning the next three games, setting up a deciding seventh game. The Flyers were finally able to shut the door on the Islanders, winning Game 7, 4–1.
Facing Buffalo in the
Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since...
, the Flyers won the first two games at home. Game 3, played in Buffalo, would go down in hockey lore as
The Fog Game due to an unusual May heat wave in Buffalo which forced parts of the game to be played in heavy fog, as Buffalo's arena lacked air conditioning. The Flyers lost Games 3 and 4, but won Game 5 at home in dominating fashion, 5–1. On the road for Game 6, Bob Kelly scored the decisive goal and Parent pitched another shutout (a playoff record fifth shutout) as the Flyers repeated as Stanley Cup Champions. Parent also repeated as the playoff MVP, winning a second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy.
The highlight of the 1975–76 season had no bearing on the season standings. On January 11 at the Spectrum, the Flyers, as part of the
Super Series '76The 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 ArmyHC 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 on Valeri Kharlamov, whom Clarke had slashed on the ankle in the famous
Summit Series '72The 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...
, by Ed Van Impe. 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. After this win the Spectrum was known as the "most intimidating building to play in and has the most intimidating fans." Head coach Fred Shero proclaimed, "
Yes we are world champions. If they had won, they would have been world champions. We beat the hell out of a machine."
The Flyers recorded the best record in team history (points wise) with a record of 51–13–16. The
LCB line, featuring
Reggie LeachReginald 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, Clarke at center, and
Bill BarberWilliam 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
RivertonRiverton 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....
RifleA 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 without an injured Bernie Parent, 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 for scoring a record 19 goals in 16 playoff games.
Dethroned, the heyday of the Broad Street Bullies started to come to an end, as prior to the 1976–77 season, tough-guy Dave Schultz was traded to the
Los Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Despite a slight drop-off in performance, the Flyers dominated the Patrick Division with what proved to be their fourth straight division title. After disposing of Toronto in six games, the Flyers found themselves in the semifinals for the fifth consecutive season. Pitted against Boston, the Flyers lost Games 1 and 2 at home in overtime and did not return home as they were swept in four straight games. The Flyers lost their hold on the Patrick Division in 1977–78 and settled for second place. After sweeping the
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
in 2 games in the preliminary round, the Flyers moved on to beat Buffalo in five games. They faced Boston in the semifinals for the second consecutive season, and lost again, this time in five games. Following the season, the Flyers were stunned when head coach Fred Shero left to become general manager and head coach of the Rangers. As compensation for
The Fog, the Flyers received the Rangers' first-round draft pick in 1978.
1978–1984: Post-Bullies, "The Streak" and new beginnings
Bob McCammonRobert "Bob" McCammon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre and a former National Hockey League and American Hockey League head coach and general manager. He was a pro scout with the Detroit Red Wings....
, who had just coached the Flyers' first year AHL
Maine MarinersThe Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:...
farm club to a
Calder CupThe Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
title, replaced Shero behind the bench. After a slow start in 1978–79 the Flyers switched McCammon with
Pat QuinnJohn Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
, Shero's previous assistant coach, who had replaced McCammon with the Mariners. Adding to the problems, Bernie Parent suffered a career-ending eye injury. The Flyers rallied under Quinn and finished in second place. Matched-up against the
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the preliminary round, the Flyers won the series in three games. The Flyers' season came to an end against Fred Shero's Rangers in a five-game quarterfinal loss.
The Flyers began the 1979–80 season with a somewhat controversial move by naming Clarke a playing assistant coach and giving the captaincy to
Mel BridgmanMelvin 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....
. While Clarke was against this initially, he accepted his new role. The Flyers went undefeated for a North American professional sports record 35 straight games (25–0–10), before losing 7–1 to the
Minnesota North StarsThe Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
, a record that still stands to this day. In doing so, the Flyers wrapped up the Patrick Division title with 14 games to spare and the No.1 overall seed in the playoffs. Their regular-season success continued into the playoffs, as the Flyers swept a young
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and his
Edmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the first round, then went on to get revenge against Fred Shero and his Rangers by beating them in five before disposing of Minnesota in five to lock up a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Islanders for the Cup, the Flyers ultimately lost in six games on
Bob NystromRobert Thore Nystrom is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League from 1972 to 1986. He is best remembered as having scored the winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders the 1980 Stanley Cup...
's overtime Cup-winning goal. The end result of the series was marred by controversy, as the Islanders were
offsideIn ice hockey, the current play is offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck itself enters the zone, either carried by a teammate or sent into the attacking zone by an attacking player. If a defending player carries, passes, or otherwise intentionally sends...
on the play that resulted in their second goal, but the call was not made. Linesman
Leon StickleLeon Stickle is a retired National Hockey League linesman. His career started in 1969 and ended in 1997. During his career , he officiated six Stanley Cup finals, 1,987 regular season games, and four All-Star games...
admitted after the game that he had blown the call.
After the loss to the Islanders, the last of the Bullies guard moved on. Gone were the likes of Leach, MacLeish, Dupont, Kelly and Jimmy Watson, and taking their spots over the next few seasons were young talent such as
Brian ProppBrian Phillip Propp is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 15 seasons in the NHL from 1979 until 1994...
,
Tim KerrTimothy E. Kerr is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.-Playing career:...
,
Dave PoulinDavid James Poulin is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
,
Pelle LindberghPer-Eric Göran "Pelle" Lindbergh was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
and
Mark HoweMark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
, who upon arrival instantly became the Flyers' top defenseman for the next decade.
The Flyers made early playoff exits the next four years, including three first round exits in a row. After a tough, five-game preliminary round series win against the
Quebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, the team's 1980–81 season came to an end as they lost in the quarterfinals to the
Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in seven games. They lost to the Rangers two years in a row in 1981–82 and 1982–83 and then were swept by the
Washington CapitalsThe 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...
in 1983–84. It was after the latter of these playoff losses that Bobby Clarke retired and was named Vice President and General Manager of the team.
1984–1989: Close enough to cry
Mike KeenanMichael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
, a relative unknown at the time, was hired in 1984 to coach the team, and named second-year player Dave Poulin team captain. Behind the goaltending of Lindbergh (who led the league with 40 wins and was the first European to win the Vezina Trophy), the Flyers won a franchise-record 53 games—best in the league—during the 1984–85 season. The Flyers rolled through the playoffs by sweeping the Rangers in three games, defeating the Islanders in five, and beating Quebec in six to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Though they defeated the defending Stanley Cup Champion Oilers in Game 1 by a score of 4–1 at home, Edmonton won the next four games and the series. A month into the 1985–86 season,
Pelle LindberghPer-Eric Göran "Pelle" Lindbergh was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
was fatally injured in a car accident. The team rallied and showed perseverance by garnering the best record in the Wales Conference and matching their win total (53) from the previous year. Tim Kerr scored 58 goals and the defense pairing of Howe and
Brad McCrimmonByron Brad McCrimmon from Plenty, Saskatchewan, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. McCrimmon played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1979 and 1997. From 1997 to his death, he was a coach, ultimately with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League...
led the league in plus/minus, a +85 and a +83 respectively.
Bob FroeseRobert Glenn Froese is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:He played in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers. Froese shared the William M. Jennings Trophy with Darren Jensen as a member of the Flyers in the 1985–86 season...
filled in admirably in net for Lindbergh, being named a second Team All-Star and sharing the
William M. Jennings TrophyThe William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League award given to "the goalkeeper having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play." From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded...
with teammate
Darren JensenDarren Aksel Jensen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Jensen was a talented college goalkeeper for the University of North Dakota, and won the NCAA Tournament with them....
. Despite their regular season success, an emotionally exhausted Flyers team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Rangers in five games.
