Philadelphia Flyers Legends

Rick Foley

2011-12-26T14:02:00.000-08:00

Rick Foley was an intriguing - and intimidating - blend of physicality and offense.

The defenseman was a giant of his day. At 6'4" and 225lbs he was likely the biggest man on the ice in most games he played in during his vagabond career in the late 1960s and the 1970s.

He liked to use his size to his advantage, too. His penalty minute totals were mindboggling. Well over 2000 minutes sitting in the penalty box in his professional career. The wild haired Foley totally fit that 1970s "Slap Shot" image of pro hockey.

But Foley could play, too. He had strong offensive numbers everywhere he played. He had 95 and 80 points in his 2nd and 3rd pro seasons - impressive even if it came in the lowly EHL. But he posted strong numbers the WHL and AHL as well, topping the 70 point mark in each league. Those are great numbers for a defenseman. And those numbers would have been even better had he not been sitting in the penalty box so much.

In 1971 the Philadelphia Flyers gave the 5th year pro his first real shot at the NHL. He would play 58 games for the Flyers that season, posting good numbers again with 11 goals, 36 points and 168 points. Mid-season he was suspended and demoted to the minor leagues because his weight was out of control. The Flyers, according to the Montreal Gazette, had a clause in Foley's contract calling for him to keep his weight below 218lbs. Clearly the Flyers felt Foley's weight hurt his play more than it helped.

The Flyers dismissed Foley after that one season. He briefly played for Detroit in the 1973-74 season and otherwise continued to roam the minor leagues.

Eric Lindros

2011-11-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

I'm going to preface this article and come right out and say it: I like Eric Lindros. Actually he's one of my favorite players of the 1990s.

There, now I said it. Full disclosure.

I don't expect you to like Eric Lindros. It is not the easiest thing to do. He dug his own hole, taking unpopular stances about dictating where he was going to play. He's guarded, moody, abrupt and has no visibly likable personality, and he pissed off a lot of fans and a lot of hockey people along the way.

Before he ever stepped out on an NHL ice surface, Eric Lindros was heralded as the next great superstar. Even as a boy he could dominate NHLers physically, as he proved in the 1991 Canada Cup. Plus he had all the skills to be a great scorer - great shot, good passing, good skating, good stickhandling. He was unrealistically billed as the closest thing to a perfect hockey player since Gordie Howe. Expectations were out of this world.

Add to that the fact that he spurned much of Canada, especially French Canada, for his refusal to play for the Quebec Nordiques, and he had already turned many fans and media members against him. Then he goes to Philly, where he is immediately the target of a vicious circle of media and fans from arch rival cities like Washington, Pittsburgh, and especially New York. It seemed like the whole world was against this guy.

The Lindros saga actually begins before his drafting by and subsequent scandal involving the Nords. He was a 15 year old playing with Junior B. St. Michaels when he first gained national attention. He was the cream of the junior crop already, but in order for him to play junior hockey, he had to join the team that drafted him - the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. However the Lindros family did not want to play there, as it was too far away from their Toronto home. Lindros sat out, demanding to be traded. However the OHL had a rule that stated that teams could not trade their first round pick for a year after they drafted him. So Eric skated with Detroit Compuware, a tier II team in the Great Lakes Junior league.

The OHL, like all of junior hockey, has become more about making money than developing players over the years. And the league knew they could have a huge drawing card if they had Lindros in their league. Buildings would be filled to capacity wherever he played. So rather than risk losing him to the NCAA or another league, they changed the rules, and allowed the Greyhounds to trade Lindros to the Oshawa Generals for a package of players, draft picks, and cash. It was a steep price to pay, but it proved worth it as Lindros led the Generals to the Memorial Cup, and made the Generals ownership a ton of money in ticket and souvenir sales.

The following year Lindros scored a league high 71 goals and 149 points in just 57 games. He was the obvious choice for the first selection in the summer's entry draft. The only problem was the Quebec Nordiques held that coveted selection. Lindros made it quite clear that he did not want to play for the Nordiques, as he did not like their ownership and management groups. Critics suggested he was just a greedy kid who knew he could make more money if he played in the United States. Plus the team was downright awful, the tax laws were unforgiving, and his endorsement potential would be little in a small French town. Despite many lucrative trade offers, the Nords took Lindros first overall. Lindros refused to put the jersey on at the proceedings.

The Nords tried to sign Lindros. They reportedly offered over $50 million over 10 years, to which Lindros responded "If they offered me $100 million, I would not play for them." Clearly it wasn't a money issue for the Big E, who shocked many by turning down such a lucrative contract. "They don't want to win. I don't think everyone in their organization has the same goal: winning the Stanley Cup."

It was obvious that it would not be in the cards. The entire season elapsed before anything would be done to resolve the situation. During that season Lindros played mostly for the Canadian National team. He started the year in the Canada Cup, where he physically dominated NHL competition. He had memorable hits on Joel Otto, Martin Rucinsky and Ulf Sameulsson. He definitely did not look out of place, despite being only 18 years old, and the only non-NHLer to ever represent Canada at that tournament. Lindros also represented Canada the World Junior championships, and the Olympics, where he helped Canada win a silver medal.

Quebec finally dealt Lindros a year after drafting him. Actually, just to complicate the soap opera even more, they traded him twice. They had reached agreements with both the Flyers and the New York Rangers. The Flyers felt an agreement was made, only to have Quebec then go to New York and see if they would up the ante any. They did, and Quebec then agreed to trade Lindros to the Rangers. The Flyers cried foul. The NHL had to call in an arbitrator to settle the dispute. Finally, arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi concluded the deal first reached with Philadelphia was a legally binding agreement.

The Nordiques received defensemen Kerry Huffman and Steve Duchesne, goalie Ron Hextall, forwards Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, and Peter Forsberg, draft picks and cash reportedly in the neighborhood of $10 million US. By the way, the Rangers offer reportedly consisted of Alexei Kovalev, Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, John Vanbiesbrouck, cash and draft picks. Either way, the deal was a blockbuster of the most ridiculous of proportions! In fact even at the time of the deal it looked like the Nords got more for the soon to be rookie Lindros than the Oilers had gotten for trading Wayne Gretzky in his prime.

Lindros fit in well with the Flyers, who were rebuilding with the Big E as their centerpiece. Number 88 played on the "Crazy Eights" line with Mark Recchi (8) and Brent Fedyk (18). Lindros however missed nearly 20 games in his rookie season due to a knee injury. He had a fine rookie season - 41 goals and 75 points in 61 games. But that wasn't enough for many people. The most talked about rookie in NHL history didn't even win the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year, as Teemu Selanne won with his mindboggling 76 goal season.

To make matters worse, Lindros was involved in an off ice scandal in a bar in Whitby Ontario, as a woman accused him of pouring beer all over her. The charges were eventually cleared, but the public relations nightmare for the Lindros' continued.

Lindros continued to battle his knee problems as he upped his offensive totals in to 44 goals and 97 points in 1993-94. But his Flyers again missed the playoffs, with a lot of heat going on the big man's shoulders.

The lockout shortened season of 1994-95 proved to be a good one for Lindros. He played all but two games, and tied Jaromir Jagr for the lead league in points with 70. But Jagr took home the Art Ross trophy as the league's leading scorer because he had more goals than Lindros. Lindros scored the Hart Trophy as league MVP. That wasn't a big concern for the Big E though, as he got his team to the playoffs for the first time. He had a great playoff too, scoring 15 points in 12 as the Flyers fell just short of reaching the conference finals. Lindros officially arrived as what many people already felt where he was - as the best player in the world.

Things seemed to be going just rosy for Eric at that time. He stayed healthy for most of the 1995-96 season, playing a career high 73 games and picking up career bests with 47 goals and 115 points. Again his Flyers went to playoffs, but again bowed out in the second round.

Things started going down hill in 1996-97. The season started with the World Cup, the replacement tournament of the Canada Cup. Lindros was brought in with a lot of older Canadian warriors, the likes of Gretzky, Coffey, Messier. It was supposed to be a proverbial passing of the torch if you will, as Canada would again exert its dominance in international and Lindros would take them there. Unfortunately the team ran into a hot goalie in Mike Richter in the final, and lost to the United States.

Lindros again ran into injury problems in the NHL season of 96-97. A nagging groin injury plus a rash of minor injuries kept him to just 52 contests that year. He played extremely well though, scoring 32 goals and 79 points. In the playoffs he led the Flyers all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals! He was dominant in the first three rounds. Finally it appeared that Eric Lindros would fulfill his destiny of bringing a Cup to Philadelphia. Unfortunately the young Flyers were taught a lesson by the high flying Detroit Red Wings. And especially unfortunate for the Flyers, Lindros was relatively quiet in the 4 game sweep by Detroit.

Lindros had a so-so 1997-98 regular season, scoring "just" 71 points in 63 games, as he suffered his first serious concussion, causing him to miss 18 games.

1998 also saw the first Olympic games with NHL competitors. Lindros was again the mantle piece on a Canadian team looking to regain its place a top the hockey world, but the Canadian team ran into hot goalie named Dominik Hasek in the elimination round. The Canadians eventually lost their chance to play in the gold medal game due to a silly shootout. Lindros, who was named captain and again was expected to take the torch and carry it, was blasted hard by an unforgiving media that never warmed to him.

1998-99 proved to be a tough season again for Lindros. Despite suffering a second concussion early on in the year, he got into 71 games and recorded 93 points. But late in the season he suffered a collapsed lung and could have died because of it. He was hospitalized and lost lots of weight. His season was done just as the playoffs were beginning again. Again, the Flyers playoff chances were shot.

Lindros had a particularly tough year again in 1999-2000. In the offseason he was criticized by his own GM, the impatient Bobby Clarke. Clarke challenged Lindros in the offseason to do better or else. Lindros accepted the challenge, but again, injuries refused to let him prove his critics wrong. He suffered a severe concussion on March 4 but he continued to play, as team doctors misdiagnosed his ailment as bad migraines. That was the worse thing could have happened to Eric, as his headaches only got worse and worse.

Lindros criticized the team doctors for misdiagnosing him. The proved to be the last straw for Clarke, who saw it as an opportunity to get rid of Lindros. He was tired of the Flyers always depending on Lindros, and then Lindros not being able to participate in the playoffs. He stripped Eric of his captaincy, and told him he would never play for the Flyers again.

Lindros continued to work out so that when he got the doctors clearance to play again, he could return to the lineup, despite what Clarke said. Only when Lindros got clearance to resume practicing, he suffered another concussion when he accidentally collided with a teammate.

Lindros came back from that too, and finally was given clearance to play in game 6 of the Conference finals against New Jersey. Clarke left the decision to use Lindros up to coach Craig Ramsay, who gladly accepted him. The Flyers lost that night, but Lindros was their best skater, scoring their only goal.

The loss forced a game 7 between the Devils and Flyers, with the winner going on to the Stanley Cup finals. Lindros was back, and things were looking up for the Flyers. Unfortunately, Lindros wasn't looking up, literally. Early in game 7, in a moment that will be etched in our memory for a long time to come, Lindros skated right down the middle of the ice, dancing in on the Devils blueline, but with his head down looking at the puck. That's when the beast of a defenseman Scott Stevens clocked Lindros with a horrifying but textbook clean open ice hit. Steven's shoulder hit Lindros right in the head, and his head hit on the ice when he crumpled motionlessly. It was a scary moment, as many believed we had seen the last of Eric Lindros.

His future was as cloudy as his memory must be some days, but after three concussions in the span of 2 months, and at least 6 in his lifetime, couple with his family's history for head injuries, you almost hoped he does realize its time to hang 'em up. Its not worth becoming a vegetable just to come back and disprove your critics.

Unfortunately Eric wanted to come back. He wants to prove himself, something he had yet to fully accomplish in his NHL career. It seemed no matter what he did, it was never enough for the media, the fans, even members of his own team. Lindros has always felt he had something to prove. But the fact is that unless he rewrote the record book like Wayne Gretzky and brought multiple Stanley Cups to a dynastic Flyers team, there was no chance in hell that Lindros could ever achieve what people expected of him.

Lindros did come back, but he quickly fell out of favor in Philadelphia. The team spent ridiculous amounts of money trying to bring home the Stanley Cup, although they never acquired a goaltender who could get the job done. But it was Lindros who took much of the blame, and that is in part thanks to GM Bobby Clarke. The two were involved in contentious contract negotiations which spilled out into the public. Perhaps Clarkie was deflecting blame from himself by taking the dispute public, we'll never know. What we do know is the divorce was very bitter.

Eventually the Flyers offered Lindros the minimum contract allowed under the collective bargaining agreement of the time, a qualifying offer of a small raise over his previous contract. Given his injury history Lindros may have been foolish not to take what still amounted to millions of dollars and run, but he took another stand in his bumpy hockey journey. He refused to sign the qualifying offer and sat out until he was traded.

The Flyers traded Lindros to their arch rivals - the New York Rangers. The Rangers were one of the few teams that could afford to gamble on the brittle and high paid star, and they offered up a package to Philadelphia's liking. Kim Johnsson, Pavel Brendl, Jan Hlavac and a draft pick were sent to Philly.

Lindros spent 3 seasons in New York, the first two of which were injury free. But he was not the same Eric Lindros who dominated games and once won the Hart Trophy. He changed his game save his body and his career, becoming more of a perimeter player and shying away from the danger zones. You can hardly blame him, but it only led to cat calls that he was washed up.

Lindros did have one moment of glory while with the Rangers, but it didn't come in Manhattan or even in a Rangers jersey. Lindros was selected by Wayne Gretzky to be one of the players selected to Canada's Olympic hockey team in 2002. The selection was a bit of a surprise, and as always controversial given his injury history and lack of results in big games. But this time Lindros tasted victory as Canada won the gold over Team USA in Salt Lake City.

After the NHL lockout season of 2004-05, Lindros finally gained the status he had always wanted. Unrestricted free agent. Unfortunately there were few teams willing to pay for the oft-injured, perhaps finished former star. He finally accepted a significant pay cut in order to sign with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.

But injuries would again prevent Lindros from enjoying his childhood dream. A severe wrist injury ended his season. The Leafs did not renew his contract. He would play one more year with Dallas, but the wrist injury hampered him too greatly. By this stage of his career he was essentially a face-off specialist with a great shot but few goals to show for it. The wrist injury took that away.

Upon his retirement questions about his inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame inevitably popped up. After all, he was a Hart Trophy winner, an All Star, an Olympic gold and silver medalist and, when healthy, one of the most dominant players of his era. Though his career numbers were lessened by all the injuries, he was the sixth fastest player in NHL history to score 600 points, joining the elite company of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Peter Stastny, Mike Bossy and Jari Kurri.

Is that enough to land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame? I don't know. They let Bernie Federko in same with Bob Pulford and Dick Duff, and I'd say Lindros has a far better resume than they do.

They also let Cam Neely in. And as Ken Campbell points out in the September 18th, 2007 issue of The Hockey News, Neely is a very comparable player, but not as good as Lindros. And since they let Neely in, the Hall might have to save face and let Lindros in.

Both players were similar power forwards and both had careers decimated by injuries. Scoring wise Lindros was a significantly better scorer on a point per game basis in both the regular season and playoffs.

Neither player won a Stanley Cup, but Lindros is by far the more decorated player. He won a Memorial Cup and was named top player in the OHL and CHL before arriving in the NHL. He won a Canada Cup, an Olympic gold medal and an Olympic silver medal on the international stage. In the NHL he won the Hart and Pearson trophies as the best player in the game, and essentially shared a scoring title. He was also a first and second team all star at the much more competitive center position.

It's a tough call, and Lindros' character will undoubtedly be questioned. I think there will be a movement to keep him out because while he was the best player in the world at times, he wasn't good enough for long enough. But to me the Hockey Hall of Fame has to let Lindros in just to save face from some of their past questionable decisions.

The only thing I know for sure is that if Lindros does make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame, there will be lots of controversy surrounding him. As always.

Bobby Clarke

2011-11-21T23:09:00.001-08:00

No hockey player worked harder than Bobby Clarke, the tenacious leader of the Philadelphia Flyers for 15 enjoyable years. As a result, no one personified the Philadelphia Flyers better.

A wonderful talent blessed with great vision and playmaking skills, Clarke is better remembered for his physical talents - a relentless work ethic, a powerful leadership presence, and an unquenchable thirst to win complete with a willingness to do anything it took to capture victory.

As a result Clarke is immortally beloved in Philadelphia and remembered as one of the all time greats in hockey history. However hockey fans elsewhere love to perpetuate his status as one of hockey's most hated villains.

Growing up in the small Manitoba mining town of Flin Flon, all Clarke wanted to do was play hockey. However playing professional hockey must have seemed like a remote dream to Clarke when at age 15 he learned he had diabetes. However his love of the sport wouldn't let this deter him, and he went on to dominate the Canadian junior leagues.

Despite the setback, Clarke compiled back-to-back scoring titles in two full seasons in Flin Flon, accumulating 168 and 137 points, respectively during the 1967-68 and 1968-69 seasons. Clarke is such a legend in western Canadian junior hockey that the Western Hockey League named the trophy awarded to its top scorer in Clarke's honor.

Despite his obviously bright hockey future, teams shied away from Clarke in the annual Entry Draft because of his condition. Despite doctor assurances from the famed Mayo Clinic in Minnesota that diabetes would not interfere with his career as a professional athlete every team passed on Clarke. Even the Flyers, who drafted Bob Currier 6th overall, passed initially. But Philadelphia eagerly snatched him with the 17th overall pick, and his diabetes quickly became a non-issue.

Clarke immediately stepped in and succeeded. By the time he turned 23 years old, he was named captain of the Flyers - the youngest player in league history at that time to be so honored. The same year he won his first of three Hart Trophies as league MVP. And his 104 points made him the first player on a non-Original Six team to reach the 100 point mark.

Clarke was absolutely essential to the Flyers two Cups in the 1970s, the first time an expansion team won the prized trophy. Dave Schultz called him the "heart and soul of our club." Coach Fred Shero said there would be no championships in Philadelphia without Bobby Clarke. Clarke played with so much determination and all of his heart and soul, and he demanded it from every single one of his teammates.

It wouldn't be a stretch to say Clarke was the Pete Rose of hockey, a Charlie Hustle on skates. It could be game in the middle of January and up or down by 6 goals, but Clarke played every shift as if it was overtime in game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.

His super-human will should not overshadow his high skill level. Clarke was an incredible defensive player. He was almost always the guy to take the big faceoff, kill a key penalty or defend a lead in the last minute of play. As the statistics suggest, Clarke was a great playmaker as well. Twice he led the NHL in assists, and had 852 in total in his career, compared to 358 goals.