In 1986 the Flyers were rejuvenated by the addition of another Vezina Trophy goaltender between the pipes, with
Ron HextallRonald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
from
Brandon, ManitobaBrandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
. In his rookie season, he became the third Flyers goaltender to win the Vezina Trophy, joining Parent and Lindbergh. With Hextall providing the critical stops at crucial times, the Flyers captured a third-straight Patrick Division title, and were able to gain revenge on the Rangers by beating them in six games, as well as surviving a tough seven-game test from a gritty Islanders club. The Flyers then defeated the defending Stanley Cup Champion Canadiens in a fiery six game series (notable for a famous bench-clearing brawl during the Game 6 warmup) to win the Wales Conference and return to the Stanley Cup Finals. As was the case two seasons prior, the Flyers became decimated by injuries, the most significant of which was losing Kerr for the remainder of the playoffs. After falling behind 3 games to 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers rallied from a two-goal deficit on the road in Game 5 to extend the series, then won Game 6 at home with another late-game comeback. However they could not overcome the odds a third time and eventually succumbed to the Oilers, 3–1, in Game 7. Hextall was voted playoff MVP, the second time a Flyer won the
Conn Smythe TrophyThe 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...
despite being on the losing team (the other being another Manitoban, Reggie Leach, in 1976).
The Flyers stumbled in 1987–88, finishing third in the Patrick Division (after a first-place finish the previous three years). Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score a goal by firing the puck into an empty net in a December 8 game against Boston. In their first round playoff series with Washington, the Flyers blew a 3–1 series lead as Washington forced a Game 7. They then blew a 3–0 lead in Game 7 as Washington won in overtime 5–4. It was because of this playoff collapse that "Iron Mike" was fired.
Paul HolmgrenPaul 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...
was named Keenan's replacement, the first time a former Flyer was named the club's head coach. Despite finishing at the .500 mark in 1988–89, the Flyers made the playoffs for the 17th consecutive season. Facing first-place Washington in the first round, the Flyers pulled off the upset in six games. Ron Hextall managed to score another empty-net goal in the waning moments of Game 5, becoming the first NHL goalie to score a goal in the playoffs. The Flyers then defeated Pittsburgh in seven games to make the Wales Conference Finals before bowing out to Montreal in six games.
1989–1994: Fall from grace and The Next One
The 1989–90 season got off to a bad start for the Flyers, and continued to get worse. Hextall missed all but eight games due to suspension, contract holdout issues and injury, the suspension given for attacking
Chris CheliosChristos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
at the end of the Montreal playoff series the previous spring. Holmgren replaced Dave Poulin as captain in December with
Ron SutterRonald Sutter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He is the brother of Brian, Brent, Darryl, Duane and Rich Sutter all of whom went to the NHL...
, which led to Poulin's (and later that season, Brian Propp's) trade to Boston. As a result, the Flyers missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 1972. Bob Clarke, having been with the Flyers organization since he was drafted in 1969, was fired and replaced as GM by
Russ FarwellRuss Farwell is the owner, governor, and general manager of the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. He is most well known for his stint as general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers from 1990 to 1994, during which he made a blockbuster trade with the Quebec Nordiques to acquire the...
; Clarke resurfaced with the
Minnesota North StarsThe Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
. Hextall continued to be hampered by injuries during the 1990–91 season. He only played in 36 games and as a result the Flyers missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year, finishing fifth in the division and three points short of a playoff spot after a late-season collapse.
Prior to the 1991–92 season, the Flyers acquired
Rod Brind'AmourRoderic Jean Brind'Amour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He captained the Hurricanes to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in...
from St. Louis. Brind'Amour led the Flyers in goals (33), assists (44) and points (77) in his first season with the club. With Ron Sutter gone to St. Louis in the Brind'Amour trade,
Rick TocchetRichard Tocchet is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes. He was most recently the head coach of the...
was named team captain. As the Flyers continued to flounder, Paul Holmgren was fired midway through the season and replaced by Bill Dineen, father of Flyer
Kevin DineenKevin William Dineen is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently the head coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.-St. Michael's Buzzers:As a seventeen year old, Dineen played with the St...
. On February 19, the Flyers and Pittsburgh made a major five-player deal which featured Tocchet — who never grew comfortably into the role of captain — heading to Pittsburgh and
Mark RecchiMark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
coming to Philadelphia. Recchi recorded 27 points in his first 22 games as a Flyer, but the team missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year, due in large part to an awful road record (10–26–4). With Tocchet traded, the Flyers would remain without a captain until Kevin Dineen was named to the post in 1993–94, and instead went with three alternate captains.
In June 1992, the Flyers persuaded Clarke to return to the team as senior vice president after Jay Snider won the hard fought arbitration battle for 1991 #1 overall pick
Eric LindrosEric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
against the Rangers. It was determined that Quebec had made a deal with the Flyers before making a deal with the Rangers. In order to acquire Lindros' rights, the Flyers parted with six players, trading
Steve DuchesneSteve Duchesne is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL with several teams from 1986 until 2002...
,
Peter ForsbergPeter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
,
Ron HextallRonald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
,
Kerry HuffmanKerry Huffman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques and Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
,
Mike RicciMichael Ricci is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes....
,
Chris SimonChris Simon is a former Canadian professional ice hockey left winger whose last club was UHC Dynamo of the Kontinental Hockey League . He played 15 seasons in the NHL.-Minor hockey:...
, a 1993 first round draft pick (
Jocelyn ThibaultJocelyn Thibault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres...
), a 1994 first round draft pick (
Nolan BaumgartnerNolan Baumgartner is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays within the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
), and $15 million to Quebec. Hindsight looks back at the trade as extremely lopsided, and the Nordiques, later turned
Colorado AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, utilized the parts of the trade on their way to two cups, with
Peter ForsbergPeter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
becoming a franchise player.
The trio of Lindros, Recchi and
Brent FedykBrent Fedyk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger. He was drafted in the first round, 8th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft....
formed the
Crazy Eights line in Lindros' first two years in the league, the eights being the player's jersey numbers (88, 8 and 18 respectively). In 1992–93, Recchi set the franchise record for points in a season with 123 (53 goals, 70 assists) and Lindros scored 41 goals in 61 games. After struggling early the Flyers made a run at the playoffs, but came four points short of the last spot. Head coach Bill Dineen was fired at the season's end, while Clarke left town again to become general manager of the expansion
Florida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
.
For 1993–94,
Terry SimpsonTerry Simpson is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and a former NHL head coach. He only played one season of professional hockey in 1964–65 for the Jacksonville Rockets of the EHL...
was hired as the new head coach in hopes that the Flyers would finally return to playoff contention after four consecutive off-years. Recchi recorded 107 points (40 goals, 67 assists) and Lindros 97 (44 goals, 53 assists) while
Mikael RenbergMikael Renberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player, last playing for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien. He spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League and eight in the Swedish Elitserien.-Playing career:...
set a Flyers rookie record with 82 points. Offense was generated yet the Flyers still failed to clinch a playoff berth, again falling four points short of the final playoff spot. Jay Snider stepped down as President, forcing his father Ed Snider to take over day-to-day operations. The elder Snider had decided he had seen enough of Farwell as GM, and began courting Bob Clarke to leave his GM post with Florida to return to Philadelphia. Farwell's last move as GM was firing Simpson after a lackluster performance.
1994–2000: Eric Lindros, "The Legion of Doom" and the "choking situation"
Bob Clarke returned to the General Manager position prior to the 1994–95 season and immediately began putting his stamp on the team. New head coach
Terry MurrayTerry Rodney Murray is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and current head coach of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings...
replaced Kevin Dineen as team captain with Lindros prior to the start of training camp. In order to shore up the defense, Ron Hextall was re-acquired from the Islanders and high-scoring winger Recchi was traded to Montreal for
Eric DesjardinsÉric Desjardins is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993 and headlined the Flyers defence for over a decade...