Clarke was also a key member for Canada in international hockey events and he seemed to have great dislike for the great Soviet teams. He was a key player in the 1972 Summit Series. In fact he and Phil Esposito are the two players who get the most credit in that series, other than Paul Henderson of course. Clarke was also a key member of the 1976 Canada Cup championship team.
Clarke however has always been associated with some violent acts against the Soviets. In 1972 he broke the ankle with a deliberate slash to the boot of Valeri Kharlamov, the Soviets chief scoring threat. Clarke also introduced the Soviets to "Broad Street Bullies" hockey in a 1975 exhibition game between the Stanley Cup champs and the Soviets. In that game the Soviets left the ice because of the rough play. As a result Clarke became particularly disliked overseas, and his actions were inaccurate stereotypes of Canadian hockey.

Clarke played until the conclusion of the 1983-84 season. He retired with career totals of 1144 games, 358 goals, 1210 points and 1453 PIMs. In addition to his three Hart Trophies, Clarke also won the Masterton, Pearson, Patrick and Selke Trophies, making him one of the most decorated hockey players in history.

Following his playing days Clarke stayed very active in hockey, serving as general manager in Philly, but also with Florida and Minnesota. His winning record as a manager is impressive, although the Stanley Cup continues to elude him as an executive.

Dave "The Hammer" Schultz

2011-11-21T23:09:00.000-08:00

Often looked upon as the baddest man in hockey, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz's reputation tended to precede him.

He set the NHL record for most PIM in a season with 472 in 1974-75. He led the NHL in PIM in his first 3 NHL seasons and 4 times in total. He epitomized the Broad Street Bullies - also known as the Philadelphia Flyers - during their reign of terror to the Stanley Cup in both 1974 and 1975.

But hey, Hammer wasn't that bad of a guy! He was just doing his job. In fact, he was always troubled by hockey violence. After retiring from hockey he wrote in his autobiography ``I love hockey, and wish reckless violence wasn't part of it.'' He also criticized the Flyers style of play and resented having to fight Bobby Clarke's battles.

Nicknamed "Hammer" because of a devastating right hand, Schultz eagerly accepted the tough guy role once he turned professional. He found the rush intoxicating, although ultimately too consuming, and it paved his way to the NHL, wealth and status.

Dave didn't do much fighting at all as a kid playing hockey in Saskatchewan. It wasn't until his coaches suggested he could reach the big time a lot faster with his fists rather than his finesse that Dave transformed his game to slashin' and bashin'.

But Dave also proved he was a pretty decent hockey player for those who were willing to look past his penalty antics. He scored 20 goals in 1973-74 - the first year that the Flyers won the Stanley Cup. This despite sitting in the penalty box for a league high 348 minutes. He was also an effective defensive forward, although he was rarely given the chance to prove he could be more.

After devastatingly notable losses to Clark Gillies and Ken Houston, the Flyers moved Schultz in the Flyers in the summer of 1976. The arrival of fellow rough-housers like Jack McIlhargey and Paul Holmgren, Schultz was traded to Los Angeles for some draft picks. He was moved on to Pittsburgh the following year. With the Kings and Penguins in 1977-78, he led the NHL in penalty minutes for the fourth and final time. His 405 penalty minutes that season made him the only player in NHL history to break the 400-minute mark twice.

Schultz finished his career with the Buffalo Sabres in 1980. When all was said and done, the big left winger from Waldheim Saskatchewan played in 535 games and scored 79 goals. He added 121 assists for 200 NHL points. In the playoffs Hammer added 8 goals and 20 points and 412 PIM in 73 games en route to earning two Stanley Cup rings.

His single-season penalty-minutes record, which still stands today, is as unthinkable by today's standards as it probably was back then. He also holds the record for most penalty minutes in one playoff game, with 42 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 22, 1976. Going head to head with his archrival, Dave 'Tiger' Williams, Schultz picked up one minor penalty, two five-minute majors, a 10-minute misconduct and a double game misconduct.

While Hammer understood his role and knew it was necessary, he was never really comfortable with it. But he knew if he didn't do it he'd almost certainly be out of a NHL job.

"The fighting gave me notoriety," he recalls. "That part I loved, but (it) never came naturally to me. I had to think about it all time. I would sit there the afternoon of every game thinking about who I was going to fight and visualizing the fight. It was nerve-wracking. I was always afraid of that one punch, the one that would knock me out of my career. Fortunately, it never happened, I had some well-publicized losses but I never really got the whipping that would destroy my confidence and value.

"It was different then, the rules were such that you could really help your team if you scared the right (opponent). I knew what the Flyers expected and I just totally got caught up in it. I was this did from Rosetown, Saskatchewan, suddenly a hero in a city of two million, making all this money and being afraid of losing everything. I knew it was a special time and how lucky I was to be part of it. I did what I had to do to keep it going."

Dave, an interesting guy who's interested ranged from rock and roll (he once cut a record called "Penalty Box") to building model ships, now owns his own limousine service.

Gord Williams

2011-04-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

Gordie Williams was a high scoring junior star with the Lethbridge Broncos. He starred in the southern Alberta city for three years. In his two years in the Western Hockey League the Saskatoon Saskatchewan native twice scored over 50 goals and 115 points. He, along with Duane Sutter and Doug Morrison, was the star of the team. Some of his other more famous teammates back in his Broncos days include Lindy Ruff and Dave Barr. Gord's WHL totals in just two years are 115 goals, 124 assists and 239 points in 144 games!

Gord's brother Fred was also a western junior star with the Saskatoon Blades. Despite posting numbers generally nowhere near that of Gord, Fred was always the better prospect in the eyes of the NHL. Fred was the 4th overall draft pick in the 1976 NHL Entry Draft, as the Red Wings passed on the likes Bernie Federko, Buddy Cloutier, Reed Larson, Randy Carlyle and Thomas Gradin. However Fred would only get into 44 games and quickly went from prospect to suspect.

Three years later it was Gord's introduction to the Entry Draft. Despite Gord's incredible statistics at the junior level, Gord didn't go until 119th overall when Philadelphia took a flyer on the 5'11" 190 pound right winger. Perhaps other teams were scared off by his brother's quick demise, but in fairness the 1979 Entry Draft was one of the deepest in history.

Gord never really got a chance to play in Philly. With the likes of Reggie Leach, Paul Holmgren, Tim Kerr and Ray Allison ahead of him on the right wing depth chart, Gord was relegated to 3 years of decent play with the Maine Mariners of the AHL. Despite a strong lineup in Maine Gord was able to add some nice offense and was rewarded in both 1981-82 and 1982-83 with a one game call up to Philadelphia.

Gord retired from hockey after the 1983 season, with just two NHL games, 2 NHL shots and 2 NHL penalty minutes under his belt. Gord didn't want to spend much of his young life riding the busses in the minor leagues, and knew there was little chance he would ever make the Flyers. So he took a realistic look at his life and decided to hang up the blades.

Todd Bergen

2011-03-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Todd Bergen had everything it took to be a great hockey player, except for one thing - desire. That was taken away by a young Mike Keenan - the controversial tyrant of an NHL coach.

Drafted 98th overall in 1982 by the Philadelphia Flyers, Todd was a bit of a late bloomer, not blossoming until his final year of junior. That year he was spectacular, scoring 57 goals in just 43 games!

The following season Bergen was playing with the Flyers farm team in Hershey, averaging a point a game. Late in the season Bergen was called up and was the talk of the league, setting the NHL on fire. Bergen scored 11 goals and 16 points in just 14 games! He worked really well with 50 goal man Tim Kerr on the power play, notching 3 of his 11 goals on the power play. Another 3 of his goals were game winners! The 6'2" center had a good shot and outstanding hockey sense. He was above average defensively for a player of his experience, and good on faceoffs as well.

Bergen continued his strong play into the Stanley Cup playoffs. He had an outstanding first playoff, especially considering this year wouldn't count as his rookie year! He scored 4 goals and 13 points in 17 post season contests. He helped the Flyers get deep into the playoffs, and left the fans and team excited about there new found star.

However that would prove to be Bergen's only stint in the NHL. He was suspended the following fall when he refused to report to training camp for "personal reasons." Speculation was that Bergen did not like demanding head coach Mike Keenan.

During his short but spectacular stint in Philadelphia, Bergen suffered a lower abdominal pull.

"When I came back, I was ordered to do extra workouts, then practice, then work on weights and on
the exercise bike. The problem is, I'm not sure Mike Keenan thought I had been legitimately hurt." said Bergen.

"After that, there wasn't a day went by when that man didn't have something sarcastic or ignorant to say to me. I think he might have done that to different players, too, but in the last 33 games, I was the guy. It bothered me. I never used to sleep much at night. "

"When the playoffs started, I led the team in scoring against the Rangers and I only played the first two games. I had three goals and two assists. Then I only played three shifts in the third game. Keenan said to me before that game that I had the worst warm-up he'd ever seen. There was no other explanation given. Then I never played at all against Quebec or Edmonton. And Keenan drilled me in the press...he told me that my offensive game didn't fit in with the team's defensive game. "

During Bergen's holdout, he pursued a career in professional golf. There was much speculation that Bergen was just demanding a trade to get away from Keenan, to which general manager Bob Clarke replied "Who am I gonna trade him for - Lee Trevino?"

Eventually Bergen was traded with Ed Hospodar to Minnesota for Dave Richter and Bo Berglund in 1985. However Bergen never played for Minnesota. He was felled by a groin injury and later the same painful abdominal injury before even getting into one game. He did appear AHL in 1986-87, playing just 27 games, but soon gave up hockey to concentrate on golf.

Rick St. Croix

2011-03-11T15:11:00.000-08:00

Rick St. Croix was born on January 3, 1955 in Kenora, Ontario. He played junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, from which he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers with their third pick (72nd overall) in the 1975 Entry Draft.

St. Croix spent most of the next 5 seasons in the minor leagues with various teams. He really found a home in Maine of the AHL where he established himself as a number one goalie. By 1980 he led the entire AHL in GAA with a 2.90 mark, good enough to earn him (and partner Robbie Moore) the Hap Holmes Award for fewest goals against in the entire league!

In those 5 long years in the minors, St. Croix was called up for 10 games of NHL action in total, sporting a 3-5-2 record. But after his spectacular 1980 season in Maine the Flyers elevated St. Croix to the big club, becoming the full time backup to Pete Peeters in 80-81. He recorded a career best 2.49 GAA and his only 2 NHL shutouts in 27 games. He also played admirably in the 1981 playoffs when Peeters went down with an injury. St. Croix battled hard with a 4-5 record and 1 shutout in 9 post season contest.

After showing good promise, St. Croix was given a better shot In 1981-82. However things didn't go as well for Rick. He played in 29 games in 81-82 but his GAA rose to 3.89.

His struggles continued in 1982-83 when he played only 16 games with Philadelphia. The Flyers felt they needed stronger goaltending in their backup position, so they traded Rick to Toronto in exchange for veteran goalie Michel "Bunny" Larocque. The move was also made to give hot shot rookie Pelle Lindbergh a mentoring figure.

St. Croix played 16 more games with Toronto that season, recording a 3.80 GAA. Obviously the team in front of Rick was pretty weak, but as often happens with goalies, St. Croix took more than his fair share of the blame for the poor results.

His playing time in Toronto decreased over the next two years while his GAA ballooned well over 5.00. He was demoted to the minor leagues. He finished his career in 1985-86 with a strong showing with the IHL's Fort Wayne Komets, sharing the Norris Trophy (fewest goals against) with Pokey Reddick.

In his retirement St. Croix operate his own goaltending schools

Dan Kordic

2011-02-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

Few players know the rules better than Dan Kordic. He spent his professional hockey career breaking the rules. So what does a former penalty king do when he retires as a player? Why he becomes a referee, and calls penalties instead of committing them.

Following in the footsteps of former tough guys Paul Stewart and Kevin Maguire, Dan Kordic is working his way up the junior system and hopes to land back in the NHL as a referee.

Kordic, now living in Mississauga, played 197 games with the Philadelphia Flyers over six seasons, spending 584 minutes in the penalty box. He had four goals and eight assists.

"I never thought Dan would be an official," NHL director of officiating Bryan Lewis said. "A year ago, he was a guy going around using his stick for other things than scoring goals."

However Lewis, who was instrumental in Stewart and Maguire's ascent as officials, was impressed by Kordic's work.

"They have a good sense for potential trouble. It's a sense they've got because they probably were a party to a lot of it," Lewis said.

Kordic, at six-foot-five and 235 pounds, could make one heck of a linesman, especially when breaking up altercations.

Dan of course is the younger brother of the infamous John Kordic - one of hockey's baddest boys on and off the ice. Dan managed to keep his nose cleaner. However Dan, like his brother, was unable to shake the label of goon at the pro level. The defenseman turned left winger was used almost primarily for fighting.

Dan played 4 solid years on the blueline with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL before turning pro in 1991. After initially trying defense at the NHL level, the Flyers opted to use him on left wing because of his lack of mobility.

Dan played 7 professional seasons, all in the Flyers organization. This included 197 games, although he probably played in less than 10 minutes of action in most of those. He accumulated 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points to go along with 584 PIM. He added 1 goal in 12 playoff contests.

Dale Kushner

2011-02-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Hard work earned Dale Kushner his cup of NHL coffee.

Never drafted, Kushner was signed by the New York Islanders in 1987 after playing as an overaged junior with the Memorial Cup champion Medicine Hat Tigers. Kushner played a physical role and was a leader on one of the better junior teams in CHL history - sporting names like Trevor Linden, Mark Pederson and Mark Fitzpatrick.

Kushner was signed for depth purposes for the Islanders farm team as his age allowed him to immediately fill a hole in the Islanders farm team. Never expected to play in the NHL, Kushner went to work as a hard nosed left winger and a great forechecker. A bit of a late bloomer, Kushner showed above average skating ability and the occasional goal while playing a strong forechecking role in the minor leagues. An eager and intense player, he also developed a reputation as a great team player. He eventually was rewarded with a 2 game call up to Long Island in 1989-90.

His contract with the Islanders expired in the summer of 1990 and the Philadelphia Flyers eagerly signed Kushner. He immediately stepped into the Flyers roster, eagerly accepting a part time role as a scrappy 4th liner. He played very seldom during games but was thrown out and excelled at those 45 second chaos shifts meant to change the momentum of the game. Kushner readily jumped over the boards just a few times a night in order to bang anyone in sight, work the boards, pressure the puck carrier, and if possible pin the puck in the opposition zone to set up a faceoff in offensive territory. He would then return to the bench, but accomplished his job - to help inspire his teammates to play with the same intensity.

Kushner showed a willingness to mix it up in his time in the NHL, registering 195 PIM in his rookie year. He
also chipped in with 7 goals and 11 assists.

The Flyers were a pretty weak team in the early 1990s, and as their depth improved, Kushner soon lost his role and was returned to the minor leagues. He played in 19 games in 1991-92 - scoring 3 goals and 2 assists - but finished the year in the AHL. He spent the next 4 years in the minor leagues before retiring.

Kushner impressed at the pro level playing the same limited role be it in the NHL or minors.

Brent Fedyk

2011-02-23T16:34:00.000-08:00

Brent Fedyk was an interesting case. He was a bonafide scorer in junior (hence his 8th overall draft selection in 1985) and in the minor leagues (he scored a hat trick in the Calder Cup clinching game in 1989). He had some great line-mates in the NHL - Steve Yzerman in Detroit, Joe Nieuwendyk in Dallas and most notably as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers' Crazy Eights Line with Eric Lindros and Mark Recchi.

Yet for all his 470 NHL games Fedyk never really cemented himself as a scorer in the NHL. He had limited skating skills. He drove to the net as hard as average frame would allow him, but he failed to convert with any great regularity. Otherwise he was a reluctant physical player. He was a diligent defensive forward.

In his career Brent Fedyk scored 97 goals and 112 assists.

Gord Murphy

2011-02-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

Gord Murphy played 14 NHL seasons and over 900 games including playoffs. But I always thought Murphy never got any recognition as a solid NHL defenseman.

A lot of that probably has to do with his playing in absolute obscurity in Florida. Especially after the veteran Murphy helped rookie Robert Svehla mature into the offensive dman's role, allowing Murph to concentrate on the defensive side of the game.

Gord Murphy was a very late draft pick, 9th round, 189th overall, out of the Oshawa Generals organization. The fact that any player drafted that low would play a single game in the NHL is impressive. Murphy played 14 seasons, and scored 85 goals and 323 points.

Murphy first debuted in the 1988-89 season and soon was scoring goals in double digits and accumulating over 40 points - not bad numbers at all for a young defenseman in any era.

After three seasons he was moved Boston for veteran Garry Galley and a young Wes Walz. Somehow Murphy struggled in Beantown, allowing for his exposure to the 1993 NHL expansion draft.

The Panthers were quick to snap up the young defenseman in the expansion draft. He would resuscitate his career in Florida, becoming a main stay on the Miami blue line for the rest of the decade. He later rounded off his career with a brief stop in Atlanta and another stop, even briefer, in Boston.

Gord Murphy was a finesse defenseman. Despite his good size (6'2" 200lbs) he played a small game, never throwing his weight around or punishing anyone physically. He was far more reliant on positioning, a very effective poke check and pushing or wrapping his arms around his check than to hit them. Perhaps it was his lack of perceived toughness that did not endure him to fans or media. But he was a versatile defender, well suited to play next to either an offensive rearguard or a big, hard hitting partner.

Being a finesse player at heart allowed him to be a solid two way defenseman. He was a strong and agile skater. He moved the puck well, either by carrying it out of the zone or with a safe breakout pass. He could eat up minutes on specialty team units.

Martin Hostak

2011-02-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

Up until the very late 1990s, the stereotypical European player in the NHL was a small player with little physical game what-so-ever. They were on the team for the immense skill and skating abilities.

Martin Hostak was the exception to this rule.

Martin Hostak was a big man from Hradac Kralove, Czechoslovakia. At 6'3" and 200lbs, Martin used his size well when in position of the puck. Like Sweden's Ulf Dahlen, it was tremendously difficult to dislodge the puck from Hostak because he was so strong on his feet. However without the puck, Hostak was as gentle as a pussy cat.

Hostak was also a terrible skater - a very rare trait of a European NHLer. Simply put, he was slow. A plodding, knock-kneed skater, he didn't have the speed to get to a loose puck or to pressure a puck carrier.