,
Gilbert DionneGilbert Dionne is a retired professional ice hockey left winger who played six seasons in the National Hockey League from 1990–91 until 1995–96. He is the younger brother of Hockey Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne, who is nineteen years his senior.Dionne was drafted 81st overall by the Montreal...
and
John LeClairJohn Clark LeClair is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins...
early in the abbreviated season. The Flyers initially struggled out of the gate, going only 3–7–1 through their first 11 games while being outscored 34–22. Lindros and LeClair then teamed with Renberg to form the
Legion of DoomThe Legion of Doom was a forward line for the Philadelphia Flyers who played together between 1995 and 1997 comprising center Eric Lindros, left winger John LeClair and right winger Mikael Renberg. They were given this name not only for their offensive play, but also their ability to dominate games...
line, a mix of scoring talent and physical intimidation. In their 37 games (including the 3-1 victory on February 11, 1995 against the New Jersey Devils), the Flyers went 25–9–3 and outscored their opponents 128–98 enroute. Lindros tied
Jaromir JagrJaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
for the regular season scoring lead (though Jagr won the
Art Ross TrophyThe Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
with more goals), and captured the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP. The playoff drought came to an end as the Flyers won their first division title in eight years and clinched the No.2 seed in the Eastern Conference. After dispatching Buffalo in five and sweeping the defending Stanley Cup champion Rangers, the Flyers were upset in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion
New Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in six games.
Lindros eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time in 1995–96, gathering 115 points, and LeClair scored 51 goals, as the Flyers repeated as Atlantic Division champs and clinched the No.1 seed in the East. Facing the eighth-seeded
Tampa Bay LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, the Flyers dropped two of the first three games. They rallied by winning three straight games to win the series. After taking two of the first three games against their second-round opponent, Florida, the Flyers were defeated in overtime in Game 4 and double-overtime in Game 5. An upstart Florida club with stellar goaltending from
John VanbiesbrouckJohn "Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. He played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils...
ended the Flyers' season in Game 6. The Flyers said goodbye to the Spectrum and prepared to open a new arena - the CoreStates Center - for the next season.
The 1996–97 season started off slowly, as Lindros missed 30 games, but LeClair still managed to score 50 goals for the second consecutive year. The midseason acquisition of then-defenseman scoring leader
Paul CoffeyPaul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
gave the Flyers a veteran presence. Despite finishing just one point shy of a third straight Atlantic Division title, the Flyers blitzed their way through the first three rounds of the playoffs, dominating Pittsburgh, Buffalo and the Rangers all in five games apiece to win the Eastern Conference championship, and clinch a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1986–87. Despite having home ice advantage, the Flyers were swept in four straight games by the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. The goaltending tandem of Hextall and
Garth SnowGarth E. Snow is an American retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
fared poorly in the Finals as both conceded soft goals, and Murry's strategy of alternating starters in goal was criticized. After Game 3 which was a 6-1 loss, Murray blasted his team in a closed-door meeting and then described to the media that the Flyers were in a "choking situation", a remark which angered his players and likely cost Murray his job as his contract was not renewed.
The man picked to replace Murray as coach,
Wayne CashmanWayne Cashman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and a former NHL head coach.-Playing career:Cashman played his junior hockey as a teammate of Bobby Orr's on the Oshawa Generals of the OHA...
, was deemed ill-suited for the job as the Flyers played inconsistently throughout the 1997–98 season. With 21 games to go in the season,
Roger NeilsonRoger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
took over as coach while Cashman was retained as an assistant. John LeClair was able to score at least 50 goals for the third consecutive year (netting 51), the first time for an American-born player, and goaltender
Sean BurkeSean Burke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles...
was acquired at the trade deadline. Burke proved ineffective in net, as the Flyers were eliminated in the first round by Buffalo in five games.
In the off-season, the Flyers went looking for a new goaltender. Burke was let go and Hextall was about to enter his final season as a backup. They chose to sign former Panther
John VanbiesbrouckJohn "Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. He played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils...
over former Oiler
Curtis JosephCurtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....
, who ended up signing with Toronto. The
1998–99The 1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 32nd season in the National Hockey League .In the off-season, the Flyers went looking for a new goaltender. Sean Burke hadn't worked out well enough and Ron Hextall was about to enter his final season as a backup...
season was marred by a life-threatening injury sustained by Eric Lindros on
April Fools' DayApril Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
during a game against the
Nashville PredatorsThe Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, a season-ending injury later diagnosed as a collapsed lung. Up until that point, Lindros was having an MVP-type season with 40 goals and 53 assists in 71 games. Without Lindros, the Flyers had trouble scoring in the playoffs even after having re-acquired Mark Recchi at the trade deadline. Although Vanbiesbrouck allowed nine goals to Joseph's eleven allowed, the Flyers lost their first round series with Toronto in six games.
1999–2000 was one of the most tumultuous seasons in franchise history and the tumult actually started three months prior to the start of the regular season. In the span of a few days in July, longtime broadcaster Gene Hart died due to illness and defenseman
Dmitri TertyshnyDmitri Valerievich Tertyshny was a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who played one season in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and four seasons in Russia for Traktor Chelyabinsk....
, coming off his rookie season, was fatally injured in a freak boating accident. Head coach Roger Neilson was diagnosed with bone cancer, forcing him to step aside in February 2000 to undergo treatment, so assistant coach
Craig RamsayCraig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
took over as interim coach for the rest of the season; Neilson later recovered but was informed that he would not be returning. In January, longtime Flyer and fan favorite Rod Brind'Amour was shipped to Carolina for
Keith PrimeauKeith Primeau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers...
, with the intention of acquiring a big center to complement Lindros. Meanwhile, the strife between Flyers management (particularly Clarke) and Lindros, continued to worsen. Less than a month after Ramsay took over, Lindros suffered his second concussion of the season. He played several games after the initial hit and afterwards criticized the team's training staff for failing to initially diagnose the concussion after it happened. It was after this that the Flyers' organization decided to strip Lindros of the captaincy on March 27 and name defenseman
Eric DesjardinsÉric Desjardins is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1993 and headlined the Flyers defence for over a decade...
the team's captain.
With Lindros out indefinitely, the Flyers rallied to overcome the distractions and a 15-point deficit in the standings to win the Atlantic Division and the No. 1 seed in the East on the last day of the regular season. They easily defeated their first round opponent, Buffalo, in five games. Primeau's goal in the fifth overtime of Game 4 against the team's second-round opponent, Pittsburgh, turned that series in the Flyers' favor as they won in six games, coming back from a 2–0 series deficit. After dropping Game 1 to New Jersey in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Flyers peeled off three straight wins to take a 3–1 series lead. But New Jersey refused to give up. After New Jersey won Game 5, Lindros returned to the lineup for the first time since March for Game 6 in another losing effort. Early in Game 7, Lindros was on the receiving end of a hit by
Scott StevensRonald Scott Stevens is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman. Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues, and the New Jersey Devils...
, giving him another concussion and leaving the Philadelphia crowd deflated. Without Lindros, the Flyers lost the decisive game by a score of 2–1. It was the second time in franchise history the team lost a series after being up 3 games to 1. New Jersey went on to win the Stanley Cup.
2000–2004: The years of change to the magic of 2004
Lindros would never wear a Flyers uniform again, as he sat out the season awaiting a trade. Also, Craig Ramsay retained the head coaching position as Neilson was not asked to return, which became a matter of some controversy. Ramsay only lasted until December when he was replaced by former Flyer great Bill Barber.
Brian BoucherBrian "Boosh" Boucher is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, who as a rookie backstopped the Flyers' playoff run the previous season, couldn't duplicate his performance in 2000–01 and therefore lost the starting goaltending job to
Roman CechmanekRoman Čechmánek is a former Czech professional ice hockey goaltender. He played professionally in the United States, Czech Republic, and Germany. He was born in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia.-Playing career:...
, a former star goalie in the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe....
. The performance of Cechmanek, worthy of a Vezina nomination, helped the Flyers stay afloat, but they lost in the first round to Buffalo in six games.
In the off-season, the Flyers re-vamped their lineup by signing
Jeremy RoenickJeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
and finally trading Lindros to the Rangers for
Kim JohnssonKim Johnsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent.-Playing career:...