Although he was a big European who couldn't skate, Hostak was very stereotypical of Europeans when it came to his hand skills. Hostak was perhaps one of the best stickhandlers of his time. A great stickhandler in a crowd, he also possessed a great wrist and snap shots. However, because of his lack of speed, he was never able to really use those gifts.

A third round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 1987, Hostak joined the Flyers in 1990 at the age of 23. Hostak showed up out of shape, not realizing just how dedicated NHL athletes really are. Hostak struggled in his rookie season with 3 goals and 10 assists in 50 games.

The following season Hostak failed to get into good enough shape to please the Flyers. That combined with his lack of speed saw him play the whole year in the minors except for a 5 game stint in which he pick up one assist.

Unhappy with life and his career in North America, Hostak returned to Europe after two seasons in the Flyers organization. Hostak would join the famous Modo AIK of the Swedish Elite League where he was a solid performer for 4 seasons before retiring from hockey.

During his 4 seasons in Sweden, Hostak always performed with the Czech. Republic national team in the World Championships as well as 1994 Olympics where he helped his team finish 5th overall.

Ron Hextall

2011-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

I remember one particular discussion with a fan about Ron Hextall. We were discussing how all the great goaltenders throughout history somehow revolutionized the art of goaltending. With Ron's incredible puck handling ability, this fan said "Hextall revolutionized the game with his puck handling ability. He took it to a new level and was like a third defenseman back there. Too bad he forgot how to stop the puck late in his career."

While his comments were tongue in cheek, they are kind of accurate.

Ron Hextall's career started out like gangbusters. As a rookie he challenged Grant Fuhr for top status as the games best goalie in the late 1980s. He was incredible and made the Flyers a true Stanley Cup threat. Over time Ron's play leveled off to the point where he continued to play solidly, but was a victim of his own early success. Ron was unable to duplicate or better his accomplishments as a youngster. In a game that demands that you take your play to a higher level every year, many fans soured on Hexy's abilities as a #1 goaltender. He became a favorite target of fans and reporters in the late 1990s as Ron developed a tendency to give up weak goals from time to time. The Flyers were supposed to be a great Cup threat, but goaltending, be it Hexy, Garth Snow or John Vanbiesbrouck, was considered to be the weak point of the team.

While many fans will remember Hextall for his late career tendency to give up soft goals, he should be remembered as one of the most exciting goalies to watch, at least during his early years. He excited fans in a way that Dominik Hasek or Tony Esposito did. Fans will also remember Hexy for his uncontrollable temper. He set an NHL record for goaltenders with 113 PIM in 1988-89. Memorable skirmishes with Edmonton's Kent Nilsson and Montreal's Chris Chelios always stick out in the minds of many hockey fans.

Hextall in a way revolutionized a game. He certainly wasn't the first goalie to handle the puck, but he was so good at handling and shooting the puck. Teams couldn't dump and chase against the Flyers because Hexy would roam behind the net to stop the puck and then lift it over everybody into the neutral zone where a quick Flyers forward like Brian Propp or Ilkka Sinisalo was waiting to pounce on a loose puck. Also, Hextall was the leader of strong Flyers teams of the late 1980s. The Flyers came oh so close to knocking off the might Edmonton Oilers. Hextall's fiery play definitely characterized that team, something which is extremely rare for a goaltender to do.

Ron of course comes from a famous hockey family. Ron's grandfather is Hall of Famer Bryan Hextall. Sr. Bryan Hextall Jr. was Ron's dad, who also played in the NHL, as did Ron's uncle Dennis Hextall.

But right from an early age Ron wanted to be a goaltender.

"I remember going to my dad's practices, sitting behind the glass and watching the goalie the whole time," said Hextall in Dick Irvin's great book "In The Crease." "I can't explain it, can't pinpoint it. I twasn't like I watched a certain guy one time and sai "I want to be a goalie like him." It was there from the start."

Although he and his brother were rink rats at the NHL practices, Ron never actually started playing hockey until he was 8 years old. At that point his hockey was played in Pittsburgh where his dad played for the NHL Penguins. Later Hextall would play low quality hockey in places like Atlanta and Detroit before his dad retired from hockey and returned to his native Brandon, Manitoba when Ron was 12.

The family bloodlines and the hanging out with NHLers must have made up for the lack of regular hockey training as Hextall made it to Major Junior hockey. The Brandon Wheat Kings were a pretty weak squad during Ron's tenure, which oddly enough Ron credits as a major reason for his development. A goaltender faces lots of shots while playing for a bad team, and can really develop. Where a goalie playing for strong team may have strong junior statistics, but isn't nearly as good a goalie or is behind in his development comparitively.

The Flyers selected Ron in the sixth round (119th overall) of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, but it wasn't until 1986-87 when he made his NHL debut, playing in 66 games and posting a league-leading 37 wins, a career-high. He played in the 1987 All Star game, a rarity for a rookie. He was named to the NHL First All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team and won the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender. In the playoffs Ron's fiery play backstopped the Flyers to the '87 Cup Finals where he was named as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as Most Valuable Player in the playoffs despite the fact that the Flyers lost to the Edmonton Oilers in a memorable 7 game series. Despite all this, somehow Hextall didn't win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, as a young Luc Robitaille notched 45 goals in his rookie campaign.

Hextall seemingly came out of nowhere to accomplish one of the greatest individual seasons in hockey history. He was surprised to even make the team. The Flyers had Bob Froese, who had been runner up for the Vezina Trophy the season before, and cagey veteran Chico Resch returning. Coach Mike Keenan played a bit of a hunch by starting with the rookie, and it obvioiusly paid off.

Despite playing just one NHL season, Hexy was named to Team Canada in the 1987 Canada Cup. Hexy and the Islanders Kelly Hrudey never played however as Grant Fuhr went the distance. But it was still a definite honor for the big goalie. In 1987-88, he again played in the NHL All-Star Game and was awarded his second Bobby Clarke Trophy as the Flyers' Most Valuable Player. Ron would win that award again in 1988-89 when he posted his third straight 30 win season.

1987-88 was also memorable because Ron fired the puck into an empty net to become the first goaltender in NHL history to actually shoot the puck to score a goal. Nearly 10 years earlier Billy Smith was credited with a goal when he was the last player to handle the puck before the Colorado Rockies accidentally put the puck into their own goal. Hexy's goal came against Boston on December 8th, 1987. On April 11, 1989, Hextall duplicated this feat by scoring the first goal by a goalie in the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

Hextall downplays the importance of the goals.

"Everybody wanted it more than I wanted it. As much as I thought, yeah, it would be great, it would be fun, this and that, I didn't think it was that big a deal when I actually scored the goal. It was a thrill and when I look back it will still be a thrill. But it won't be in my book of the greatest memories of my career. I doubt if either of my goals will be there."

1989-90 was not a good season for Ron. He appeared in only 8 games. He was forced to sit out the first 12 games of the season due to a suspension for an incident in the previous playoffs. Hextall charged Montreal's Chris Chelios in a memorable battle in game 6 of the Wales Conference Finals. Ron later was felled by nagging groin and hamstring injuries, resulting in his most disappointing season ever.

"It was an awful feeling for me to sit out," confessed Ron to Dick Irvin. "I remember thinking that there I was, 25 years old and my career might be finished. I'm not a real spiritual guy but I must admit I said a prayer or two just to play until I was 32. At that point I was scared, very scared, that I was finished."

Hexy returned in 1990-91 to play 36 games, but some say he was never quite the same after his battle with the injuries. The stats support that argument, as Hextall struggled for the next two seasons. But in all fairness the Flyers team had deteriorated to the point where they were no longer playoff contenders.

Hextall's life changed on June 20, 1992 when the Flyers and Quebec Nordiques shook the hockey world with perhaps the biggest trade ever. Hextall was traded to the Nordiques with Peter Forsberg, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, first round picks in the 1993 and 1994 drafts, and $15 million in exchange for the rights to a young phenom named Eric Lindros.

Hextall had a good season in Quebec, He went 29-18-6 and played a big role in turning around the once sad-sack Nords and bringing them back to the playoffs.

"Until the playoffs we had a great year," said Hextall of his lone season in Quebec. "We had 104 points. I still don't know what the hell happened in the playoffs. I played good for 4 games and then the wheels fell off. But overall we had a fun year. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

However Hextall's stay in Quebec lasted exactly one year as on June 20, 1993, he was traded with Quebec's first-round draft pick in 1993 to the New York Islanders in exchange for Mark Fitzpatrick and a first round draft pick in 1993.

In 1993-94, Ron played 65 games for the Islanders, one game shy of his career high. He also compiled a career-high five shutouts with an impressive 27-26-6 record on an average Isles team.

On Sept. 22, 1994, Ron returned to city of brotherly love. He was traded with the Islanders' sixth round choice in the 1995 draft to Philadelphia in exchange for Tommy Soderstrom. Ron celebrated his return by posting a league and career-best 2.17 goals-against average in 1995-96. He also posted 31 wins that year, the second highest of his career.

Towards the end of his career, Ron played more of a backup role. He shared the nets with Garth Snow for a couple of years before becoming a true backup to John Vanbiesbrouck in 1998-99. At the end of 1999, Hextall was bought out of his contract by the Flyers. The Flyers were looking to make room for a younger goalie to be brought up in their system.

Ron played in 608 NHL contests with a decision record 296-214-69. He had 23 shutouts and career goals against average of 2.97. He led the NHL in wins once and in GAA once. He is also the most penalized goalie in hockey history with 584 minutes, plus another 115 in the playoffs. He even scored 2 goals!

All in all fiery Ron Hextall will be remembered as a great competitor and a very good and entertaining goalie. He epitomized Flyer's hockey.

Lew Morrison

2010-12-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

Lew Morrison was a high draft pick back in 1968. In fact he was selected 8th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers after demonstrating solid two way hockey ability with the Flin Flon Bombers of the WCJHL. He was a junior teammate of Bobby Clarke's, who of course the Flyers were already watching closely. They would draft Clarke the following year.

Lew immediately stepped into the Flyers farm system and was one of coach Vic Stasiuk's top performers with the AHL Quebec Aces. When Stasiuk was promoted to head coach of the Flyers the following year, he was quick to included Morrison on the team.

That 1969-70 season was one of Morrison's best seasons, at least statistically. He scored 9 goals and 19 points, both career highs. He gained instant recognition for his defensive abilities, and was reunited with Bobby Clarke to kill penalties that first in Philly.

"I'll tell you how good he (Morrison) and Clarke are," said coach Stasiuk. "They kill penalties for us. Imagine - a pair of rookies going out against the best power plays in the busines and doing not just an adequate job but a doggone good job."

However Morrison would never be able to shake the label as a defensive forward, and would toil for 564 games in the NHL in that limited capacity. After three years in Philadelphia he was claimed by the Atlanta Flames in their expansion draft. Two years later the Washington Capitals did the same, only to trade him back to Pennsylvania after 18 games. The Pittsburgh Penguins made good use of his services for 3 years before he was demoted to the minors for the 1977-78 season. That proved to be Morrison's final year of professional hockey.

Morrison was a dogged worker, a truly unappreciated hockeyist who was respected by his peers.

Bob "Hound" Kelly

2010-09-27T21:32:00.000-07:00

Rookie initiations are part of hockey lore. Perhaps the best story I've ever heard was of how the Philadelphia Flyers players welcomed a rookie named Bob Kelly to the NHL in 1970.

Kelly, who came out of Oshawa as a junior star, was the victim of the famous and extravagant snipe hunt prank. The Flyers players had spent a few weeks talking about snipe hunts. Finally Kelly asked what exactly a snipe was, he was told it was a pigeon-like bird.

The players had all arranged a team snipe hunt night in November 1970. The rule was only veterans could hunt, but the rookie Kelly begged to come along, and finally the veterans agreed he could come.

Of course, hunting snipes required a rather unusual hunting method. Flyers tough guy Earl Heiskala explained:

"We beat the bushes with poles and when the snipes begin to fly we shine flashlights on them. They'll become confused and fly into the netting and get all tangled up. Then we toss them in the bag."

The Flyers prank was so elaborate that they had the cops show up, even firing a warning shot. Of course, only Kelly was arrested on charges of hunting snipes out of season. He must have really panicked when Heiskala showed up at the holding cell with his head all bandaged and full of what appeared to be red blood.

The spooked Kelly must have been really sweating when a fake judged showed up. Kelly immediately pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined $1500 plus court costs. That, of course, is when the Flyers teammates stormed into the room laughing, saying "Welcome to the NHL, Hound!"

Kelly went on to become a top player of the Flyers in the 1970s, including their two Stanley Cup championship teams in 1974 and 1975.

Nobody appreciated Kelly more than coach Fred Shero.

"He's got something that's hard to buy. No coach in the world can make a guy do what Kelly does. It's not in his contract, it comes from within him."

What he did best was run around recklessly, hitting every enemy in sight. He was also a noted fighter.

"He always gets in three or four punches before the other guy realizes he's in a fight," said Bobby Clarke. "He throws punches faster than anybody in the league."

Kelly was not much of a scorer. Only once in 10 seasons with the Flyers did he reach 20 goals. But he wasn't there to score goals. "If Bob Kelly scores twenty goals, I'm not using him properly," said Shero.

Kelly was the Flyers spark plug, as well as a pest and tough guy. Whenever coach Shero felt the game need a change of pace or needed his bench fired up, he would tap Kelly's shoulder and his fury would be unleashed on the subsequent shift.

Kelly, who finished his career with parts of two seasons with the lowly Washington Capitals in the early 1980s, played in 837 career NHL games, scoring 154 goals, 208 assists, 362 points and of course 1454 PIMs.

Philadelphia Flyers Greatest Players

2010-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia Flyers Legends
Bill Barber
Bobby Clarke
Eric Desjardins
Ron Hextall
Mark Howe
Reggie Leach
John LeClair
Pelle Lindbergh
Eric Lindros
Bernie Parent
Dave Poulin
Keith Primeau
Brian Propp
Dave "The Hammer" Schultz

Other Flyers Players

Ray Allison
Barry Ashbee
Reid Bailey
Tom Bladon
Claude Boivin
Dave Brown
Lindsay Carson
Dick Cherry
Bill Clement
Glen Cochrane
Doug Crossman
Bob Dailey
Gary Dornhoefer
Moose Dupont
Miroslav Dvorak
Pelle Eklund
Thomas Eriksson
Doug Favell
Cowboy Bill Flett
Ron Flockhart
Bob Froese
Derian Hatcher
Earl Heiskala
Al Hill
Ed "Boxcar" Hospodar
Sami Kapanen
Forbes Kennedy
Tim Kerr
Orest Kindrachuk

Ken Linseman
Ross Lonsberry
Rick MacLeish
Brad Marsh
Brad McCrimmon
Jack McIlhargey
Simon Nolet
Pete Peeters
Mikael Renberg
Dominic Roussel
Don Saleski
Kjell Samuelsson
Ilkka Sinisalo
Derrick Smith
Daryl Stanley
Rich Sutter
Ron Sutter
Bobby Taylor
Dimitri Tertyshny
Ed Van Impe
Joe Watson
Jimmy Watson
Behn Wilson
Larry Zeidel
Peter Zezel

Ross Lonsberry

2010-09-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

When the Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup in 1974, guess who head coach Fred Shero declared was the Flyers most valuable player of the championship season? Bobby Clarke? Reggie Leach? Bernie Parent?

Try Ross Lonsberry, a long forgotten 5'11" 195lb left winger who scored 32 goals that season and another 4 in 17 playoff games.

"I knew Lonsberry would be good because I've seen him play for ten years," said Shero. "But he's been unbelievable this year. He has more stamina than Bobby Clarke, and he's been the key man in a lot of games. He's done everything for us."

"Roscoe" joined the Flyers late in the 1972 season, part of a big eight player trade with the Los Angeles Kings. He quickly endeared himself to coach Shero in a role as a top defensive forward, while still being able to score big goals.

Ever the team player, Lonsberry dismissed coach Shero's high praise of him.

"No way it's me. It has to be Clarkie. We have no stars. We're all equal. A lot of teams look to one or two guys, like Orr and Esposito of Boston, for the big goal when they fall behind. But with the Flyers, the winning goal might come from anyone.

Lonsberry often played on a line with Rick MacLeish and Gary Dornhoefer. His job was often to shut down the league's top right wingers like Yvan Cournoyer and Rod Gilbert. Lonsberry never considered himself to be a true defensive forward.

""Anybody can be a defensive forward. You can just skate beside your man and look at him all night. You're not using your brain. If he makes you adjust to his style, he's playing a good game. I want my man thinking that he has to guard me, too. The trick is to make the other team adjust to you."

Born in Humboldt, Saskatchewan in 1947, Lonsberry was originally property of the Boston Bruins. He played three seasons in the farm system, never quite cracked the Bruins line up.

In the summer of 1969 the Bruins traded Lonsberry to Los Angeles after an unfortunate incident in the 1969 playoffs. Lonsberry was playing for the Oklahoma in the CHL and his team had just been eliminated from the playoffs. Lonsberry was taking the loss especially hard, so hard that when the Bruins called the same night to call him up for their own playoff run, he was so dejected he actually told the Bruins no.

"I was down in the dumps that night and said, 'No, thanks,'" remembered Lonsberry. "I remember it was a Saturday and the Bruins were not going to play until the following Wednesday. I regretted it the next day and tried to call back, but I couldn't reach them. I guess it made me kind of a controversial figure and it got me out of their organization."

Lonsberry found full time NHL employment in sunny California, registering back to back 20 goal seasons for the Kings.

"The travel is brutal for any player in LA, but other than that, I loved the West Coast," he said. "I'd be lying if I said the weather didn't make me lose interest at times - not during a game but maybe at eight in the morning when I had to get up for practice."

One place Lonsberry didn't seem to like playing too much was another West Coast city, Vancouver. Twice he was in court in BC - once with LA for an off ice incident where he was found guilty and fined $50, and once with Philadelphia where he was acquitted in an infamous exchanged between the Flyers and Canucks fans in the stands.

Lonsberry, winner of the 1973 Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and sportsmanship, was traded to cross-state rivals Pittsburgh Penguins in 1978. He rounded out his career with three more seasons in Pittsburgh.

When all was said and done Ross Lonsberry put together a career resume that boasted 956 career games with 256 goals and 310 assists for 566 points. He added another 21 goals and 46 points in 100 playoff games.

Jimmy Watson

2010-09-27T16:40:00.000-07:00

When the Philadelphia Flyers won Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, the players' fathers undoubtedly boasted to anyone who would listen "that's my boy!" Back home in Smithers, BC Joe Watson Jr. could say that about his son Joe, but then he could also say "that's my boy, too!" as younger son Jimmy was also on the team.