,
Jan HlavacJan Hlaváč is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for Linköpings HC of the Swedish Elitserien.- Playing career :...
,
Pavel BrendlPavel Brendl is a Czech professional ice hockey player currently playing for HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL.-Playing career:...
, and a 2003 third-round draft pick (Stefan Ruzicka). Desjardins stepped down as team captain eight games into the season and was replaced by Primeau. The Flyers began 2001–02 with high expectations and with Roenick leading the team in scoring the Flyers finished with an Atlantic Division title. The power play was one of the NHL's worst however, so
Adam OatesAdam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
, the third leading point-producer in the league at the time, was acquired from Washington at the trade deadline. It was of no benefit as the Flyers couldn't muster much offense, scoring only two goals in their five-game, first-round playoff loss to the
Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. It turned out there was much discontent in the locker room as Bill Barber was fired. The Flyers hired a proven winner when they turned to former
Dallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and Stanley Cup–winning head coach
Ken HitchcockKen Hitchcock also known as "Hitch" is an NHL hockey coach and pro scout, currently coaching the St. Louis Blues.-Early Years:...
.
In 2002–03, Roman Cechmanek had a 1.83 GAA and the Flyers acquired
Sami KapanenSami Hannu Antero Kapanen is a Finnish professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for KalPa of the SM-liiga. He has played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers...
and
Tony AmonteAnthony Lewis Amonte is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played right wing for the New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and the Calgary Flames, all of the National Hockey League...
prior to the trade deadline; however, they fell one point short of a second straight Atlantic Division title. As a result, the Flyers endured a long, brutal seven-game first round match-up with Toronto that featured three multiple overtime games, all in Toronto. After winning Game 7, 6–1, the Flyers fought Ottawa in the second round with equal vigor as they split the first four games of the series, Cechmanek earning shutouts in both wins. Cechmanek's inconsistency showed through, however, as he allowed ten goals in the final two games and Ottawa advanced in six games. Cechmanek was traded to Los Angeles for a 2004 second round draft pick during the off-season despite having the second-best goals-against average in the league over his three years in Philadelphia.
Free-agent goaltender
Jeff HackettJeff Hackett is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League with the New York Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers...
was signed from Boston to replace Cechmanek and challenge backup
Robert EscheRobert L. Esche is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for SCL Tigers of National League A.-Playing career:...
for the No.1 spot in 2003–04, but Hackett was forced to retire in February due to vertigo. During the course of the season, serious injuries suffered by both Roenick (broken jaw) and Primeau (concussion) in February forced the Flyers to trade for Chicago's
Alexei ZhamnovAlexei Yuryevich Zhamnov is a Russian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for the Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins...
, who filled in well and kept the Flyers afloat. On March 5, 2004, the Flyers set an NHL record in a game against Ottawa where they set a combined record of
419 penalty minutes in a single gameThe Flyers–Senators brawl was a line brawl that occurred during a National Hockey League game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Ottawa Senators on March 5, 2004. The two team's combined penalty minutes, 419, were the most in a single game in the history of the league...
. Esche entrenched himself as starter and remained in that position even after the Flyers re-acquired Sean Burke from the
Phoenix CoyotesThe Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
as the Flyers clinched the Atlantic Division title over New Jersey on the last day of the season. Though solid in net, Esche's performance was trumped by the play of captain Keith Primeau in the playoffs. Primeau led the Flyers past the defending Stanley Cup Champion Devils in five, and Toronto in six on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals and a match-up with Tampa Bay. Despite winning Game 6 on the late-game heroics of Primeau and winger
Simon GagneSimon Gagné is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . Prior to Los Angeles, he spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers and another with the Tampa Bay Lightning.Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior...
, the Flyers came up short once again losing Game 7 in Tampa, 2–1.
2005–2008: The highs and lows of "The New NHL"
With the NHL preparing for looming labor unrest, the Flyers let their leading scorer, Mark Recchi, leave for Pittsburgh during the off-season. Unsure about what the future would bring, the Flyers were unsure about Recchi's worth. The NHL lockout forced the cancellation of the 2004–05 NHL season. The Flyers were one of the more active teams once the NHL lockout came to an end. Replacing the high-profile names of Amonte, LeClair and Roenick were superstar
Peter ForsbergPeter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
, along with defensemen
Derian HatcherDerian Hatcher is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers...
and
Mike RathjeMichael Steven Rathje is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
, as well as several players from the Calder Cup-winning
Philadelphia PhantomsThe Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During schedule conflicts or some Calder Cup playoff games, games were...
. When all was said and done, the team had experienced a turnover of nearly two-thirds of the roster.
The Flyers began the season with lofty expectations. Despite being hampered by injuries prior to and during 2005–06, the Flyers lived up to those expectations in the first half of the season, reaching the top of the league standings in January while simultaneously holding a ten-point lead in the Atlantic Division. The
Deuces Wild line of Forsberg, Gagne and
Mike KnubleMichael Rudolph Knuble is a Canadian American professional ice hockey right winger and an alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
recorded 75, 79 and 65 points respectively while Gagne, with Forsberg feeding him, scored a career high of 47 goals. However, the injuries began to accumulate and take their toll, the most crippling of which was Keith Primeau season-ending concussion. The Flyers had been first in the league prior to the Olympic break, where an injury to Forsberg occurred. All told, the Flyers were third in the NHL with 388 man-games lost to injury, tops amongst playoff teams. The second half of the regular season was defined by a record hovering around .500, sending the Flyers on a steady slide in the standings. The Flyers fell short of an Atlantic Division title, finishing second by tie-breaker to New Jersey, drawing the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and a first round match-up with fourth-seeded Buffalo. The Flyers lost the series in six games.
The Flyers' 40th year anniversary season turned out to be the worst in franchise history. The Flyers traded
Michal HandzusMichal Handzuš is a Slovak professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
to Chicago, lost Kim Johnsson to free agency and Eric Desjardins and team captain Keith Primeau retired in the off-season. Peter Forsberg replaced Primeau as team captain, but a chronic foot injury developing in last season's Olympics had him in and out of the lineup throughout the season and limited his effectiveness. Eight games into the regular season and with a record of 1–6–1, General Manager Bobby Clarke resigned and head coach Ken Hitchcock was fired. Assistant coach John Stevens replaced Hitchcock and assistant general manager
Paul HolmgrenPaul 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...
took on Clarke's responsibilities on an interim basis.
The changes did little to improve the Flyers fortunes in 2006–07 as setting franchise records for futility became the norm. They had several multiple-game losing streaks including a franchise worst 10-game losing streak and a 13-game home losing streak that stretched from November 29 to February 10. Ultimately, the Flyers finished with a 22–48–12 record—the most losses and the worst winning percentage in franchise history, and the worst record in the league. They also set the NHL record for the biggest points drop off in the standings in a one-year span (101 points in 2005–06 to 56 points in 2006–07, a difference of 45 points). The Flyers were left further dejected as they lost the NHL draft lottery and were demoted to the 2nd overall selection.
With the team clearly on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time in 13 years, Paul Holmgren set his sights on rebuilding the team and preparing for the future. Forsberg, unwilling to commit to playing next season, was traded to Nashville for
Scottie UpshallScott Upshall is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
,
Ryan ParentRyan Parent is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays within the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, and 2007 first and third-round draft picks at the deadline. Veteran defenseman
Alexei ZhitnikOleksiy Mykolaiovych "Alexei" Zhitnik is a retired Ukrainian-Russian ice hockey defenceman. Zhitnik has played more games in the National Hockey League than any other Soviet-born defenceman. He has represented the Soviet Union, CIS, and Russia internationally, and Ukraine during two NHL All-Star...
was traded to the
Atlanta ThrashersThe Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
for prospect defenseman
Braydon CoburnBraydon Coburn is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and disappointing off-season acquisition
Kyle CalderKyle Charles Calder is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League...
was sent to the
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
via Chicago in exchange for defenseman
Lasse KukkonenLasse Kukkonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League...