Despite being named the most outstanding defenseman in Western Canadian Hockey League in 1972 (ahead of Phil Russell, Larry Sacharuk and Tom Bladon), Jimmy Watson (not be confused with Jim Watson, another NHL defenseman at the same time) was not selected in the 1972 NHL draft until 39th overall to the Philadelphia Flyers.

How did 38 players and 13 defensemen get drafted ahead of Watson? Defensemen who never amounted to much like Pierre Guite, Wayne Elder, and Paul Shakes? The New York Rangers passed on Watson four times!It even took the Flyers three tries to land Watson, after alnding Bill Barber and Bladon with earlier picks.

How Watson was overlooked we will never know. The Flyers perhaps had a bit better of an insight on him as his older brother Joe was already on the team.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but history shows Jim Watson should have not been overlooked. Two years later he was helping the Flyers make the first of three consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup finals, winning it all in 1974 and 1975.

"God, you don't know how many times as a kid I played imaginary Stanley Cups at home," Jimmy said after the first Stanley Cup title in 1974.

Joe and Jim were amongst 6 brothers who grew up playing hockey on frozen Lake Kathleen near their tiny hometown of Smithers, BC. The town is one of the most beautiful in all of BC, but it is cold. Back in those days the lakes would freeze from October through April, and kids never thought twice about playing in 20-below-zero temperatures.

"Sometimes we'd have to use a hunk of frozen horse manure for a puck," Jim recalled. "Real frustration i when the ice is beautiful on Lake Kathleen and it's your turn to break off the peice of turd."

Though the Watsons went on to big city careers, they never forgot their hometown.

"In the summer I play golf and swim and go water skiing. Big cities like Philadelphia and Vancouver always make me appreciate the beauty of Smithers. Joe and I do a lot of bike riding and mountain climbing."

Older brother Joe tells stories of how kid brother Jimmy just followed him around wanting to play sports.

"Anything I would do, Jimmy would want to do with me. I always had the kid brother tagging along. In baseball I'd be the pitcher, and I made him the catcher and three the ball as hard as I could."

Jimmy also quit hockey altogether in junior, leaving the Calgary Centennials in mid season as a 17 year old. He travelled to Philadelphia to visit Joe. After watching two weeks of the Flyers practice and play, Jimmy returned with is desire to play in the NHL firmly found.

It worked out well. He played in 9 full NHL seasons, playing in 613 career games, mostly tagging along with big brother Joe. He scored 38 goals and 186 points in his NHL career, and of course won two Stanley Cup championships. He participated in 5 NHL All Star games and was part of Team Canada at the 1976 Canada Cup.

Injuries cut Watson's career short. A scary eye injury at the 1976 Canada Cup was followed by a broken shoulder and then spinal fusion surgery by 1980. Watson came back but knew he wasn't the same player.

With a touch of regret Watson retired early, taking a scouting job with the Flyers. He later became a successful owner of a home construction business in Delaware, County, Pennsylvania.

Barry Ashbee

2010-09-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Barry Ashbee took the long route to the National Hockey League. Originally a Boston Bruins prospect since the late 1950s when he played junior hockey for the Barrie Flyers, a Bruins junior team. He played the entire 1960s in the minor leagues except for a 14 game stint in 1965-66.

After a decade in the minor leagues, the Bruins finally let Ashbee go. They traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers with Ed Chadwick for Bob Perreault. The Flyers, one of the new teams that saw the league double in size two years earlier, were hoping the experienced Ashbee could make the step to the NHL.

Since the league had doubled in size and the Flyers didn't have the depth of the Bruins, Ashbee was able to immediately join the Flyers after the 1970 training camp. It was not long later that he had established himself as a dependable stay at home defenseman.

Barry was a valuable performer on the Flyers blue line, and a key member of the 1974 team that defeated, oddly enough, the Bruins for the Stanley Cup. He wasn't your stereotypical "Broad Street Bully". He tallied only 291 PIM in 284 NHL contests. Instead he was a throwback defenseman who excelled ruggedly, though cleanly..

Even though he wasn't tough in the sense of Hammer Schultz or Hound Dog Kelly, Ashbee was probably the toughest member of the Flyers. Because of his physical play, Ashbee accumulated injuries like kids collected hockey cards. He often wore a "horse collar" neck support while playing the game. That was because of a serious back injury that cost him the entire 1966-67 season. He never played a full NHL season, only coming close in 71-72 when he missed only 7 games.

In a playoff game vs the New York Rangers on April 28, 1974, Ashbee's career came to an end due to yet another injury. A Dale Rolfe shot hit Ash directly in the eye. Serious bleeding cost him the sight in the eye.

During the following season, which saw the Flyers repeat as Cup champions, Ashbee began his second career in hockey as an assistant coach. But by 1977 disaster would strike again. He was diagnosed with deadly Leukemia.

"The players know I'm sick, and I'm going to get better, that's all," understated Barry in typical form, not wanting to make a big deal of his misfortune.

About a month after he said that from his hospital bed, he passed away on May 12, 1977.

In honor of their fallen friend, the Flyers have named a trophy after Ashbee. Since 1975 the Flyers most outstanding defenseman has been given the Barry Ashbee award. In addition, his jersey number 4 is forever retired.

Moose Dupont

2010-09-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Andre "Moose" Dupont came upon his nickname honestly - he was a big boy.

"Two guys used to carry him out to the blue line and he'd slash people as they skated by," joked Flyers announcer Gene Hart.

Dupont reportedly weighed in at 250lbs in junior hockey. At the same time he took on all comers, earning a ridiculous 212 PIMs in just 38 games.

Yet he was a very good junior, helping three different Quebec teams to Memorial Cup appearances in three consecutive seasons. The New York Rangers drafted Dupont 8th overall in 1969.

During that draft season Dupont was convinced to shed the excess weight if he wanted to play in the pros. He crashed dieted and got down to around 200lbs, which is what he played at in the NHL.

"Roger Bedard (a retired pro hockey player) was the man who straightened me out. He made me lose 40 pounds and get ready to turn pro."

Though his weight decreased, he zeal for the physical aspects of the game certainly did not. He played with the Rangers farm team in Omaha and his PIM totals were astounding. But so was his play. In 1969-70 the defenseman scored 11 goals and 37 points along with 258 penatly minutes, earning him the CHL rookie of the year award. The following season he shared the league's MVP award, thanks to 15 goals, 46 points and 308 PIMs! Needless to say he was also named as the league's top defenseman.

The coach in Omaha just loved Dupont's play. His name - Fred Shero.

Somehow the Rangers never shared the same love for Dupont's game. Despite his great play in the minor leagues, Dupont only got into 7 games in New York. Early in his third pro season the Rangers traded Dupont to the St. Louis Blues. Dupont played regularly with the Blues over parts of two seasons, starting in 85 games and scoring 4 goals and 20 points.

He played well enough in St. Louis, but was never quite comfortable there. Then a trade to Philadelphia changed his NHL fortunes dramatically, as he was reunited with his coach from Omaha - Fred Shero.

"I was with the Blues for a year, and they were having all kinds of trouble. Being traded to Philly and coming back to Freddy was the best thing that ever happened to me," he confessed. "I came to a winner, and you can't ask for more than that."

If there was ever a player who best represented Broad Street Bullies hockey of the 1970s, it was Dupont. He was a loose cannon, made even more unpredictable due to his expression-less face. But next thing you know he's being sent back to the penalty box for some unprovoked attack. All too often those infractions would put his team in bad penalty kill situations, but Shero kept on believing in Dupont and his value to the team.

Dupont could play hockey, too, as evidenced by his 59 goals and 244 points in 800 career NHL games and an appearance in the 1976 NHL All Star game. He celebrated his goals with "the Moose Shuffle" dance, a silly take on football end zone celebrations. But it never looked so good as in the 1974 playoffs. He scored 4 goals that spring, including the game tying goal with just 50 seconds left in game two of the finals. Of course, the Flyers went on to win that series and their first Stanley Cup.

Yet he will always be remembered as one the biggest and baddest of the Broad Street Bullies. Nearly 2000 career penalty minutes will do that to you.

Dupont played with the Flyers until 1980 when he was traded close to home and played three seasons with the Quebec Nordiques. He even served as the team captain in Quebec for a season. He retired in 1983.

Joe Watson

2010-09-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Joe Watson was born in Smithers, B.C. a little town of Bavarian flavour approximately approximately a 12 hour drive north of Vancouver, 200 kms east of my hometown. Needless to say I grew up a big fan of the Watsons, even though they had retired before I was really old enough to have watched them play.

His father Joe Sr. was a butcher and his mother Mary ran a restaurant when she wasn't running the family farm. She was the real hockey fan of the family. Nowadays the Smithers arena is named after her.

Joe played hockey as soon as he could walk and with the winters lasting up to half a year he had plenty of time to play hockey. Joe grew up with five brothers, among them his younger brother Jimmy, who later played in the NHL alongside Joe in Philadelphia.

Joe moved up through the amateur ranks and graduated from the Estevan Bruins (SJHL) in 1963 and signed with the Boston Bruins that same year. He played for Minneapolis Bruins (CHL) the following season, and was tested in 4 games with Boston during the 1964-65 season and registered his first NHL point, but most of the time he played in Minneapolis.

During the 1965-66 season came his breakthrough. Joe was still playing for the Bruins farm team (Oklahoma) in the CHL and posted a fine season where he was selected to the 1st All-Star team. His fine performance won him a job with the Bruins the following season (1965-66). Joe did very well and appeared in 69 games, scoring 15 points, including 2 goals.

Boston was however stacked with fine defensemen, one of them was of course a rookie named Bobby Orr. Joe was exposed in the expansion draft and got picked by Philadelphia in 1967 and became a fixture on defense for Philadelphia for the next 11 seasons. Joe was an integral part of the two Stanley Cups that Philadelphia won in 1974 and 1975.

He was known for being a hard hitter and a good defensive defenseman. He wasn't nearly as talented as his brother Jim, and was very aware of that fact. Joe never tried to do anything that was beyond his capacity, he always kept it simple and did it successfully. His steady play earned him trips to the 1974 and 1977 All-Star games. Joe's fine defensive play gave him a +191 rating during his Philadelphia career, and +178 overall.

Joe, who loved to fish in the summer times back home in Smithers, actually walked out on the Flyers in 1971 due to a contract dispute. But he quickly returned to camp after receiving a phone call from the best man at his wedding, not to mention the best man in the NHL.

"Bobby Orr called and really gave me hell. He told me i could still play another five or six years, at least - reminded me I was only twenty-eight and was just reaching my prime. Then he said I had my wife to think about, not just myself."

Obviously, Watson and Orr shared a special friendship. Here's a funny story about their living relationship once upon a time:

"We shared an apartment overlooking the Atlantic Ocean," recalled Watson. "He did the cleaning and cooking and really was a great cook. Bobby had so much energy that he did most of the work. About all I did was wash the dishes and water the plants."

Interestingly, when the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup in 1974, it came at the expense of the Boston Bruins. Orr and Watson met in the back corridor to offer congratulations.

"I offered him some champagne," Joe said, "but he was dejected and said he didn't deserve it. My good gracious, he shouldn't be dejected the way he played. He kept that team together."

Of course for Watson, winning the Stanley Cup was a dream come true.

"I've been dreaming about a Stanley Cup since I was about five or six, and when Orr and I arrived in Boston together (in 1966), I thought I might have a chance. But the next year, I was here with all the rejects."

During Joe's last season in Philadelphia (1977-78) he noticed that his ice time was reduced considerably. Knowing that he was on the end of the line in Philadelphia Joe asked to be traded to a team where he could be of any help. The Flyers obliged and sold Joe to the Colorado Rockies on August 31, 1978.

Joe was thrilled over the opportunity to play for Colorado and be able to contribute with his experience. Unfortunately Joe's career ended abruptly after only 16 games in the Colorado uniform when he crashed into the boards in a November game against St. Louis. The result of the collision was that he cracked his kneecap and fractured the bone below the kneecap in no less than 13 pieces. Immediately after having crashed into the boards linesman John D'Amico saw that it was bad. D'Amico immediately instructed Joe to not move. Before Joe was rushed to a hospital two doctors splinted his leg. The break was so bad that a bone was sticking out just below his kneecap.

Joe wanted to have his knee operated by Flyers orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joseph Torg who he knew from his days in Philadelphia and whom he trusted. He had two operations and regained about 80 % of the leg's strength. It was a sad end to a fine career. After Joe's initial disappointment that his career was over he looked back and was proud of the many achievements during his career. Two Stanley Cups, two All-Star games, scoring a big goal in the famous 1976 game vs CSKA Moscow among other things.

But Joe was most proud over the fact that he had made it to the NHL during the tough six team era.

"I made it with Boston when it was a six-team league and there weren't many openings. I'm most proud of that."

Joe finished his NHL career with 216 points (38 goals and 178 assists) in 835 regular season games as well as 15 pts (3 goals and 12 assists) in 84 playoff games. He gave hockey fans a solid performance for 16 NHL seasons.

Ed Van Impe

2010-09-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

When Ed Van Impe laced up his skates, he underwent some sort of crazy metamorphosis. This mild-mannered, soft spoken gentleman would turn into a monster on the ice, never hesitating to to deliver his physical brand of hockey.

Van Impe, the second captain of the Broad Street Bullies, helped set the Flyer's bruising standards through his unrelenting play. He was known for his heavy open ice hits and his liberal stick work, but he never considered himself to be a goon.

"I don't want a tough guy reputation. I'd rather be known as a tough, hard working defenseman. I'd like to cut down the penalties. Some of them hurt the team," he said. In fact, that quote came in the early 1970s, prior to the arrival of the likes of Dave "The Hammer" Schultz.

While he never put up many points, Van Impe was respected for his defensive play. He was a left handed shot who was comfortable playing on the right side. He was steady defensively, sacrificing his body regularly to take out his man or block a shot. He was not in anyways flashy.

Yet Van Impe's reputation as a goon was, unfairly, cemented after his infamous hit on Soviet superstar Valeri Kharlamov. The Russian wizard was knocked out after smacking his face against Van Impe's big elbow, as the Flyers' dman would explain it.

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on May 27, 1940, Van Impe grew up idolizing Montreal Canadiens defenseman Doug Harvey. After three years in junior hockey, the Chicago Blackhawks invited Van Impe to training camp in 1960. He would spend a season playing minor pro in Calgary before relocating to Buffalo of the AHL for the next five seasons.

Van Impe finally cracked the Blackhawks lineup in 1966-67, the final season of Original Six hockey. He did very well, finishing as the runner up to some kid named Bobby Orr for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year.

Despite his strong season, Van Impe found himself unprotected by the Hawks for the expansion draft. The Flyers quickly snapped up the tough defenseman and a year later named him team captain.

"It’s been said before but I’ll say it again, it’s a big thrill just to play in the NHL but being named captain of an NHL team is quite and honor. I’m not a holler guy. The best way I can lead this team is to go out on the ice and help win some games."

During the 1971-72 season he handed the captaincy to a young Bobby Clarke. He recognized that it was the young guys who were leading the way.

"Our team was kind of young. We didn't believe that anybody could beat us. The young guys made the older guys like me believe."

Believe they did, all the way to back to back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975.Van Impe was very much a big part of those two NHL titles.

Coach Fred Shero praised Van Impe and his decision to relinquish the C.

"His defense was never better after he gave up the captain’s role. He was right up there with the most valuable players on the team."

Hernia surgery in 1975 hurt Van Impe's already average mobility so the Flyers traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 1976. Later a shoulder injury suffered during training camp in 1976 forced him to retire.

Van Impe and his wife would later move to Nanoose Bay on beautiful Vancouver Island.

Thomas Eriksson

2010-06-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Thomas Eriksson was the first European trained player to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Perhaps that should be no surprise, given that Eriksson was an aggressive defenseman with imposing size back in Sweden. He set the Djurgarden team record for most penalty minutes in a career, leading the Swedish Elite League once during the regular season and three times during the playoffs.

Mind you, that was back in Stockholm. In Philadelphia he was not nearly so physical, and certainly not by the Flyers' bruising standards, as his 107 career penalty minutes in 208 games suggest.

In fact, scouting reports back in the mid-1980s suggested Eriksson was easily over-matched along the boards because of a lack of upper body strength. He did not spend much time hitting, although he was credited with increasing his physical tempo in his final season before he got hurt. He definitely had a reputation as being soft, as teams targeted him knowing he would hurry his puck movement or abandon the puck altogether.

Skill wise he was a steady skater, though not fast and at times awkward when moving backwards. That likely had a lot to do with his play reading ability as he seemed confused at times about his role in the defensive zone. To make matters worse, speeding power forwards targeted his side of the ice as he had a reputation for turning too late.

He did carry and pass the puck well, and had good offensive anticipation. His shot was unnoteworthy and generally from the blue line, although he would try to sneak into the middle of the slot from time to time on a set play.

The Flyers drafted Eriksson in the fifth round, 98th overall in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. They rushed Eriksson over too early, bring both him and Pelle Lindbergh overseas, and even moving popular veteran Moose Dupont to Quebec because they thought Eriksson would be ready. He spent most of the 1980-81 season in the minor leagues, and then after a single game with the Flyers in 1981-82 he was granted the right to return home to Sweden. He was home sick and clearly not mentally ready for life in the NHL and life in North America in general.

After a couple of strong seasons back with Djurgarden, Eriksson would return to Philadelphia for the 1983-84 season, feeling "older, wiser" and better prepared for life away from home.

Eriksson would spend the next three seasons playing as a depth defenseman with the Flyers until a knee injury cost him the remainder of the 1986 season. That would prove to be his final game in the National Hockey League.

Interestingly, Eriksson returned home to Sweden and that is when he really solidified his reputation as a dominant and physical defenseman in the SEL. He returned Djurgarden to the championship title three years in a row in 1989, 1990 and 1991, just like he did previously back in 1983. Not surprisingly, Djurgarden retired his #27 when his playing career was over.

He also helped the Swedish national team to the 1990 World Championship silver medal, his best finish in four attempts at that tournament. In each of those four tournaments he was named to the First All Star team.
Eriksson also twice represented Team Sweden at the Canada Cup (1981 and 1984) and at the Olympics (1980 and 1988). He helped Sweden with the bronze at both Olympic games.

Reid Bailey

2010-02-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Reid "Beetle" Bailey got his nickname courtesy of Philadelphia Flyers teammates who likened the lumbering blueliner to the famous comic strip character. Bailey would play 17 games with the Flyers, plus another 14 in the playoffs. He would later make brief appearances with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Hartford Whalers in his professional career that spanned 8 seasons. Not bad for a player who was never drafted coming out of junior hockey.

Bailey would not let that deter him, and he signed on for some adventures with the Port Huron Flags of the late 1970s IHL. The Flyers took note and signed him in 1978. A couple of years later he was helping the Flyers on a long playoff run.

The Flyers released the slow moving defenseman after 1982. The Edmonton Oilers, seeking more toughness, signed him though he never played for the team. A couple of months later he was traded to Toronto. He signed with Hartford for his final season in 1983-84.

Unlike many fringe NHL players of the era, Reid Bailey had an interesting post-hockey job. Where many guys go on to work for brewery plants, or as cola sales reps or selling insurance, Bailey became an executive with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation as well as the Harlem Globetrotters and the Ice Capades.

Ray Allison

2010-02-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

The 1979 NHL Amateur Draft was one of the strongest drafts in NHL history, with almost every first round pick going on the enjoy lengthy careers as above average NHL players.

One player who did not hit the mark was Ray Allison, the Hartford Whalers' first ever NHL draft selection at #18.

It would be unfair to say Ray Allison was a NHL draft bust. After all he did participate in 238 NHL contests and scored 64 goals and 157 points. Ask any scout and they'll tell you his career counts as a success from their point of view. He certainly played more games than most players who were ever drafted.

But expectations were high. He came out of the Brandon Wheat Kings organization where he starred on a line with Brian Propp and first Bill Derlago and then Laurie Boschman. In his last two years in Brandon he played in 133 games and scored 134 goals, 178 assists and 313 points, all while accumulating 443 minutes in penalties. Couple those lofty totals and the play of his fellow draft classmen, and you can see why fans in Hartford were expecting more.

Ray would make the jump to the NHL immediately in 1979-80, but he would have a disappointing year. He scored 16 goals and 28 points in 64 games in an era when the top rookies were producing a point per game or even better. The Whalers decided he needed more seasoning, and demoted him in the minors for his sophomore campaign.

By the summer of 1981 Allison was included in a huge trade with Philadelphia which saw both teams exchange draft picks and prospects in order to lure Rick MacLeish out of Philly.

Allison would play the next three seasons in Philadelphia. At times he was reunited with Brian Propp. In 1981-82 he scored over a point a game with 54 points in 51 games while playing with Propp and Ron Flockhart on the "Hi-Speed Line," although on the first day of training camp a serious cut to his elbow got infected, cost him his training camp and contributed to a slow start.

He looked primed to exploded the following year, as he led all Flyers in scoring during the training camp exhibition schedule. He would register his best NHL campaign with 21 goals and 51 points in 67 games, and registered an impressive +30.

The 1983-84 season was nothing short of disastrous for Allison. He got off to a slow start, and then severely broke his left ankle when he crashed into a goal post during a Boxing Day game in Washington. He missed most of the rest of the season, and was never the same player after that.

Allison would only play in 13 NHL contests beyond that season. He tried to make it back with years in the minor leagues while also playing in Switzerland. It was to no avail. He retired in 1990.

Al Hill

2009-11-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

Al Hill played in 221 NHL games with modest success, but none as famous as his first.

Hill was called up by the Flyers for a game against the St. Louis Blues on Valentine's Day, 1977. Hill went on to establish a NHL record by registering 5 points in his debut game. He scored 2 goals and 3 assists, and even had a fight to complete the "Gordie Howe hat trick."

No player had a better NHL debut.

Playing on a line with team captain Bobby Clarke and Bob "Hound Dog" Kelly, Hill struck early, opening the scoring at just the 36 second mark. He struck again in the second period, this time playing with new linemates Rick MacLeish and Gary Dornhoefer.

Hill went on to set up goals by Reggie Leach, Mel Bridgman and Bobby Clarke, as well as fighting Blues star Bill MacMillan.

It was certainly a surprise eruption of offense from Hill. The Nanaimo, BC native was never a real offensive force in junior hockey or in the minor leagues. He was never even drafted by a NHL team.

Coach Fred Shero even hinted that he “didn’t even know we had him on the team.”

Hill would return to the minor leagues for most of the next two seasons, but he did finally become a NHL regular from 1979 through 1982, though it was as a checking forward who could be plugged into any hole in the lineup. He would return to the minor leagues through 1989, with the occasional NHL call up, all with the Flyers' organization.

In 221 NHL games Al Hill scored 40 goals and 95 points.

Brad Marsh

2009-11-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

An awkward though powerful skating style unfairly gave Brad Marsh the reputation of being a skater slower than a tax refund cheque.

In actuality he was one of the best, if unheralded, defensive defensemen of his time.

The helmetless Marsh was popular everywhere he played. How could he not be? Every fan appreciates hard-working, blue-collar players who wear their heart on their sleeve. He may not have been the most talent player on the ice, but his obvious passion and lunch-pail approach to the game endeared him to fans.

"Marshy" was not blessed with much natural talent. That might go without saying, after all he scored only 23 goals and 198 points in 1086 NHL games. He is the lowest scoring player (excluding goaltenders) to have ever played in 1000 games.

Marsh was often mocked for his skating, as he lacked agility and gracefulness, but he was a deceptively powerful skater. He often surprised the other team by rushing the puck out of his own zone, as they fully expected him to just fire the puck off the glass and out. Otherwise, Marsh's offensive game was strictly shots from the point.

Defensively Marsh was very good. He was excellent at reading the oncoming play and using his angles very well. He was a punishingly aggressive player, although his skating would betray him as his sometimes over-aggressiveness would land him out of position and unable to recover.

Marsh was a junior standout with his hometown London Knights. The Atlanta Flames would draft Marsh 11th overall in 1978 ahead of names like Larry Playfair, Al Secord, Tony McKegney and Stan Smyl. Marsh would immediately make the jump to the NHL, playing in 257 consecutive games with the Flames (relocated to Calgary), the last 97 of which as team captain.

The Flames traded Marsh to the Philadelphia Flyers for Mel Bridgman on November 11th, 1981. Marsh would be best known as a Flyer.

"Brad was a very important leader on our team. Marshy was all about the team and never for himself," said longtime teammate Mark Howe. "He could play 20-plus minutes a game and could always be counted on to compete each and every night. He was a great shot blocker and a rugged competitor on the ice, but a gentle and kind person off the ice. Brad was always smiling and loved to be at the rink each and every day. For many years he was a mainstay on the blueline for our team and a big reason why the Flyers had a successful and competitive team in the eighties."

Marsh was pretty distinguishable out there on the ice, what with his distinctive style and unfailing desire. That, and his lack of head wear.

Marsh only temporarily experimented with wearing a helmet despite once cracking open his head after a Cam Neely-Ray Bourque sandwich hit. Despite losing a lot of blood, needing stitches and sustaining a severe concussion, Marsh was back in action 5 games later. Because Marsh had entered the NHL prior to 1979, he was permitted to continue playing without a helmet, whereas all subsequent newcomers to the league were madated to wear the helmet.

Marsh was a courageous shot blocker and dressing room leader.

"Marshy came to play every single night," said longtime teammate Dave Poulin. "What was understated was his leadership role both on and off the ice. He was an enormous positive factor in many young players'' careers."

That leadership helped keep Marsh in the NHL through 1993. the popular journeyman finished his career with short tenures with Toronto, Detroit, and Ottawa. He was Ottawa's representative at the 1993 NHL All Star game, a nice honour for the long time competitor.

Marsh was a great teammate and a great member of the community. He was frequently involved in charity work, whether it be hockey related initiatives or his golf tournament for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

"You couldn't ask for a better teammate than Brad Marsh. You also couldn't ask for a better human being," suggests former Flyer Tim Kerr. We have to agree with him.

Claude Boivin

2009-11-03T22:03:00.000-08:00

Before the 1988 draft, the Flyers desperately wanted to trade up into the top 10 of the draft, offering to sacrifice their 14th overall selection and a package of players/prospects to do so. The Flyers had their eyes on one of two top prospects in that draft. One was a young Finnish winger named Teemu Selänne. The other was college-bound center named of Rod Brind'Amour. The Flyers however were not able to make any deals. Brind'Amour went 9th overall to St. Louis, and became a solid player for many years, many of which were eventually in a Philly uniform as a result of a later trade. Selänne followed Brind'Amour by going 10th overall to the Winnipeg Jets. Of course Selanne went on to smash the NHL rookie scoring record and became one of the most feared snipers of his day. The Flyers also missed out on Jeremy Roenick and Martin Gelinas.

The Flyers ended up with Claude Boivin, one of the bigger busts in Flyers draft history. Boivin was highly touted after a strong first year in the QMJHL with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He scored 23 goals and 49 points while piling up 233 penalty minutes. His draft position was enhanced by a strong playoff showing by Boivin and his team as the Voltigeurs played deep into the playoffs. Boivin's 5 goal, 8 point post season was highlited by his strong play along the boards and in front of the net.

After being drafted, Boivin returned to Drummondville but disappointed by not taking his game to the next level. He scored 20 goals and 56 points with 218 PIM. He played strong, but was expected to play at a much higher level.

Boivin had a strong final season in 1989-90 with the Laval Titan. He scored 24 goals and 51 assists with 309 PIM plus had a strong playoff with 7 goals and 13 assists in 13 games.

Claude played his first professional season with the Flyers farm team in Hershey. He scored 13 goals but impressed with 32 assists for 45 points. There was hope that Boivin may yet develop into a top player like was first hoped when he was drafted. Knee injuries did not help.

Boivin made the Flyers in 1991-92 but played a limited 3rd or 4th line role. He scored 5 goals and 18 points in 58 games, with 187 PIM. He had an injury filled 1992-93 season with Philly and started the 1993-94 year with the Flyers before a late season trade saw him go to Ottawa. With Ottawa he played 18 games over the next two years before he retired.

Boivin didn't have the skating skills or puck skills to play at the NHL level. Because he didn't skate well enough he couldn't do a good job as a role playing mucker and grinder either. In short he earned his lofty draft position because of an overachieving playoff in his draft year, but rarely showed that form again.

Larry Zeidel

2009-11-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

Larry Zeidel was hockey's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

On the ice he was the evil Mr. Hyde and off the ice he was the nice Dr. Jekyll. He received the tag of "The fastest stick in the Midwest" and it wasn't because of his slick stickhandling. Larry had a reputation of using his stick as a spear whenever he felt it necessary, which was quite often.

No other professional player was involved in more stick swinging incidents than Larry. His most famous one came in the NHL against Bruins Eddie Shack. Both combatants tried to scalp each other after Shack had made racial remarks against Larry, who was Jewish. In another stick swinging incident that happened in the WHL it was Larry and Willie O'Ree (the first black player in the NHL) who tried to chop off each others heads. WHL's league president Al Leader almost expelled Larry from the league.

So how come that Larry became such a rough player? Larry had two explanations for this.

"I guess there are a couple of reasons. First, I played some senior hockey in Quebec City and we could play well and win, but the fans would rather have us involved in a real brawl and lose the game. There were a lot of rugged guys in the league at that time, too, so maybe it was partly a matter of survival. The other thing is that there's the big thing of being young and having stars in your eyes. The clubs themselves are as much or more to blame. They play up the tough guys. Guts, guts, guts is all you hear from a lot of coaches and managers, even as early as junior. I was playing for some coaches and managers who would tell me ' go get him ' ,so I did "

To Larry's defense it has to be said that he tried to clean up his "bad boy" image late in his career, but it was tough to convince the referees and opponents about that. Late in his career Larry explained how hard it was to get "straight".

" I feel my past is haunting me now, even though I'm trying very hard to avoid penalties. After you're regarded as a tough guy, every rough kid who comes along wants to make a name for himself, too, and because you've got that reputation, you're the target."

Larry was tough and fearless. During one game in 1955 he blocked a shot with his head that caught him in the temple. He continued to play but was later ejected from the game which probably saved his life. It was later revealed that he had sustained a serious skull fracture. In his early years Larry played for Porcupine Combines (NOHA), Verdun Maple Leafs (QJHL), Barrie Flyers (OHA), Quebec Aces (QSHL) and Saskatoon Quakers (SSHL). It was during his days in Saskatoon that he picked up his nickname "The Rock".

Larry made his NHL debut during the 1951-52 season for the Detroit Red Wings. His start couldn't have been better. He immediately won a Stanley Cup with Detroit that year. Larry also played a couple of games for Detroit in 1952-53 before being sold to Chicago in 1953. In Chicago he played one full season (53-54) before he was traded back to Detroit again. Larry spend the next 13 seasons in the minor leagues before being picked up by the expansion Philadelphia Flyers in 1967. He played very steady in Philadelphia and finished with a strong +12 rating for the expansion team. After a couple of games for Philly in 1968-69 he decided to retire, almost 41-years old.

Larry was one of the most controversial players of his time who had a sharp stick, elbows and tongue. He dished out a lot of blows but also was on the receiving end of many. Simply put, Larry didn't take any crap from anybody.

Bill Clement

2009-10-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

Known in the United States as a longtime staple of NHL television broadcasts in the United States, Bill Clement also had a solid - although not extraordinary - NHL career, winning two Stanley Cups with the Philadelphia Flyers as a back line center. But even before Clement retired from the game, it was obvious what he was going to do after hockey.

Clement broke into pro hockey in 1970-71 with the AHL Quebec Aces. The Aces were a Philadelphia farm team, and the Flyers had made Clement their 1st choice, 18th overall in 1970. Bill led the Aces in scoring (19-39-58) in what would prove to be their final season.

The next season, he split his time between the Flyers and the AHL Richmond Robins. He became a full-time Flyer in 1973-74 and as a result became forever a member of the immortal "Broad Street Bullies." Although Clement was anything but a bully. He tallied only 383 penalty minutes in 719 contests. Instead, his job was to kill off all those penalties that the Bullies took. He was an excellent penalty killer, combining a superior defensive understanding of the game and good skating skills to carve a niche in the NHL for 11 seasons.

Bill was traded to the Washington Capitals for the 1975-76 season in a trade that saw the Flyers and Caps swap 1st round picks. That trade was seen as brilliant at the time, as the two time defending Stanley Cup champions had secured the 1st overall selection in the draft in exchange for Clement and Don McLean. Unfortunately the player the Flyers took, Mel Bridgman never proved to be a superstar, though he did have a long, serviceable career. On the other hand Clement's stay in Washington was very short. He played in just 46 games before he moved on again. In that short time he proved to be one of the Caps' best players, and was even selected to represent them team in the annual All-Star game.

Clement finished the season with the Atlanta Flames in exchange for a 1st round draft pick (which turned out to be Greg Carroll), Jean Lemieux and Gerry Meehan. It would be the last time Clement changed organizations, although he did find himself moving once again in 1980 when the team transferred from the state of Georgia to Calgary, Alberta. Clement continued to be an effectively nice player for the Flames, and even returned to the NHL All-Star Game again in 1978.

As mentioned, as his playing career wound down, Clement was laying the groundwork for his next career: broadcasting. While still playing for the Flames, he was a guest commentator for games telecast on cable’s fledgling USA Network. Bill first joined ESPN in 1986 serving as a game analyst, but returned to Philadelphia in 1988 to help broadcast Flyers games on PRISM (now Comcast) for four years. During that time, Clement also did games for two stations locally. For his work covering the 1992 NHL playoffs for SportsChannel America, Clement won the CableACE Award, an honor equivalent to the Emmy for American cable stations. He has also appeared as a hockey analyst for NBC, TNT, the Madison Square Garden Network and Canada’s CTV.

Clement re-joined ESPN for the 1992-93 season as its NHL studio analyst. A professionally trained actor and model, Clement can list over 250 nationally televised commercials in the United States on his resume and has been active on the motivational speaking circuit for nearly a decade. He even appeared in a soap opera, ABC’s "All My Children," in 1986. His most famous television appearance would definitely have to be this bug spray commercial:

Although Bill Clement was never in the running for major accolades during his NHL career, after he hung up his skates he became a major spokesman for the game through broadcasting. His contributions to the game - particularly in the United States - have not gone unnoticed.

Doug Favell

2009-09-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder who was the first goalie to paint his goalie mask? The answer is Doug Favell.

Now don't get too excited. His paint job was pretty lame compared to today's fancy paint jobs. Playing for the Philadelphia Flyers at the time, Doug painted his completely white mask Flyer Orange for Hallowe'en. I bet Doug had no idea what he started when he did that.

Doug Favell is best known for being the Flyers original goalie along with the legendary Bernie Parent. the two provided strong goaltending in the expansion Flyers formative years. Unfortunately for Favell, after 6 seasons with the Flyers, Doug was traded prior to the Flyers winning their two Stanley Cups in the mid 1970s.

Born on April 5, 1945 in St. Catharines, Ontario Doug was picked up by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft from the Boston Bruins organization. Doug had never played for the Bs but had put up impressive performances in 2 years with the Bruins farm teams.

Doug had a great rookie year, slightly better than Parent even. He recorded a career best 2.27 GAA and 4 shutouts in 37 games. He had a 15-15-6 record. Parent on the other hand had a similar year - 16-17-5 with 2.48 GAA and 4 more shutouts.

Doug struggled the next two years as Parent became the starting goalie, playing in most of the games. Favell saw little playing time over those two years, playing in just 36 contests, winning only 7.

Doug got to be the full time starter in 70-71 when Bernie Parent was traded midway through the year. He had another good year He finished the year with a 16-15-9 record. In 71-72. He played in 54 games, recording a 2.80 GAA and a career high 5 shutouts along with a 18-25-9 record. In 1972-73 Favell had a career high 20 wins against 15 losses and 4 ties, with a 2.83 GAA and 3 shutouts.

That proved to be Favell's final season in Philadelphia. Favell proved to be a good goalie, but not a great goalie. The Flyers were becoming a strong contender but were not getting the spectacular goaltending needed to take the Flyers to new heights in the playoffs..

Favell was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, ironically to complete the trade which saw the Flyers reacquired Bernie Parent. Favell played two decent years with the Leafs. In the meantime the Flyers won the next two Stanley Cups without him.

Prior to 76-77, Doug joined the Colorado Rockies, a new team that formed out of the old Kansas City Scouts. Doug was between the pipes for the Rockies first win on October 5, 1976. Otherwise highlights were few and far between in Denver. Favell won only 21 games in 3 seasons with the awful Rockies.

By the 1978-79 season Favell was demoted to the minors where he spent most of the season. He hung up his blocker and goal pads after that season.