. The Flyers also acquired goaltender
Martin BironMartin Gaston Biron is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He has also played professionally for the Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Islanders...
from the
Buffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
for a 2007 second-round pick. Given wide praise for his efforts, the Flyers gave Holmgren a two-year contract and removed the interim label from his title. Throughout the season, the fans remained faithful, with the average attendance dropping to 19,283, a mere 253 less than 2009–10, when the Flyers would win the Eastern Conference.
The Flyers began the 2007–08 season with the intention of putting the disaster of the previous season behind them. In June, the Flyers made a trade which sent the first round draft pick they had acquired in the Forsberg trade (23rd overall) back to Nashville for the rights to negotiate with impending unrestricted free agents
Kimmo TimonenKimmo Timonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenseman and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and
Scott HartnellScott Hartnell is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Both were signed to six-year contracts. After much speculation as to whether the Flyers would trade the 2nd overall pick in the
2007 NHL Entry DraftThe 2007 NHL Entry Draft was the 45th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted at Nationwide Arena in the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States on June 22, 2007. The draft consisted of seven rounds with rounds two through seven taking place on June 23, 2007...
, the Flyers stayed put and selected New Jersey native James van Riemsdyk.
The Flyers wasted no time in addressing their free agent needs. On July 1, the Flyers signed Buffalo co-captain
Danny BriereDaniel "Danny" Brière is a French Canadian professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . He has previously played with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres...
to an 8-year, $52 million contract. Continuing to revamp their defensive core,
Joni PitkanenJoni Pitkänen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and
Geoff SandersonGeoff M. Sanderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Sanderson is currently a scout for the New York Islanders...
were traded to Edmonton for Oilers captain Jason Smith and
Joffrey LupulJoffrey Douglas Sheldon Lupul is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Smith was named Flyers captain on October 1.
The season began in the image of the
Broad Street Bullies era, with multiple-game suspensions handed out to 5 separate players, the most serious being 25-game suspensions to
Steve DownieSteve Downie is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
and
Jesse BoulericeJesse Boulerice is an American retired ice hockey player. Boulerice's notoriety stems from two violent incidents, one when playing junior hockey where he used his stick like a bat and smashed Guelph Storm forward Andrew Long in the face, and the other in the NHL where he cross-checked Ryan Kesler...
for two separate incidents. A 7–3 start in October and a 9–3–1 January run had the Flyers near the top of both the division and conference standings. But a disastrous 10-game losing streak in February reminiscent of such a streak the previous season nearly derailed the Flyers' season. An 8–3–4 run in March coupled with two huge wins over New Jersey and Pittsburgh over the final weekend of the regular season put the Flyers back in the playoffs as the sixth seed and a first round matchup with Washington. After taking a three games to one lead over Washington, the Capitals won Games 5 and 6 to force a Game 7 in Washington. After an evenly fought game, the Flyers won the series in overtime on Joffrey Lupul's powerplay goal. The Flyers then drew a matchup with heavily-favored Montreal in the second round. Despite being outshot a majority of the series, the Flyers upset Montreal in 5 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2003–04 to face Pittsburgh. Before the start of the series, the Flyers suffered a fatal blow when it was learned that Kimmo Timonen was out with a blood clot in his ankle. Coupled with a gruesome facial injury to Braydon Coburn in Game 2, Pittsburgh ran roughshod over the Flyers' depleted defense and jumped out to a 3–0 series lead. The Flyers won Game 4 at home to stave off elimination, and although Timonen returned for Game 5, Pittsburgh finished off the Flyers in 5 games.
2009-2011: Gunning for the Cup
The Flyers began the
2008-09The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
season by naming Mike Richards the 17th captain in Flyers history on September 17, with Jason Smith headed to Ottawa as a free agent. The Flyers were looking to build on the success of the previous season but instead got off to an 0–3–3 start. It took until December for the Flyers to truly regain the form that gave them success in the previous season. However, despite a solid December and January and finishing with 4 points more than the year before, for the most part the 2008–09 Flyers played inconsistently and looked like different teams, playing at the top of their ability one night and a subpar performance the next. Briere missed more than half of the season, but Carter's and Richards' continued emergence ensured that the Flyers' scoring and special teams units remained near the top of the league. Hatcher missed the entire regular season and playoffs with a knee injury, and
Steve DownieSteve Downie is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
was traded to Tampa Bay along with
Steve EmingerSteve Eminger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the New York Rangers..-Playing career:Eminger, who is also known for his physical play, started his hockey career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League in 1999. He was drafted in the first round, 12th overall by...
, who they had acquired in a trade with Washington prior to the season for defenseman
Matt CarleMatthew Carle is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
. Two pleasant surprises were the emergence of rookie center Claude Giroux and defenseman
Luca SbisaLuca Sbisa is an Italian-born Swiss ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League .-Early life:...
who was drafted by the Flyers in June with the 19th overall pick acquired from
ColumbusThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for R.J. Umberger, who became a victim of a salary cap crunch. Scottie Upshall also found himself the victim of such a crunch, traded to Phoenix for
Daniel CarcilloDaniel Carcillo is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
at the trade deadline.
Despite holding on to the 4th seed in the East for much of the season, thanks to a 4–5–1 finish to the season, highlighted by a home loss to the Rangers on the last day of the regular season, the Flyers slipped to the 5th seed and lost home-ice advantage in their first round series with Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh dominated the Flyers in Game 1, and despite a better effort by the Flyers in Game 2 Pittsburgh came to Philadelphia with a 2–0 series lead. The Flyers were the better team in Games 3 and 4, but Pittsburgh gained a split in Philadelphia and took a 3–1 series lead. After a decisive 3–0 win in Game 5, the Flyers jumped out to a 3–0 lead in Game 6, but promptly fell victim to the inconsistencies that plagued the team all season and gave up 5 unanswered goals in a season-ending 5–3 loss. Giroux led the team in scoring in the playoffs. Carter ended the season with 46 goals, second in the league after Washington's
Alexander OvechkinAlexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
. Richards just missed out on the Selke Trophy in the closest vote in the history of that competition.
The Flyers began the
2009-10The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
season with some major changes, allowing Biron and Niittymaki to depart via free agency, replacing them with former Ottawa netminder
Ray EmeryRay Emery , often nicknamed Razor or Sugar Ray, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, currently with the Chicago Blackhawks. He formerly played for the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League and Atlant Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey...
and former Flyer Brian Boucher, and significantly upgrading the defense with the addition of
Chris ProngerChristopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
from Anaheim. Pronger came at a price, costing the Flyers Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa and the Flyers' 1st-round draft picks in 2009 and 2010. The season began in earnest but soon began to unravel with mediocre play that cost John Stevens his job in December.
Peter LaviolettePeter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
was hired as head coach in order to reinstitute accountability and restore success to the Flyers but the results were not immediate, as the Flyers suffered a 2–7–1 stretch after his arrival. Injuries took a major toll on the Flyers, with
Blair BettsBlair Betts is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Briere, Carter, Gagne and Timonen missing significant amounts of games, but no position was nearly affected as much with injuries as goaltending. Emery suffered a hip injury in December, played sporadically afterwards and had season-ending surgery. Boucher suffered a hand injury shortly thereafter which allowed journeyman goaltender
Michael LeightonMichael "Mike" Leighton is a professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League.-Playing career:...
to step in and make an immediate impact. Leighton went 8–0–1 in his first 10 starts, including a tough 2–1 overtime loss in the 2010 Winter Classic to Boston at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
on New Year's Day. However, Leighton was forced out of the line-up in March with a high ankle sprain, necessitating Boucher's return as starter. All told, seven different goaltenders suited up for the Flyers at various points. Mediocre play down the stretch forced the Flyers into a do-or-die shootout with the Rangers in the last game of the regular season for a playoff berth. Boucher stopped final shooter
Olli JokinenOlli Jokinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was initially drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1997, third overall after Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau. He was the captain of the Florida Panthers from 2003...
to clinch the 7th seed in the East and a 1st-round matchup with New Jersey.
Boucher and the Flyers consistently outplayed
Martin BrodeurMartin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
and New Jersey and pulled off the upset in five games. However, the victory was costly as Carter suffered a broken foot and Gagne a broken toe in Game 4 and
Ian LaperriereIan Laperrière is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently under contract to the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League , but who has not played since the season because of post-concussion syndrome....
suffered a horrible facial injury by blocking a shot in Game 5. The Flyers faced 6th-seeded Boston in the 2nd round, and despite playing at an even level with Boston the Flyers found themselves in a 3–0 series deficit. Gagne returned in Game 4 and scored in overtime to force a Game 5 which the Flyers won convincingly, 4–0. Boucher suffered MCL sprains during the game in both knees which forced Leighton back into net in his first time suiting up since March. Boucher and Leighton became the first goalies since 1955 to share a playoff shutout. A 2–1 Flyers win in Game 6 forced a Game 7 in Boston. Falling behind 3–0 in Game 7, the Flyers pulled off the biggest comeback in both franchise and league history, winning 4–3 on a late goal by Gagne to join
Toronto in 1941–42The 1941–42 Toronto Maple Leafs season was the club's twenty-fifth season in the NHL. The Maple Leafs came off a very solid season in 1940–41, finishing with their second highest point total in club history, as they had a 28–14–6 record, earning 62 points, which was two fewer than the 1934–35 team...
and the
Islanders in 1974–75The 1974–75 New York Islanders season was the third season for the franchise in the National Hockey League. During the regular season, the Islanders finished in third place in the Patrick Division with a 33-25-22 record qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs...
as the only NHL teams to win a playoff series after trailing 3–0. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Flyers had home-ice advantage as they faced 8th-seeded Montreal. Leighton became the 1st Flyers netminder to record 3 shutouts in a series and Carter and Laperriere returned to the lineup as the Flyers won the Eastern Conference Championship in 5 games and advanced to the
Stanley Cup FinalsThe 2010 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League season. As the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers faced the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks...
for the first time since to face Chicago. Dropping 2 close games in Chicago, the Flyers returned home to win Game 3 in overtime and Game 4 to even the series. But a convincing 7–4 win by Chicago in Game 5 put the Flyers one game away from elimination. A late Hartnell goal in Game 6 forced overtime, but
Patrick KanePatrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...
scored just over 4 minutes into overtime to eliminate the Flyers and give Chicago their 1st Stanley Cup since .
Ville LeinoVille Leino is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Finland:Leino started playing hockey at age 17 for his hometown team SaPKo in the Suomi-sarja...
, acquired in a midseason trade from Detroit, set the Flyers rookie playoff scoring record and tied the NHL record with 21 points. Also, Briere led the NHL playoff scoring race with 30 points, one point ahead of
Conn Smythe TrophyThe 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...
winner,
Jonathan ToewsJonathan Bryan Toews is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who plays for and is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . He is currently the youngest captain in the NHL, having been appointed in 2008....
.
Coming off the close loss to Chicago in the Finals, the Flyers traded Gagne to
Tampa BayThe Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
to clear up cap space, acquired
Andrej MeszarosAndrej Meszároš is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
from Tampa Bay in a separate trade and signed free agent
Sean O'DonnellSean "O.D." O'Donnell is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
to sure up the defense. The Flyers started the 2010-11 season with rookie goaltender
Sergei BobrovskySergei Andreyevich "Bob" Bobrovsky is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Bobrovsky was never drafted into the NHL...
from the
KHLThe Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
in
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, who recorded an opening-night win in his NHL debut against
PittsburghThe 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...
and had steady numbers throughout the season. Boucher remained as the backup goaltender while Leighton played one game in December after recovering from a back injury and was sent to
AdirondackThe Adirondack Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League , who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms are based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Phantoms are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers...
in the
AHLThe 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...
. The Flyers led both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference for the majority of the season, and challenged Vancouver for the overall NHL lead.
Kris VersteegKris Versteeg is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
was brought in from Toronto to add additional offense for the stretch drive and playoffs. However, lackluster play throughout March and April, coupled with a broken hand suffered by Pronger in late February that ended his regular season, cost the Flyers the top seed in the East during the last week of the regular season, although the Flyers hung on to win their first Atlantic Division title since 2003–04 and clinched the No.2 seed in the East.
The Flyers drew Buffalo in the first round. Bobrovsky played well in a 1-0 Game 1 loss, but was replaced in Game 2 for Boucher who held on for a 5-4 Flyers win. Boucher played well in a Game 3 win and a Game 4 loss, but was replaced himself in a favor of Leighton during a bad first period in Game 5, and Buffalo won in overtime. Pronger returned to the lineup and Leighton started Game 6 but was replaced by Boucher after a poor first period, but the Flyers went on to win in overtime and forced a Game 7 which Boucher started. The Flyers dominated Buffalo, 5-2, and became the first team to win a playoff series starting 3 different goaltenders since
1988The 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began with sixteen teams on April 6, 1988. It concluded on May 26, with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup.-Series:...
. The Flyers then drew a
rematchThe 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
with the Boston in the second round. Boston dominated the Flyers in Game 1, where Boucher was again replaced, this time by Bobrovsky. Pronger again left the lineup with an undisclosed injury, while Boston won Game 2 in overtime and again dominated the Flyers in Game 3 to take a 3-0 series lead. Bobrovsky started Game 4, but there would be no such comeback like their previous meeting as Boston completed the sweep of the Flyers. The Flyers tied an NHL record with seven playoff in-game goalie changes, and were the only NHL team not to record a shutout in either the regular season or playoffs.
2011-Present: Reloading for a Cup Run
On June 23, the Flyers began a major reshaping of the their roster by first trading Jeff Carter to
ColumbusThe Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in exchange for
Jakub VoracekJakub Voráček is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
, the 8th overall pick (
Sean CouturierSean Couturier is an American-born Canadian ice hockey player currently with the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
) and the 68th overall pick (Nick Cousins) in the
2011 NHL Entry DraftThe 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hosted the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.The top three picks consisted...
. Shortly thereafter, on the same day, the Flyers traded Mike Richards to
Los AngelesThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for
Wayne SimmondsWayne Simmonds is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
, prospect
Brayden SchennBrayden Schenn is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Schenn was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings fifth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut for the Kings in October 2009, after being called...
and a 2nd round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. To finish the day, finally, the Flyers signed former
PhoenixThe Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
goalie
Ilya BryzgalovIlya Nikolayevich Bryzgalov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League after being acquired by the team on June 7, 2011. He was selected in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, 44th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In...
to a 9-year, $51.5 million deal, after trading for his rights on June 7.
Darroll PoweDarroll Bradley Powe is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and left winger who plays for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
was traded to the
Minnesota WildThe Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
on June 27. On July 1, the Flyers traded
Kris VersteegKris Versteeg is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League...
to Florida, signed former all-star
Jaromir JagrJaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
to a 1-year contract, Anaheim's
Andreas LiljaAndreas Lilja is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Professional hockey:...
to a 2-year contract and Pittsburgh's
Maxime TalbotMaxime Talbot is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , Talbot led the Hull/Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back President's Cups while earning the Guy Lafleur...
to a 5-year, $9 million contract.
Colors, name and logo
On April 4, 1966, Bill Putnam — a member of the Philadelphia group that was selected by the NHL for one of the six new franchises — announced there would be a name-the-team contest and that
orangeThe colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
, black and white would be the team colors. Wanting what he referred to as "hot" colors, Putnam's choice was influenced by the orange and white of his alma mater — the University of Texas — and the orange and black of Philadelphia's previous NHL team, the Quakers. Also announced on April 4 was the hiring of a Chicago firm to design the team's arena.