Dominic Roussel

2009-08-21T16:45:00.001-07:00

The story of Dominic Roussel is a tremendously interesting one. Unfortunately its not for his on ice accomplishments, but rather a weird turn of events involving his family.

On the ice, Roussel has had a rather forgettable career. Aside from the 1993-94 season where Dominic played in 60 games - winning 29 of them while losing 20, with 5 ties - Roussel was a backup goalie at best, often spending time in the minor leagues

One who watched Roussel in 1993-94 wonders what happened to the guy. Okay, maybe he wasn't good enough to be a NHL starting netminder, but he played well that year and looked capable of being one of the better backups at the very least. Yet his career went downhill so very fast.

Part of it had to do with the return of Ron Hextall to Philadelphia. The goalie who had so spectacularly wowed the NHL in the late 1980s was traded to Quebec - and later New York Islanders - as part of the big Eric Lindros deal. The Flyers felt they needed better goaltending than what Roussel could offer at that time, and weren't willing to wait for Roussel to develop further. They jumped at the chance to get the more experienced Hextall back in their nets.

But at the same time Roussel seemingly disappeared from the face of the hockey planet. After playing 19 games in 1994-95, he inexplicably played just 16 games over the next 3 years. He was briefly spotted in a couple of minor league stops, as well as Europe and the Canadian national team.

It turns out Roussel's personal life was going badly awry, as his own father was screwing him out of his financial security.

The trouble began unknowingly in 1993 when Andre Roussel took control of his son's career, replacing Gilles Lupien as his agent and financial representative.

"I spent a year talking to people trying to find a new agent, but I couldn't find anyone I was comfortable with," said Roussel.

If you couldn't be comfortable with your own father, who could you be comfortable with?

"My dad said he would do it. He had experience negotiating contracts in his job at Hydro Quebec so I thought it would be OK. I figured he would be fine as far as honesty was concerned."

Andre Roussel quickly quit his job with the intention of supporting himself, wife Pauline and other son Stephane, with the fees he would receive as Dominic's agent. However Dominic was certainly no superstar who commanded a 7-figure contract. It would be awfully hard for the three of them to support themselves on the 3-4% agents fee on Roussel's $400,000 contract.

For the 1994-95 season Dominic wanted a long term contract, but his father only got him another 1 year contract again at $400,000. The following year son followed father's advice, and held out for a million dollar contract. The Flyers were "only" paying starting goalie Ron Hextall $900,000 that year, so such a contract demand was ludicrous.

"My dad wanted too much," said Dominic. "He went too high"

The Roussel's finally settled for $600,000 for the season, but in the meantime the Flyers acquired Garth Snow to do their backup work. Dominic spent most of the year watching the Flyers play in the stands.

That's when Dominic fired his own father and hired professional agent Ron Weiss.

"I wanted my dad to do something to get me playing or get me traded, but he could do nothing" reasoned Dominic.

A week after hiring Weiss, Roussel was sent to the minors so he could play, and then was traded to the Winnipeg Jets. However trying to reestablish himself as a bonafide NHL goalkeeper again quickly became the least of Dominic's worries, as Weiss uncovered Andre Roussel's dirty secret.

While acting as an agent, Andre formed a company and obtained power of attorney and bought three pieces of property, two in Hull Quebec, and 1 in Montreal. Dominic was also shocked to learn that his parent were the beneficiaries of his life insurance policy, not his wife and kids.

Dominic filed a lawsuit against his father and in late 1997 recovered the properties that were purchased with his money. Another suit was filed in 1999 to recover $250,000 which was was owed to the goaltender. In a weird turn of events, Andre launched a counter suit against his own son for $1.7 million in damages. This included $55 000 a year for 15 years for lost wages for quitting his job at Hydro Quebec; $250,000 for loss of family life caused by Dominic's suit, $100,000 in legal fees and other such damages.

Needless to say, relations between Dominic and his dad are now strained.

"I didn't want to sue my dad, but I had to," a saddened Dominic explained. "I really love my parents. The tough thing for me was realizing (the love) was one sided. I trusted my dad like I would trust no one else."

David Poile, of the expansion Nashville Predators, heard about the story, and offered Roussel a try out.

"I had heard about his story and figured he could come to Nashville and write a happy ending to it." said Poile. "He had a great training camp and as it turned out was not only good enough for us to consider keeping him as one of our two goalies, another team was interested too."

That team was the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, whom Roussel played with for 3 seasons before finishing his NHL career with 8 games in Edmonton. He extended his hockey career by playing in Germany until 2003.

So how has Roussel gotten through all this?

"What got me through all this was my faith in God. That and the support I have received from my wife."

An eternal optimist, Dominic hopes to patch up his relationship with his parents.

"I hope one day they will come to me and say, 'We did this, we're sorry, let's move on.' I could forget everything if they would do that."

Tom Bladon

2009-06-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

Tom Bladon was a hard shooting, offensive minded defenseman best known for his days with the Philadelphia Flyers. Nicknamed "Bomber" because of how hard he could shoot the puck, Bladon broke Bobby Orr's record for most points in one game by a defenseman.

Bladon had 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in an 11-1 romp by the Flyers over the Colorado Rockies on December 11, 1977. 4 seasons earlier Bobby Orr had set the record when he had 3 goals and 4 assists in a 10-2 win over the New York Rangers. Paul Coffey has since tied Bladon's record with a 2 goal, 6 assist effort in a 12-3 win by the Edmonton Oilers over the Detroit Red Wings late in 1986.

Needless to say, that puts Bladon in some select company!

However Bladon is never really mentioned when it comes to elite defensemen such as Orr and Coffey. Although he was probably the top offensive defenseman of the Philadelphia Flyers during their two Stanley Cup victories in the mid-1970s, he's an often forgotten about member of that team as well.

Bladon broke into the league as a rookie in 1972-73, one year after his Edmonton Oil Kings fell just short of capturing the Memorial Cup. Bladon stepped into the Philadelphia and was a bit of an oddity on the Broad Street Bullies. He was anything but a real physical player, instead he relied on skill.

Bladon scored 11 goals and 42 points in an impressive rookie campaign. He slipped somewhat during the Cup years - scoring 12 goals and 34 points in 1973-74 and 9 goals and 29 points in 1974-75, although his plus/minus went through the roof with career highs 42 and 45 respectively.

Bladon's numbers improved as the team tried to get a little younger following the two championships. Bladon got more ice time and responded with 14 goals and 37 pints in 1975-76, and then with 10 goals and a career high 43 assists for a career high 53 points in 1976-77 - the year he broke Bobby Orr's record.

Bladon stepped back to reality in 1977-78 when he scored 11 goals and 35 points in what proved to be his final season in Philadelphia. He failed to raise his goal totals to double digits just once in 6 seasons in Philly, a true feat for a defenseman.

Bladon was never able to duplicate his success once he left Philadelphia however. This is due partly to the fact he was moved so often. Over the next three years he would play with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings, not to mention the Wings farm team in Adirondack (AHL). Tom admitted that this was a very tough time in his life, and he opted to retire.

Retirement wasn't any easier for Tom however, although he soon adjusted. He went back home to his native Edmonton and worked for United Van Lines in their head office for 11 years before moving to Victoria where he got into the sporting goods business.

Derian Hatcher

2009-06-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

Derian Hatcher announced his retirement in the summer of 2009.

The post-NHL lockout world was not made for Derian Hatcher, and it showed. In fact, he was the poster boy of old warriors who could not play in the "new NHL." But in the years of the ultra-physical, tight checking NHL leading up to that time, Hatcher was one of the biggest, baddest and most feared men in hockey.

And one of the most effective. He was a tower of power with Dallas when he captained the Stars to the 1999 Stanley Cup. He was also a starring figure for the Americans at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. For a good portion of the 1990s he was a top 10 defenseman in the NHL.

He was always amongst my favorite players. From his effort and intensity, to his surprisingly effective hockey mind, he was a player I know I tried to emulate when playing street hockey and floor hockey back in the 1990s. I was too old to keep up with the young whippersnappers I played with, but I took great pride in my defensive play and my physicality, even though there was no hitting supposedly allowed.

Derian Hatcher would have been proud of me.

I liked Hatcher because he was a force. He was huge at 6'5" and 225lbs, and he hit like a Mack truck. He kept the slot clean of defenders back in the pre-lockout era when you could do so by any means necessary. Hatcher invented many of those means.

He was fearless in his intimidating physical game, demanding respect and room. He also had a real mean streak - just ask Jeremy Roenick. I could not imagine how scary it would be for a forward coming down Hatcher's wing, fully knowing he was going to jar every bone of your body and enjoy it. Hatcher intimidate me at home sitting on my couch.

Hatcher was intelligent about it though. He knew when to stay out of the penalty box, despite what his career 1581 penalty minutes might suggest. He picked his spots, knowing he was too valuable to his team. He was a real work horse, eating up big minutes in all key situations.

Hatcher was a real old school defenseman. He would have fit in wonderfully in long ago eras of Tim Horton or Fern Flaman or Terry Harper. He was almost that good. In a game which demands toughness, Derian Hatcher was the toughest.

Defense was Hatcher's specialty. He had a good head for the offensive game, just not the legs. His skating was laboured, so he learned early not get himself into spots where he could not hurry back. Instead he smartly positioned himself so that the play came to him.

He had good hands for such a big man. He had a good first pass and could handle the puck in traffic. He was a regular on the power play thanks to a smart wrist shot that he more often than not got on net. Occassionally he would move off the line and crash the net with his big body.

He was also a great leader. It was Hatcher that captained the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup in 1999. He was also a key contributer to USA's World Cup of Hockey victory in 1996.

Unable to use his stick and body so liberally in the post-lockout NHL, an aging Hatcher was exposed as a player who was unable to keep up in the "new NHL." I think that was a bit of an unfair label for him. Injuries really took their toll, most notably to his knees which slowed down the already-lumbering big man even more. Had Hatcher stayed healthy I think he would have been just fine in the "new NHL."

Derian Hatcher was a very good defenseman in the NHL, the type of defenseman every team in the league wishes they had. He could play on my team any day of the week.

Dick Cherry

2009-04-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Every hockey fan knows who Don Cherry is - the loud obnoxious TV personality and former very successful coach of the Boston Bruins. But few people know who Dick Cherry is.

"People are forever coming up and asking me, 'Hey, aren't you Don's brother?' " explained Dick. "I've been called 'Don's brother' so often in recent years that I sometimes think my initials are D.B. Thankfully, people in Kingston still know me as Dick, which truly is my first name."

While Dick lives in the very big shadow of his brother, he was actually a better player - 149 times better if you compare NHL games played totals. Don only appeared in one NHL game in his long minor league career. Dick too played mostly in the minors, but appeared in 149 games - 8 with Boston and 141 with Philadelphia.

"Most people around Kingston realize that I played a couple of years in the NHL," says Dick. "In fact, there was actually a time when folks around here referred to Don as my brother!"

That was back in 1968 through 1970 when Dick benefited from NHL expansion. The long time minor leaguer finally caught on as a limited defenseman and fulltime penalty killer with the young Flyers.

Dick initially sat out the first NHL season to teach elementary school in Kingston. He had initially retired from hockey in 1963 after 6 seasons in the minors to teach school. He came out of retirement in 1966-67 to play with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL but returned to the halls of education.

Dick jumped a Flyers offer of $22,000 contract with a guarantee to play in the NHL .

"That was a hell of a lot of money in those days," recalled Cherry. "I went to the school director and asked him for a leave of absence to play in the NHL and the thought it was a great idea. So, off I went to Philadelphia.

Cherry earned a niche as a penalty killer but also popped in an impressive 9 goals in his rookie year, helping the Flyers reach the playoffs. His biggest goal came during the opening game of the 1969 playoffs against St. Louis.

"I scored a goal against Jacques Plante of the Blues" Dick remembers. "We ended up losing the game 5-2, but it was quite a thrill to get a goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Its a memory I'll keep with me the rest of my life."

Dick played another full season in Philly in 1969-70. His numbers dipped to 3 goals and 4 assists in 68 games. In the off-season he was reclaimed by the Boston Bruins in a intra-league draft. Dick was reluctant to leave the Flyers, as he knew there was little chance he'd play in Boston. He decided to play one more year, even though he'd return to Oklahoma City in the minor leagues "just to be eligible for NHL pension benefits" before retiring for good at age 34.

Dick returned to teaching full time and later became a principal.

Behn Wilson

2009-01-17T14:18:00.001-08:00

Behn was born in Toronto, Ont. Named after his grandfather who was from Scotland thus explaining how he got the H in his name.

When growing up his sports activities never centered around any particular sport. Hockey would eventually become the No. 1 sport for Big Behn. Along with his sports interest was his interest in school as well. When he enrolled at the University of Toronto it was to pursue his interest in pre-medicine. Behn's parents encouraged him to not let sports consume all of his time. When he was in grade 2 he started going to speech and drama courses, something that he really liked. He studied Shakespeare and many of the classical plays. He took Canadian poetry and did phonetics and speech therapy

But when Behn put on his skates his poetry was gone with the wind. He was mean and tough. Opposite players hated to play against Behn, who always was ready to deliver a devastating hit or a sneaky punch. He was a brutally punishing hitter, and smashing fighter. But playing that way every shift is not easy, not even for someone of Wilson's size. He was often criticized letting up on players, especially players significantly smaller than him.

Though he had a reputation as a thug, he actually had the makings of a very good player. He was a good skater for such a big man, blessed with speed and balance, although lacking great agility. He also had a low, heavy slap shot from the point and knew when to pinch in off of the blue line. When he was on his game he was a top four defenseman on any team in the league.

But Wilson was enigmatic, not able to play to his potential many nights. He hurried his decisions, often making bad passes in all three zones which resulted in turnovers and odd man breaks against. As one NHL analyst once said, " Behn Wilson has all the talent and a full deck of cards to go with it. His only problem is the cards are shuffled the wrong way."

Behn played his junior career for three OHA teams between 1975-78: The Ottawa 67's, Windsor Spitfires and Kingston Canadians. He played a total of 163 games in which he scored 154 pts. (35+119) and picked up 470 Pim's.

Philadelphia had traded their veterans Orest Kindrachuk, Ross Lonsberry and Tom Bladon for Pittsburgh's 1st round choice in 1978. Philadelphia liked what they saw in the young defenseman. He not only displayed fine overall skills but was big (6'3" 210 Ibs) and tough as nails, so they used the 1st round choice to select Behn 6th overall in the 1978 draft.

Behn didn't disappoint and had a fine rookie season (1978-79) playing all 80 games scoring 49 points, including 13 goals. He not only contributed fine offensively but also engaged in numerous fights against players like Tiger Williams, Willi Plett and Gary Howatt. He eventually ended up with 197 PIMs in his rookie season. Behn played five seasons for Philadelphia and reached a career high in 1981-82 with 16 goals, 47 assists and 63 points, as well as 237 PIM's.

Behn's reputation however wasn't the best in the league. He was responsible for several questionable altercations and Philadelphia felt it was better for him to move on. He was traded to Chicago in June 1983 for Doug Crossman and Philadelphia's 2nd round choice in 1984 (Scott Mellanby) in the 1984 draft.

Often playing with Keith Brown, Behn continued his hard nosed style of play in Chicago and had three very solid seasons on the Blackhawks blueline before sitting out the entire 1986-87 season with a back injury. He eventually returned for the 1987-88 season but it was evident that his back wasn't 100%. After the season Behn announced his retirement, only 29 years old.

Wilson went into business for himself after hockey. He had been studying economics from the University of Toronto during his off-seasons while still in the NHL.

Lindsay Carson

2009-01-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

Lindsay Carson was often knocked as being enigmatic. Despite some decent skills, he never managed to establish himself as more than a nice role player in his 6 1/2 seasons in the NHL.

The 6'2" 190lb native of Oxbow, Saskatchewan was an excellent skater, blessed with good speed. He was a good stickhandler and possessed a heavy shot. However Carson lacked the on ice vision and creativity to do much with the puck once his fine attributes allowed him to acquire it.

Defensively Carson was pretty good, but would often cheat just a bit hoping to use his speed to capitalize on a turnover. Physically Carson was inconsistent. He benefited from playing most of his career with the big and bad Philadphia Flyers of the 1980s. Often he'd give a guy an extra little shot or piece of the stick knowing that one of his brash teammates would bail him out.

Carson was drafted 56th overall in the 1979 Entry draft. After an impressive 4 year career in the WHL with Saskatoon and Billings and one season in the minor leagues, Carson made the Flyers team on a full time basis in 1982-83. However due to the Flyer's strong depth, he was quickly labeled as a role player on the Flyer's 3rd or 4th lines. Over the course of his career he would also see lots of time on the left wing.

Aside from an injury plagued 1983-84 season, he remained a big leaguer full time until 1988. Late in what proved to be his final NHL season (1987-88) Carson was traded to the Hartford Whalers for a similarly enigmatic player named Paul Lawless. Carson finished the season in Hartford and rounded out his professional career the following year with the Whalers AHL farm team.

Lindsay Carson played in 373 NHL games collecting 66 goals and 80 assists for 146 points. He added 524 PIM in that time as well. In 48 post season appearances, Carson chipped in 4 goals and 14 points plus 56 PIM.

Daryl Stanley

2008-10-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

I remember when the Vancouver Canucks acquired Daryl Stanley quite clearly. The team traded a young goalie named Wendell Young and a draft pick for Stanley and goalie Darren Jensen.

Stanley's role was quickly obvious. He was acquired to be a tough guy, a role he had accepted since his junior hockey days in New Westminster.

Stanley grew up in small town Manitoba, loving the great outdoors as much as hockey. Because he was big and physical, he caught the eye of Punch McLean's New Westminster Bruins. Stanley would play for 2 years in BC's Lower Mainland and finish his junior career with a season in Saskatoon, but he never garnered any attention at the NHL Entry Draft.

Stanley did not give up on his dreams of the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers invited him to training camp where he impressed the brass enough to earn a contract.

Over the next 4 seasons Stanley shuttled between the NHL and the minor leagues, called up whenever injuries or expected battles warranted his skills. He learned to play competent defense, making up for lack of foot or puck skills by learning to play within his limitations. He also had to overcome serious injuries that occurred in a car accident in the 1984-85 season. He suffered a dislocated vertebra in the neck, a minor concussion, and a bruised kidney. He spent three months in the hospital and some reports even suggested Stanley's career was over.

But he fought his way back and became a regular on the Flyers roster.

"Bob Plager once told me, 'kid, never forget what got you here. Keep playing like that, and then you can work on the other things'" Stanley remembered.