Details of the name-the-team contest were released on July 12, 1966. Ballots were available at local Acme Markets grocery stores — sponsor of the contest. The top prize was an RCA 21" color television, with two season tickets for both the second- and third-prize winners, and a pair of single-game tickets for the next 100 winners. Among the names considered behind the scenes were Quakers, Ramblers and Liberty Bells. The first two were the names of previous Philadelphia hockey teams and — given the connotations of losing (Quakers) and the minor leagues (Ramblers) — were passed over. Liberty Bells, although seriously considered, was also the name of a local race track. Bashers, Blizzards, Bruisers, Huskies, Keystones, Knights, Lancers, Raiders and Sabres were among the other names considered.
It was Ed Snider's sister Phyllis who ended up naming the team when she suggested "Flyers" on a return trip from a Broadway play. Ed knew immediately it would be the winning name, since it captured the speed of the game and went well phonetically with Philadelphia. On August 3, 1966, the team name was announced. Of the 11,000 ballots received, more than 100 selected Flyers as the team name and were entered into a drawing to select a winner. Alec Stockard, a 9-year-old boy from
Narberth, PennsylvaniaNarberth is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,282 at the 2010 census.-History:Narberth is located on a parcel of land originally deeded to Edward Rees , who arrived from Wales in 1682. A portion of this original tract became the farm of Edward R...
, who had spelled it "Fliers" on his entry, won the drawing and was declared the winner.
With the name and colors already known, Philadelphia advertising firm Mel Richmann Inc. was hired to design a logo and
jerseyA jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
. With Tom Paul as head of the project, artist Sam Ciccone designed both the logo and jerseys to represent speed. Ciccone's winged "P" design — four stylized wings attached to a slanted "P" with an orange dot to represent a puck — was considered the "obvious choice" over his other designs, which included a winged skate. Ciccone's jersey design, a stripe down each shoulder and down the arms, represented wings. The flying "P" has remained the same since the beginning and was ranked the sixth best NHL logo in a 2008
Hockey NewsThe Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
poll. The Flyers unveiled a 3D version of this logo with metallic accents during the 2002–03 season which was used on orange
third jerseyA third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
s until the end of the 2006–07 season.
Jerseys
As with his logo design, Ciccone's jersey design was meant to represent speed. The home jersey was orange with a white stripe down each shoulder and down the arms (meant to represent wings) with a white number on the back and black sleeve numbers. The away jersey was white with orange striping, an orange number on the back and white sleeve numbers. Other than a few minor alterations to the numbers and the switch the NHL made to wear white at home and dark on the road for 1970–71, this general design was used until the end of the 1981–82 season.
The Flyers unveiled second-generation jerseys for the 1982–83 season. The main difference was the increased width of the shoulder and arm stripes with black trim added to the border of the stripes. Also, a pinstripe (black for the white jersey, orange for the dark) was added to the bottom of each sleeve. With the exception of a similarly designed black jersey replacing the orange and the NHL switching back to wearing darks at home and whites on the road prior to 2003–04, this design was used until the end of the 2006–07 season.
Many NHL teams started using third jerseys during the mid-1990s and the Flyers unveiled a black third jersey that was similar in design to their second generation jerseys during the 1997–98 season. During the
2000 Stanley Cup playoffsThe 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, and concluded in June. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions ...
, the black jersey became the primary dark jersey with the orange jersey being retired after the 2000–01 season (although it was worn for one final game early in the following season on Halloween night). In 2002–03, a new orange third jersey was introduced which was a radical departure from any jersey the Flyers had used before. Unique striping and fonts were used along with the aforementioned metallic 3D logo and the first use of a color other than orange, black or white on a Flyers jersey, silver/gray. These jerseys were used until the end of the 2006–07 season.
The Flyers, along with the rest of the NHL, unveiled new Rbk Edge jerseys prior to the 2007–08 season. The black jersey now features white shoulders with orange and black sections at the elbow and black cuffs. The white road jersey features orange shoulders with black and white sections at the elbow, and black cuffs. The Flyers unveiled a new orange third jersey based on their 1973–74 jerseys during the
2008–09The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
season.
At a season-ticket holders townhall meeting in March 2009, Comcast Spectacor president Peter Luukko announced to fans that the new alternate orange jerseys would be used as the home jersey during the
2009 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
. Luukko also stated that the orange jerseys would be used as the home jersey starting in the
2009–10 NHL seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
. The black jersey would return to being the alternate. Recently the Flyers have updated the "shop" section on their official website to reflect this change.
On September 11, 2009, the team announced they will be wearing the 1973–74 white jersey at the
2010 NHL Winter ClassicThe 2010 NHL Winter Classic, known as the 2010 NHL Winter Classic presented by Bridgestone via corporate sponsorship, was the third edition of the NHL Winter Classic, an annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League , played on January 1, 2010, as a regular season game at...
, versus the
Boston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. For this game, the Flyers donned a reverse of their current home uniform but with a black nameplate with white lettering.
At a season-ticket holders townhall meeting on March 28, 2010, Comcast Spectacor president Peter Luukko announced to fans that the new 1973–74 white jersey which was used by the team at the
2010 NHL Winter ClassicThe 2010 NHL Winter Classic, known as the 2010 NHL Winter Classic presented by Bridgestone via corporate sponsorship, was the third edition of the NHL Winter Classic, an annual outdoor ice hockey game held by the National Hockey League , played on January 1, 2010, as a regular season game at...
, would be used as the Flyers away jersey starting in the
2010–11 NHL seasonThe 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
. The new road jerseys were unveiled to fans at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 17, 2010, at Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J. Starting in the 2010–11 season, the Flyers retired their black alternate jerseys.
Shortlived additions
The Flyers debuted a short-lived skating mascot named
"Slapshot" in 1976 but dropped the character by the next season. It remains the only mascot in Flyers' team history, although the team occasionally employed the services of "Phlex", the mascot of the team's minor league affiliate and former next door neighbors who now have moved to Glens Falls, NY, the
Adirondack PhantomsThe Adirondack Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League , who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms are based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Phantoms are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers...
.
The Flyers were the first and one of only two (the
Hartford WhalersThe Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
being the other), NHL teams to wear
CooperallsCooperalls are a type of discontinued ice hockey equipment, which were made by hockey manufacturer Cooper. Cooperalls were invented by the late Senior Designer, Brian Heaton, who worked for Cooper Canada for 5 years from 1972-1975. Over the girdle is a shell, which came in two sizes: a traditional...
, hockey pants that extend from the waist to the ankles, in 1981–82. They wore them the following season as well, but were compelled to return to the traditional hockey pants in 1983–84.
Season by season record
This is a list of the last five seasons completed by the Flyers. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Philadelphia Flyers seasons
Note:
GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OT = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Records as of April 10, 2011
| Season |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL |
Pts |
GF |
GA |
Finish |
Playoffs |
| 2006–07 The 2006–07 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 40th season in the National Hockey League .The 2006–07 NHL season turned out to be the worst in franchise history...
|
82 |
22 |
48 |
12 |
56 |
214 |
303 |
5th, Atlantic |
Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 The 2007–08 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 41st season in the National Hockey League .The Flyers began the 2007–08 season with the intention of putting the disaster of the previous season behind them...
|
82 |
42 |
29 |
11 |
95 |
248 |
233 |
4th, Atlantic |
Lost in Conference Finals, 1–4 (PenguinsThe 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...
) |
| 2008–09 The 2008–09 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 42nd season in the National Hockey League .The Flyers began the 2008–09 season by naming Mike Richards the 17th captain in Flyers history on September 17, with Jason Smith headed to the Ottawa Senators as a free agent...
|
82 |
44 |
27 |
11 |
99 |
264 |
238 |
3rd, Atlantic |
Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (PenguinsThe 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...