By his final season in Philadelphia, 1987, Stanley, who also took shifts on the wings, was used in 13 playoff games as the Flyers battled the Oilers for the Stanley Cup finals.

Impressed with his improving play and his willingness to drop the gloves, the Canucks made the move for Stanley late in the summer of 1987. It was a move designed to toughen up the smallish Canucks team that was too often pushed around. Stanley, along with the likes of Craig Coxe and Dave Richter, were there to even things out a bit.

But he was also brought in to instill a winning attitude in Vancouver.

"Being on good clubs, right when you become a part of the organization, you learn how to win. It's instilled in your head that you've got to win. Some of the players I've talked to, who've been here awhile, say the attitude is better now than it's been for some time."

Stanley had a successful first season in Vancouver in 1987-88. I remember him taking on all comers, most notably Detroit's daunting Bob Probert and then Calgary's Tim Hunter a few days later. He even filled in for the injured Stan Smyl as team captain for a stretch of about 20 games. This must have been one of Stanley's proudest accomplishments in hockey.

But something happened in the next couple of seasons. Injuries derailed the next two campaigns, as he played in only 20 and 23 games in 1988-89 and 1989-90 respectively.

All the time off, coupled with his car accident a couple of years earlier, gave Stanley lots of time to think. At some point he just decided he had had enough of the life of a NHL enforcer, and returned home to the wilderness of Manitoba where he could find peace and tranquility, and ultimately his new career.

He began guiding hunters on many different types of gaming trips. Eventually he opened up Stanley's Goose Camp, and Stanley Bear Creek Outfitting, where he specializes guiding hunters and hosting them at his lodge.

Just for fun, let's take a look at a classic Daryl Stanley fight courtesy of YouTube. Here is taking on an eager Scott Stevens:

Jack McIlhargey

2008-08-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

Bushy-haired Jack McIlhargey will forever be remembered as one of hockey's toughest players in the 1970s. He will always be associated with one of two teams, too - the Philadelphia Flyers, where he was one of the pack known as the Broad Street Bullies, and the Vancouver Canucks, where he was a bit more of a lone wolf but a true fan favorite. He was actually raised in the nearby suburb of Burnaby.

Ray Scapinello was a long time NHL linesman, and he had to break up a lot of fights over his 33 years in the league. More than a few of those fights undoubtedly involved McIlhargey.

Scapinello wrote in his book Between The Lines that he had a great deal of respect for NHL tough guys, making a point to single out McIlhargey.

"One guy I really admire is Jack McIlhargey," wrote Scampy. "He was with the Flyers around their heyday, he mugged people, beat up people when he was in Philly, and then he got traded to the Canucks."

Scapinello officiated McIlhargey's first game against the Flyers.

"Now we'll see how tough this guy is," tought Scapinello. "He's got nobody to back him up."

"He ran Bob Clarke all night long, and nobody came near him. From that day on, I had a lot of respect for Jack. He was on his own out there, and he was fearless. They either had a lot of respect for him or they were paranoid of him."

Jack McIlhargey played in 393 NHL games, scored 11 goals and 36 assists for 47 points. He spent 1102 minutes sitting in the penalty box. He also appeared in 27 games scoring only 3 assists. During his 8 seasons as an NHL defenseman, Jack McIlhargey's trademark was that of a tough competitor who never backed down from anyone and a player who wore his heart on his sleeve. He was always a vocal leader both on the ice and in the dressing room. The popular McIlhargey had a way to get his teammates to perform at their best every night.

"I wasn't a great skater or a great player," McIlhargey once said. "But I worked hard. I knew, when I came to practice or a game, that I wouldn't be outworked."

With such leadership abilities, its not surprising that Jack became heavily involved in the coaching fraternity following his playing days, accepting several positions within both the Flyers and Canucks organizations.

Eric Desjardins

2008-08-01T15:00:00.001-07:00

I will never forget my introduction to Eric Desjardins.

It's September 1991. I was barely a 17 years old, and, in my own not-so-humble teenage estimation, a hockey expert.

I was anxiously awaiting news about Team Canada's roster for my favorite international tournament of all time, the Canada Cup. Boy was I ever excited about this Canada Cup. Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier and company were going to go back to war against the Soviets, just like 4 years prior in 1987.

Most of the training camp the media was fixating on Eric Lindros, the junior superstar who would be making his debut against the best of the NHL. I know I eagerly awaited the phenom's debut.

But when the final Team Canada roster was announced and the whole hockey world was talking about Lindros, I was scurrying to find out about another Eric - Eric Desjardins.

Who the heck was he? How could I not know anything about him? What kind of a hockey expert was I, anyways?

I quickly found out as much as I could, back in those pre-internet days. Which is to say not a whole lot. He was a young Quebecker out of Rouyn-Noranda. He had played just 153 games in the previous three seasons with Montreal, scoring but 12 goals.

I quickly figured Desjardin's inclusion was some sort of cronyism. After all, Montreal's Serge Savard was a manager with this team, and Jean Perron was an assistant coach.

But it turned out Desjardins was very much there based on merit, although I recall hearing that Canada's lack of right-handed shooters on the blue line played a role in his inclusion as well. He impressed me thoroughly in that tournament.

After that I was able to keep an eye on him pretty closely. He would star in Montreal, helping the Canadiens capture the 1993 Stanley Cup, thanks in large part to his hat trick performance against Los Angeles in game 2 of the finals.

He was quietly the anchor of Montreal's defense, and later Philadelphia's. He was never really equated with the elite defensemen of the game, yet he was not far off, either, providing a lot of steady minutes. His brilliance was not necessarily obvious, rather subtle and understated, much like himself.

Desjardins had good size at 6'1" and 205lbs, but he never played an overly physical game, perhaps making him less noticeable to the casual observer and easy to under-appreciate. Instead he relied on near perfect positioning and an active stick to check effectively. He was not thunderously noticeable, but he was efficient. He was clean and controlled, never panicked and rarely took a bad penalty.

He was as cool as a cucumber while under pressure in his own zone. He was excellent at head-manning the puck out of the zone and capable of handling (not necessarily rushing) the puck out himself.

On offense he was a power play quarter back, a rare right-handed one at that. Like Raymond Bourque he had a low, heavy slap shot that somehow always found it's way from the point on to the net, creating countless opportunities for rebounds and deflections.

By the mid 1990s the Canadiens needed offense and sacrificed their stud defenseman and a young John Leclair in exchange for veteran winger Mark Recchi. Recchi did well in Montreal, but somehow the team was never quite the same and headed into a tailspin.

Meanwhile in Philadelphia Leclair erupted into perhaps the game's best power forward, while Desjardins earned more recognition and became an all star defender, twice making the year end honorary team.

Desjardins played 11 seasons in Philadelphia. Perhaps he was relied on a bit too heavily by the Flyers. As he got older his body was starting to break down a bit and he was becoming noticeably tired in the post seasons. As good as he was, the Flyers failed to bring in a true number one defenseman to spell off their captain.

Miroslav Dvorak

2008-06-13T14:58:00.001-07:00

Miroslav Dvorak was a rock hard square built defenseman who did not make his NHL debut until he was 31 years old in 1982. That's when the Czechoslovakian Ice Hockey Federation made him available for the Flyers.

Miroslav was a tough defenseman who was very hard to get by. He excelled in one on one situations and was excellent positionally. Miroslav played the body very well but he didn't pick up many penalties. He was aggressive but not stupid.

Miroslav was born in Hluboka nad Vltavou in 1951. His father was a waiter who worked many years in France. Miroslav's brother Pavel was an excellent soccer player. When Pavel was 17 many experts predicted that he would become a star forward in Czechoslovakian soccer. But a tragic accident put a stop to that. One day he jumped into very shallow water, ruptured his spleen and eventually died of his injuries.

Miroslav started playing hockey when he was eight at Munický Rybnik in Hluboka. When he was 14 he started playing for Motor Ceske Budejovice, a club he played for 16 seasons. (1965-72,74-82 and 87-88) He also played two seasons for the army club Dukla Jihlava (1972-74). His other clubs included Philadelphia Flyers (1982-85) , and German clubs Kassel (1985-87) and Essen (1987-88).

When he played in Philadelphia his play was highly appreciated by the Philadelphia organization. In 1983-84 he was named as the team's top defenseman. The popular teammate nicknamed "Cookie" also got to play in the Stanley Cup finals in 1985 where Philadelphia lost in six games to Edmonton.

He spoke no English when he first arrived in Philadelphia. Defense partner Brad Marsh took him under his wing both on and off the ice.

On the ice Dvorak was a complete pro. Miroslav worked very hard and was always in top shape. In Budejovice his longtime defensive partner was Milan Chalupa, who played briefly for Detroit in the mid 1980's. Both were also longtime defensive partners on the national team.

Off the ice Dvorak worked hard to fit in with his teammates. He was very sociable, funny and popular with his teammates, fitting in memorably.

Miroslav played in 9 world championships as well as two Canada Cups. He made the second All-Star team in the 1982 world championships and was voted the best defenseman in the 1981-82 Izvestija tournament. He was also voted second in the competition for Czechoslovakia's "Golden Stick Award", given to the player of the year.

All in all Miroslav played 509 league games in Czechoslovakia, scoring 79 goals. He played 228 games in the national team jersey, scoring 14 goals.

This unspectacular but very steady blueliner became a hotel and restaurant owner in southern Czech Republic after his playing career was over.

Dvorak passed away at the age of 56 on June 11th, 2008. He had throat cancer.

Special thanks to Patrick Houda

Rick MacLeish

2008-05-10T08:59:00.000-07:00

Rick MacLeish scored 328 goals in a Philadelphia Flyers history, many of them in clutch situations. He added 54 more goals in the playoffs, including 10 game winners. But he will always be remembered for just one tally.

MacLeish may have scored the most important goal in Flyers history. His game-winning goal in Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins gave the Flyers a 1-0 win and their first championship.

Born on January 3, 1950, in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, MacLeish grew up like many boys of that era - playing hockey on the frozen river near his house, dreaming of one day playing in the NHL.

It became apparent that his dream would come true when made it all the way to the Ontario Hockey Association where he starred for the Peterborough Petes under head coach Roger Neilson. After scoring 95 goals in two seasons, the Boston Bruins selected him fourth overall in the 1970 NHL Entry draft. Ironically, the pick the Bruins used was originally Philadelphia's. It was obtained in a trade three years earlier.

MacLeish would never play for the Bruins. The Flyers were enamored with the sleek center with deft puck handling skills, and sent veteran center Mike Walton to Boston in exchange for the man his teammates would nickname "Cutie."

The story book ending did take some time to develop, however. MacLeish scored just two goals in his first 26 games in Philadelphia. At the beginning of the 1971-72 season, he scored only one goal in 17 games and was dispatched to Richmond of the American Hockey League. The superstar in waiting had to go down and work on his defense and checking game. To his credit he did everything that was asked of him, hoping that one day he would be given a chance to succeed in the NHL.

When that chance did come the next season, MacLeish made the most of it. Centering veteran right wing Gary Dornhoefer and rookie left wing Bill Barber, MacLeish lit the lamp 50 times, becoming the first Flyer and first player from an expansion team to reach that lofty milestone. MacLeish also set up 50 goals, giving him an impressive 100 points in his first full season.

"Hawk" would almost duplicate those exact totals 4 seasons later. He fell just short, tallying 49 goals and 97 points. Other than those two spectacular season, MacLeish settled in as consistent 30 goal threat over his nine seasons with the Flyers.

Of course many of his goals were clutch goals. 51 of his goals were game winners, which at the time ranked him 2nd in Flyers history. Even today he remains ranked 4th all time.

And MacLeish carried his production into the post-season, too. He thrived on the pressure of the Stanley Cup playoffs. In both of the Flyers’ Stanley Cup championship seasons, MacLeish was the NHL’s leading point scorer, tallying 22 points in 1974 and 20 in 1975. He missed the 1976 Cup drive with torn knee ligaments. The Flyers returned to the Cup finals, but with several key injuries the Montreal Canadiens swept the Flyers in the Finals.

Though he was primarily a skill player, MacLeish was prepared to take the physical beating necessary to win. With that approach comes injuries, though nothing could have prepared him for the injury suffered in 1977-78. While killing a penalty his neck was accidentally sliced by the skate Los Angeles Kings ace Marcel Dionne. It took 180 stitches to close that nasty gash.

MacLeish, the man of many nicknames - Bedrock, Pink Floyd - would leave Philadelphia in 1981-82 season, becoming a bit of a vagabond as many veteran players do. He would play in Hartford, Pittsburgh and Detroit, as well as a stint in Switzerland. But he will always be remembered as a Philadelphia Flyer.

Philadelphia is where MacLeish chose to retire. He got into the insurance and financial services business, as well as getting into the world of harness racing. He spends his spare time working with the Flyers Alumni society and their various events.

Simon Nolet

2008-04-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

It took him a while, but Simon Nolet eventually established himself as a real nice NHL hockey player.

The diminutive right winger known for his excellent slap shot saw little interest from NHL teams in the remaining days of the Original Six league. He never played the game at a true competitive or developmental level until the age of 19 when he first tried to make the Quebec Citadelles' junior team . The following year he made the team and was a big part of the team's success.

After graduating from the junior ranks in 1962 Nolet played senior hockey until 1965, first with the Windsor Maple Leafs in the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League, and later with the Sherbrooke Castors of the Quebec Senior Circuit. Despite standing just 5'9" tall, he was a dominating player in those senior leagues, posting mind boggling statistics. He had 152 goals in 149 games

By the 1965-66 season Nolet turned pro with the Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League. He was extremely happy to be back in Quebec City. His first season was a tough adjustment for the St. Odilon native. He played in 61 games and scored a disappointing 16 goals and 33 points. He was then held scoreless in 6 post season games. nolet redeemed himself nicely in 1966-67 when he scored 32 times in 66 games and was a top player in the playoffs - scoring 5 points in his team's short stay in post season activity.

When the NHL finally expanded in 1967, Nolet got his long awaited shot at the big leagues. The Philadelphia Flyers purchased the entire Quebec Aces team with the intent of using them as a farm team. Along with the team went the players including Nolet.

While he put up some great numbers in the AHL (averaging well over a point a game including a league leading 96 points in 1967-68), Simon only got brief looks with the Flyers, but did not stick with the club until 1970 when he scored a team high 22 goals in just 56 contests. He was also a strong +13.

Nolet took a step back in 1970-71, scoring just 9 times but continued to be a hard working forward. Though he would reach the 20 goal level only once more, Nolet would remain with the Flyers through to their first Stanley Cup championship in 1974.

Expansion again played a role in Nolet's career soon after the Cup victory. The new comer Kansas City Scouts made Nolet the first skater taken (goaltenders had a separate draft that occurred before the players draft). even though by now he was 33 years old the Scouts felt Nolet could be a top player for them.

"He'll be our goal scorer, " predicted general manager Sid Abel of Nolet, who scored 19 times in limited ice time the year before with Philly. "Simon will see a lot more ice time with us than he ever did in Philly so we see him as a guy who could get 30 or 40 goals."

Nolet didn't get quite that many, but nonetheless didn't disappoint by scoring a career high 26 lamplighters to go with 32 helpers for 58 points.

Nolet struggled through the first half of the 75-76 season and was traded mid-way through the campaign to Pittsburgh, where he didn't fare much better. In 1976-77 he played somewhat sparingly with the Colorado Rockies before retiring at season's end.

Nolet later became a successful scout, most notably for the Flyers. One of the kids he'd been eying he had known since he was a toddler - Simon Gagne. Nolet was good friends with Gagne's father Pierre as the two played together back in Quebec City. It was Nolet who was instrumental in the Flyers picking of one of the most talented young players in the game.

Dmitri Tertyshny

2008-02-24T22:20:00.001-08:00

The National Hockey League was rocked with a tragic death of one of its youngest and more promising on July 23rd 1999. On that Friday night 22-year-old Philadelphia Flyers rookie defenseman Dmitri Tertyshny was killed in a boating accident in Kelowna, British Columbia.

According to Staff Sgt. Phillip Boissonneault of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Tertyshny was kneeling on a seat in the bow of a 17-foot powerboat and was thrown from the craft when it hit a wave. The boat ran over Tertyshny, its propeller severing his carotid artery and jugular vein. The official autopsy report said that the cause of death was a massive loss of blood.

Tertyshny was one of four passengers on the boat, on Okanagan Lake in Kelowna, British Columbia. Accompanying him were two minor league prospects defenseman Mihail Chernov and forward Francis Belanger, who drove the boat. A local woman, Michelle Monroe, was also on the boat. The players had been in Kelowna attending a power skating school.

The accident occurred at 7:25 p.m., Boissonneault said, and the boat returned to shore and an emergency call was received at 7:32. Within three minutes, emergency personnel were on the scene and Tertyshny was taken to Kelowna General Hospital. Officials said it appeared that Tertyshny actually died around 7:30, while still on the boat.

Boissoneault said that although there were indications that alcohol had been consumed on the boat, it was not a factor.

"We conducted our investigation to determine if the operator of the boat, Belanger, was impaired because of alcohol, and our investigation determined he was not legally impaired," Boissonneault said.

"I always thought he'd be with us for a long time," said Flyers general manager Bob Clarke. "You never expect these kind of things. It's such a shocking thing. An afternoon in a rental boat turns into tragedy. Tertyshny was a really nice, likable kid," Clarke said. "He always had a smile on his face. You'd ask him, 'How's your English?' and he'd always say the same thing: 'It's coming, it's coming.'

"A freak accident," head coach Roger Neilson said. "I phoned Rammer [assistant coach Craig Ramsay], who spent a lot of time working with him, and he's devastated. Such a nice, cooperative kid. We felt he was really developing as a player and would have continued to develop."

It was Neilson who was largely responsible for seeing that "Tree" played in the NHL last season. Many felt he wasn't ready for the NHL. Despite numerous rookie give-aways and mistakes, Neilson really liked Tertyshny's skating and quickness.

"It's a shock," said team captain Eric Lindros. "Here you have a young player come over here and get adjusted. He transforms himself into a gamer. . . . [He was] just a terrific person. Kind of quiet in the dressing room, but he had a terrific sense of humour."

"Such a nice, young guy with a bright future," defensive partner Chris Therien said. "He was a good, young man. It's a real tragedy."

Dmitri is survived by his wife Pauline, who was 4 months pregnant at the time of his death.