) |
2009–10The 2009–10 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 43rd season in the National Hockey League .The Flyers began the 2009–10 season with some major changes, allowing goaltenders Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki to depart via free agency, replacing them with former Ottawa Senators netminder Ray...
|
82 |
41 |
35 |
6 |
88 |
235 |
225 |
3rd, Atlantic |
Lost in Finals, 2–4 (Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) |
| 2010–11 The 2010–11 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 44th season in the National Hockey League .Coming off a close loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers traded Simon Gagne to Tampa Bay to clear up cap space, acquired Andrej Meszaros from Tampa Bay in a separate trade and signed...
|
82 |
47 |
23 |
12 |
106 |
259 |
223 |
1st, Atlantic |
Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0–4 (BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
) |
Regular season
- Most goals in a season: 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...
, 61 (1975–76)
- Most assists in a season: 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...
, 89 (1974–75 & 1975–76)
- Most points in a season: Mark Recchi
Mark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
, 123 (1992–93)
- Most penalty minutes in a season: Dave Schultz, 472 (1974–75) (NHL record)
- Most points in a season, defenseman: Mark Howe
Mark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
, 82 (1985–86)
- Most points in a season, rookie: Mikael Renberg
Mikael Renberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player, last playing for Skellefteå AIK in Elitserien. He spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League and eight in the Swedish Elitserien.-Playing career:...
, 82 (1993–94)
- Most wins in a season: Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
, 47 (1973–74)
- Most shutouts in a season: Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
, 12 (1973–74 & 1974–75)
- Most power play goals in a season: Tim Kerr
Timothy E. Kerr is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.-Playing career:...
, 34 (1985–86) (NHL record)
Playoffs
- Most goals in a playoff season: 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...
, 19 (1975–76) (NHL record)
- Most goals by a defenseman in a playoff season: Andy Delmore
Andrew Delmore is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for Lørenskog IK of the Norwegian GET-ligaen. In his 283 NHL games, Delmore has recorded 43 goals and 58 assists, totalling 101 points...
, 5 (1999–2000)
- Most assists in a playoff season: Pelle Eklund
Per-Eric "Pelle" Eklund is a Swedish former professional ice hockey center who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars and nine seasons in the Swedish Elitserien with AIK and Leksands IF.-Playing career:Eklund played for AIK of the...
, 20 (1986–87)
- Most points in a playoff season: Daniel Briere
Daniel "Danny" Brière is a French Canadian professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . He has previously played with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres...
, 30 (2009–10)
- Most points in a playoff season, rookie: Ville Leino
Ville Leino is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Finland:Leino started playing hockey at age 17 for his hometown team SaPKo in the Suomi-sarja...
, 21 (2009–10) (NHL record)
- Most points by a defenseman in a playoff season: Doug Crossman
Doug A. Crossman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
(1986–87) & Chris ProngerChristopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
(2009–10), 18
- Most penalty minutes in a playoff season: Dave Schultz, 139 (1973–74)
Team
- Most points in a season: 118, (1975–76)
- Most wins in a season: 53, (1984–85, 1985–86)
- Most goals scored: 350, (1983–84)
- Fewest goals allowed (full season): 164, (1973–74)
- Longest undefeated streak: 35 games, (1979–80) (NHL record)
- (This is also a North American Professional sports record)
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Flyer player
| Player |
Pos |
GP |
G |
A |
Pts |
P/G |
Bobby ClarkeRobert 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...
|
C |
1,144 |
358 |
852 |
1,210 |
1.05 |
Bill BarberWilliam 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...
|
LW |
903 |
420 |
463 |
883 |
0.97 |
| Brian Propp Brian Phillip Propp is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 15 seasons in the NHL from 1979 until 1994...
|
LW |
790 |
369 |
480 |
849 |
1.07 |
| 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...
|
C |
741 |
328 |
369 |
697 |
0.94 |
| Eric Lindros Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
|
C |
486 |
290 |
369 |
659 |
1.35 |
| Tim Kerr Timothy E. Kerr is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.-Playing career:...
|
RW |
601 |
363 |
287 |
650 |
1.08 |
John LeClairJohn Clark LeClair is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins...
|
LW |
649 |
333 |
310 |
643 |
0.99 |
Mark RecchiMark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
|
RW |
602 |
232 |
395 |
627 |
1.04 |
| Rod Brind'Amour Roderic Jean Brind'Amour is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He captained the Hurricanes to the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship in...
|
C |
633 |
235 |
366 |
601 |
0.95 |
Simon GagneSimon Gagné is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . Prior to Los Angeles, he spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers and another with the Tampa Bay Lightning.Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior...
|
LW |
664 |
259 |
265 |
524 |
0.79 |
Honored members
Hall of Famers
The Flyers currently have twelve personnel in the Hockey Hall of FameThe Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
; eight have been inducted into the players category and four in the builders category. Inducted as players and who spent a significant part of their career with the Flyers were goaltender Bernie ParentBernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
in 1984, forward Bobby ClarkeRobert 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...
in 1987, forward Bill BarberWilliam 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...
in 1990, and defenseman Mark HoweMark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
in 2011. Of the other Flyers also inducted as players – Paul CoffeyPaul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th...
, Dale HawerchukDale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001...
, Darryl SittlerDarryl Glen Sittler is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1970 until 1985 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.On February 7, 1976, Sittler set an NHL...
and Allan StanleyAllan Herbert Stanley was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League version of the Vancouver Canucks.-Playing...
– only Sittler played a third season with the Flyers. Inducted as builders were Keith AllenCourtney "Keith" Allen is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and former National Hockey League head coach and general manager. He was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada...
, who was head coach (1967–69), general manager (1969–83) and executive vice-president (since 1980), Roger NeilsonRoger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
, head coach (1997–2000), mainly for his overall NHL coaching career, Bud PoileNorman Robert "Bud" Poile was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive.-Overview:Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers...
, general manager (1967–69), and Ed SniderEdward M. Snider is the American Chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company that owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, the Wells Fargo Center, the Spectrum, the regional sports network Comcast SportsNet and Global Spectrum, an international facilities...
, the Flyers majority owner (1967–96) and chairman (since 1996). Gene Hart (1967–95), was honored as a broadcaster (Foster Hewitt Memorial AwardThe Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is an award named after Foster Hewitt and presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career...
) in 1997.
Retired numbers
The Flyers have retired four of their jersey numbers and taken a number out of circulation. The Flyers have retired number 1 for goaltender Bernie ParentBernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
(1967–71 and 1973–79) on October 11, 1979, number 4 for defenseman Barry AshbeeWilliam Barry Ashbee was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
(1970–74) on April 3, 1975, number 7 for left-winger Bill BarberWilliam 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...
(1972–84) on October 11, 1990, and number 16 for center Bobby ClarkeRobert 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...
(1969–84) on November 15, 1984. The number 99 was retired league-wide for Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
on February 6, 2000. The Flyers plan to retire Mark HoweMark Steven Howe is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Colleen and Gordie Howe, and early in his career was a teammate of his father...
's number 2 on March 6, 2012, when they face off againts the Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. While not officially retired, the number 31 worn by goaltender Pelle LindberghPer-Eric Göran "Pelle" Lindbergh was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
(1981–85) has not been assigned to any other Flyer since his death in November 1985.
Flyers Hall of Fame
Established in 1988, the Flyers Hall of Fame honors those who have made significant contributions to the Flyers in their careers. To date, 20 former players and executives have been inducted, including charter inductees Bernie Parent (1988) and Bobby Clarke (1988), as well as Bill Barber (1989), Keith Allen (1989), Ed Snider (1989), Rick MacLeish (1990), Fred Shero (1990), Barry Ashbee (1991), Gary Dornhoefer (1991), Gene Hart (1992), Reggie Leach (1992), Joe Scott (1993), Ed Van Impe (1993), Tim Kerr (1994), Joe Watson (1996), Brian Propp (1999), Mark Howe (2001), Dave Poulin (2004), Ron Hextall (2008) and Dave Schultz (2009).
Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
- See: List of Philadelphia Flyers award winners#Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
See also
External links