Dmitri isn't the first Philly Flyer to die so young. The franchise has a shockingly high occurrence of such tragedies:

Barry Ashbee: The defenseman had his career cut short during the Stanley Cup semifinals against the New York Rangers in 1974 when he was hit in the right eye by a slap shot. The Flyers went on to win the first of their consecutive championships that year. Ashbee became an assistant coach for the team before being diagnosed with leukemia in April 1977. He died a month later, at 37.

Pelle Lindbergh: The season after winning the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the league, Lindbergh, at the age of 26, crashed his $117,000 Porsche into a cement wall shortly after 5:30 a.m. in Somerdale, N.J., on Nov. 10, 1985. The accident caused serious injury to his spinal cord and brain stem and left the goalie brain-dead. Lindbergh's blood-alcohol at the time of the crash was 0.17, well above the legal limit.

Kathy Kerr: The wife of Flyers winger Tim Kerr died on Oct. 16, 1990 at Pennsylvania Hospital from complications of childbirth. She had given birth to a daughter, Kimberly, 10 days earlier, and remained in the hospital because of a pelvic infection.

Yanick Dupre: Leukemia also felled the 24-year-old defenseman, who was diagnosed with the disease in April 1996. Before the year was over, the leukemia was in remission and Dupre hoped to return to play with the team. The leukemia returned in May '97, just two weeks before Dupre was scheduled to visit the Flyers during their playoff run. He died in a Montreal hospital on Aug. 16, 1997.

The Flyers family also suffered two other deaths just days before Tertyshny's freak accident. Long time play by play announcer Gene Hart and former player Cowboy Flett also passed away in July 1999.

Doug Crossman

2008-02-16T17:31:00.000-08:00

Doug Crossman, a Mike Keenan favorite, was a reliable defender and a great team guy. He was part of both the 1985 and 1987 Philadelphia teams that challenged for the Stanley Cup, and was part of the victorious 1987 Canada Cup team. He would play in over 900 NHL games and scored 464 points. He could move the puck so the fact that he could always find a NHL job on someone's blue line should not be surprising.

But when you break down his game, you have to wonder just how he did it.

There have been few better passers from the back end. He was an outstanding puckhandler and a great breakout passer, able to read the ice and key the transition offense. He'd jump into rushes and pinch at the blue line with great efficiency, but frustratingly he seemed to rarely release his above average shot. Yet defensively he had trouble reading the play when it was coming towards him.

His defensive problems were further exacerbated by his lack of speed and lateral mobility. He was a smooth skater backwards and forward, but he could be caught by surprise and unable to catch up. He wasn't a physical player and was down right weak in terms of upper body strength. He tried to rely on his quick stick and anticipation, though early in his career especially he would wander too far out of position.

Though he always remained a bit of an adventure in his own zone, over the years experience certainly helped him out. But that sounds like a pretty lethal mix to be throwing out against the 1980s Oilers of the Soviet national team in 1987.

Part of it was timing. Crossman's career seemed to peak in 1987, with a strong playoff (18 points in 26 games). After a short summer break Keenan included him on Team Canada and he did not look out of place against the extremely quick Soviets.

Crossman survived as a very heady defenseman, able to play either the right or left side with equal proficiency. The Flyers acquired him from Chicago hoping he'd be a mirror compliment to the great Mark Howe, but he never lived up to those expectations. His success in 1987, his qualities in the dressing room and NHL expansion led to an elongated career, with subsequent stops with LA, New York Islanders, Hartford, Detroit, Tampa Bay and St. Louis.

"Boxcar" Hospodar

2008-01-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

Bowling Green, Ohio's Ed "Boxcar" Hospodar was an aggressive journeyman defenseman in the NHL from 1979 until 1988. At 6'2" and 210lbs he was one of the most intimidating blueliners and was a very willing fighter. Because of his lack of skating and puck skills, Ed was at best a 5th or 6th defenseman who was used primarily on penalty kills and when a tough guy was needed to send the other team a message.

Ed was drafted 34th overall by the New York Rangers in 1979. It was in New York that he first appeared in the NHL, playing parts of three seasons before he was traded to Hartford in exchange for Kent-Erik Andersson. His stay in Hartford was short (2 seasons) as he signed as a free agent with Philadelphia in 1984 where he played for a season and a half.

There is no sugar-coating it: Hospodar was a goon. While he was still with the Rangers his reputation as a top fighter was dismissed at the flailing hands of Clark Gillies. Hospodar's legacy was then reduced to that of a dirty player, sometimes a very dirty player. He once viciously speared Anton Stastny of the Quebec Nordiques, and in the 1987 Stanley Cup finals had Edmonton tough guys Dave Semenko and Kevin McClelland chasing him after a heavy handed hit on Mark Napier.

It was in those 1987 playoffs where Ed infamously made a name for himself. He sparked a pre-game brawl in the Conference finals between Montreal and Philadelphia. Claude Lemieux was a very superstitious guy and he liked to fire the puck into the oppositions net at the end of the pre-game skate. When he did this his team won more often than not. The Flyers took exception to this and tried many things to prevent this from happening, including taking the net off of its pegs and turning it around so he couldn't do it. But Claude persisted and would always do it.

Prior to the big game Ed and Flyers back up netminder Chico Resch decided they would make sure it wouldn't happen on that night. They stayed on the ice until Lemieux and teammate Shayne Corson left the ice. Finally the two Habs left, only to hide in the corridor. Hospodar and Resch retreated to their bench only to see Lemieux and Corson pop back on the ice and race towards the Philly net. Resch threw his stick at the puck, but to no avail. Hospodar had another idea - He charged after Lemieux and when he caught him he started pounding the Montreal player, much to everyone's surprise. When Lemieux wouldn't fight back, Hospodar charged after a more willing dance partner in Corson.

Word quickly reached both dressing rooms and all the players jumped on the ice and grabbed a partner. Some players were out on the ice without their skates as they had taken them off after the warm up. It was one of the worst bench clearing brawls in NHL history., and the game hadn't even started yet!

Ed, a very good open ice hitter, was claimed by the Buffalo Sabres in the pre-season waiver draft on October 5, 1987. The Sabres were looking to bulk up that season, and thus brought in Ed, Kevin Maguire, Bob Halkidis and Steven Dykstra. Because of injuries and the Ed only got into 42 games with the Sabres, picking up just 1 assist along with 98 penalty minutes.

After a 5 game stint in Rochester in 1988-89, Ed retired with 450 NHL games under his belt. In that time he picked up 17 goals, 68 points and 1314 penalty minutes. In 44 playoff showdowns, Ed picked up 4 goals, 1 assist and 208 penalty minutes.

Ron Flockhart

2007-12-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

Ron Flockhart played an exciting style of hockey. He single-handedly attempted to dance through the entire opposition. He'd often refuse to pass to open teammates, instead attempting - and sometimes succeeding - to put on the extra move on the defenseman - and then another! He could turn a goalie as white as a ghost, or turn his coach redder than a beet.

"I get so wound up, so involved in what I'm doing, so carried away that I'd rather make the extra move," explained Flockhart. "Sometimes it works, and then I want to make another one. That's when I should move the puck, after the first one. Its a lack of concentration. Uh....greed is probably a good word for it."

Early in his career, especially in Philadelphia, fans forgave Flockhart for his faults. "Flocky Hockey" was popular

Critics raved early on in his career.

"He's the most exciting player to join the National Hockey League since Wayne Gretzky" said Hockey Night In Canada broadcaster Howie Meeker.

"He reminds me of Gilbert Perreault" said Los Angeles standout defenseman Dave Lewis.

Not bad for a kid who initially didn't want to play hockey. At age three his mom forced him to play hockey. "I hated it" he remembers with a laugh. "My mom had to force me. Second year, she couldn't get me off the ice!

Flockhart was discovered early on in his career by two members of the Flyers glory year teams. Brothers Joe and Jimmy Watson, ace defensemen, returned to their small town home in remote northern British Columbia called Smithers where they held a hockey school every summer for the local kids. Ron was one of them, and even at an early age made an impression on the NHLers.

"The little bleep never passed the damn puck" was Joe Watson's first memory of Flockhart.

At age 10, the family moved to Sycamouse, BC as Ron's dad was transferred with the Ministry of Highways. In the meantime bigger brother Rob left home to play junior hockey, and later was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks.

Rob's success intensified Ron's desire. By age 16 Ron made the WCHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, though a broken kneecap ended his season after just 11 games. In the meantime the Tigers dismissed Flockhart, as did the New Westminster Bruins a year later.

"They didn't like my style" admitted Ron, who ended up playing junior B until age 18. Needless to say, his time to impress NHL scouts was running short.

"I was thinking of quitting" said Ron. "A friend of mine was invited to the Billings Bighorns camp, and his dad dropped my name to the coach, Bob Strumm. I signed a card to come to their camp, but Strumm got fired. He landed in Regina and invited me there."

It was a great move both for Ron and the Pats. Ron exploded to score 54 goals and 76 assists for 130 points! Since Ron slipped through the NHL draft in his first year of eligibility, a loophole actually made him a 19 year old free agent in the summer of 1980. Instead of waiting for the draft, he signed as a free agent with the Flyers. Similarly, that's how the Flyers signed scoring machine Tim Kerr.

With the exception of 14 games in the NHL, Ron spent the entire 1980-81 season in the minors under the tutelage of head coach Bob McCammon.

"Bob really opened my eyes to a lot of things. I actually though I was a complete player. Turns out I didn't have a clue what to do when I didn't have the puck. They've taken the time to show me. And if they hadn't taken an interest in me to begin with, I'd probably be working today in a mill."

Ron made the Flyers the following season, but he still lacked defensive awareness and was too one dimensional offensively. This made coach Pat Quinn reluctant to use him, so he ended up playing 3 or 4 shifts a game, yet he would still score a goal. Flockhart was making it tough for Quinn to ignore him.

By December 1981 the Flyers called up Ray Allison from the minors and placed him on a line with Flockhart and the quiet superstar Brian Propp. Flockhart blossomed for the rest of the season, and finished with an impressive 33 goals and 72 points in his rookie season.

"He's a streak scorer" surmised Bob McCammon. "When he's really going he is as dangerous as anybody in the League. With experience and consistency, he could turn into a superstar."

However the Flyers patience wore thin on Flocky Hockey. He posted similar numbers in 1982-83 - 29 goals and 60 points - but showed no improvement in other aspects of his game. Though he landed 241 shots on net, he probably had another 241 go off the glass. Often he took unnecessary risks which burned his own team. Teams can live with that if you are a superstar, but more and more Ron looked like he wasn't going to develop into that in the near future.

After going scoreless in 8 games in 1983-84, the Flyers moved Flocky Hockey to their state rivals in Pittsburgh. It was a big trade of prospects also featuring Andy Brickley, Mark Taylor and a 1st and 3rd round pick in exchange for Rich Sutter (a 1st round pick in 1983) and 2nd and 3rd round picks.

Timing was not good for Ron in this case. He scored 27 goals and 18 assists but continued to struggle defensively. The team was even worse defensively as they finished dead last in the entire league. The only good thing about that was that the Pens would get first overall selection in the 1984 entry draft - which meant the Pens would land Mario Lemieux.

Flockhart survived an off season house cleaning in Pittsburgh, but was traded once again after he went goalless in 12 games to start the 1984-85 season. He ended up in Montreal, though his lack of defensive play didn't fit in there either.

In 1985-86 he was traded to St. Louis in exchange for Perry Gancher. He continued to disappoint there too, however. Despite his immense skill he was very ineffective. He shied away from all physical contact and remained poor defensively. A total enigma, Ron was accused by his teammates of being a "helicopter" - because he never used his wings.

Ron eventually wore out his welcome and was released. He landed in Italy before ending the season with Boston. However the Bruins didn't renew his temporary contract at the end of the year.

Flockhart returned to Italy and rounded out his hockey career playing "Flocky Hockey" in the Italian leagues. He would later coach in Europe, as well as hold "Flocky Hockey" schools around the world.

Flocky Hockey should have become a bigger hit than he was. Ron was a tremendous skater and he handled the puck really well. Ron would put some nifty moves on defensemen with his combination of speed and puck skills, but he would have been better served had he learned to change his speed. Opposing players caught on pretty quickly that he was almost always going a full throttle. With his acceleration and puck skills perhaps he could have found great success if he had geared down more often and then stepped on it at just the right time. His lack of a physical game and his reputation as a poor back checker also contributed to teams not giving the Flocky Hockey phenomenon a full chance.

John LeClair

2007-10-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

It is not often a hockey superstar comes from the mountains of Vermont, but that is exactly where the Montreal Canadiens found John LeClair. The future NHL power forward was born in St. Albans, attended prestigious Bellows Free Academy high school and studied at the University of Vermont.

LeClair would turn professional following graduation in 1991, and played three seasons with Montreal. He was nicknamed Mountain Man, partly because of his Vermont upbringing and partly because he was a mountain of a man. At 6'3" and 225lbs, his job was to park himself in front of the opposition's net and score goals.

LeClair showed glimpses of promise in Montreal, particularly during the team's 1993 Stanley Cup championship run. LeClair was a physical force through the playoffs, and then became a goal scoring hero in the finals. In games 3 and 4 LeClair scored back to back overtime game winning goals to help Montreal knock off Wayne Gretzky's Los Angles Kings.

Despite the promise shown, after three seasons Montreal grew impatient with their young phenom. The team needed an immediate scoring infusion and traded young LeClair and defenseman Eric Desjardins to Philadelphia in exchange for Mark Recchi.

Not unlike Cam Neely when he left Vancouver for Boston, John LeClair almost immediately transformed into one of the NHL's top players. Playing alongside Eric Lindros, LeClair finished the lock-out shortened season with 25 goals in 37 games. He followed that up with three consecutive 50+ goal seasons. He also had 43 and 40 goal seasons to round out the decade.

To add salt to the wound, is favorite goal scoring target seemed to be Montreal. It was a constant reminder of Montreal's impatience, as LeClair quite arguably became the best power forward in the game. He wasn't just a product of Eric Lindros either. LeClair was dominant in international play with Team USA, always proving to be a thorn in the side of the Lindros-led Team Canada. The best example of this had to be the 1996 World Cup of Hockey which went to the Americans. Also, while Lindros spent a lot of time on the injured reserve list, LeClair, who only missed 4 games in the 6 prime years of his career, continued to score goals.

Not surprisingly, LeClair became a favorite of Philly fans. Those faithful must have thought LeClair was a reincarnation of Tim Kerr, the 1980s sniper built in the same mould. Both players would park themselves in front of the net, tip incoming shots and fight for rebounds and loose pucks with great effectiveness.

Though that is how LeClair scored most of his goals, he had more tricks up his sleeve than Kerr. LeClair was a better skater, with enough speed and power to drive to the net with the puck. LeClair had enough speed to get him into battles on the wall and his status as perhaps the strongest man in the league would more often than not let him leave the corner with the puck. He was a punishing hitter and great digger. His one short coming was that he never had a lot of vision or creativity to set up plays once he gained control of the puck. His best play was to put the puck back to the point and then drive his body back to the front of the net.

Though he showed great durability during the 1990s, injuries were bound to catch up with such a physical player. A debilitating back injury cost him most of the 2000-01 season and a shoulder injury cost him the 2002-03 season. Neither injury, particularly the back injury, fully healed. LeClair changed his game some in order to absorb less punishment on his back, and became a 20 goal scorer for the rest of his career.

The NHL's new salary cap forced the Flyers to move John LeClair in 2005. He joined the Pittsburgh Penguins where his experience and leadership were a nice addition to a young team featuring a young Sidney Crosby.

John LeClair ended his career with 406 goals, 413 assists and 819 points in 967 games. For 6 seasons he was one of the top players in the league. It will be interesting to see if that is enough to get him into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Mikael Renberg

2007-10-29T16:12:00.001-07:00

No doubt history will remember Mikael Renberg as a trivia question. And that's unfortunate, because he was so much more.

Who played with Eric Lindros and John Leclair on Philadelphia's Legion of Doom line, the question will ask. But Renberg was far more than just a tag-along with the two more celebrated stars.

At 6'2" and 215lbs, Renberg was the smallest member of gigantic line. Born in the small northern town of Pitea, he certainly wasn't the stereotypical Swedish player. He may not have been as noted of a physical player as the other two, but in reality he possessed great upper body strength and a surprising nasty streak.

Renberg grew up idolizing shifty, pint-sized dynamo Mats Naslund, but he was anything but. He was not a great skater, though he had incredible balance on his skates. His long stride combined with uncanny anticipation skills always kept him in good position.

Because of his great anticipation skills, defensive responsibilities of the line fell to Renberg. This explains why Renberg's scoring statistics and recognition trail that of his linemates, but in no way was he any less important to the team's success. Far from it, actually. Without such a dedicated team player willing to sacrifice personal achievement for the betterment of the team, the Flyers top line would have been doomed.

Renberg didn't hang on to the puck very long when he did get it. Always a shooter first, he worked hard on releasing shots quickly. Many of his goals came from crashing the net and shoveling loose pucks and rebounds. But he also had a patented play on the power play where he'd come in on his off wing and snap a strong shot off of his back foot.

Renberg could be well compared to Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom. Neither were flashy hockey stars, just solid on ice citizens with a desire and work ethic that was second to none. The two were childhood friends and grew up together both off and on the ice. Holmstrom's father was one of their earliest mentors. Renberg's father was a great sportsman himself, a former professional soccer goalie now providing for his family by operating a gas station and garage.

Renberg's desire got him into the Swedish Elite League and on to the Swedish national junior team. Playing on a line with Michael Nylander, Renberg had six goals and 10 points for silver medalist Sweden at the 1992 World Junior Championships. Renberg also earned a tournament all-star selection.

The Philadelphia Flyers had discovered Renberg back in 1990, and invested their 2nd round pick on him. After refusing a contract offer for the 1992-93 season, Renberg crossed the Atlantic for the 1993-94 season after helping Tre Kroner earn a silver medal at the 1993 world championships.

The right winger's NHL debut was impressive to say the least. Named as a All-Rookie Team forward, Renberg scored a team rookie record 82 points. He also paced all rookies with 38 goals.

In the lock-out shortened 1994-95 season, the right winger led the Flyers to the Atlantic Division title and a playoff berth for the first time in six years. Renberg recorded 57 points in 47 games and led the Flyers with eight game-winning goals. In the playoffs, Mikael scored 13 points in 15 games as the Flyers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before eventually losing to the New Jersey Devils. At year's end, he won the Viking Award as the top Swedish player in the NHL.

Unfortunately injuries would alter "Micke's" career path. He struggled through training camp 1995 with severe abdominal discomfort. It turned out to be a hernia requiring surgery. He came back, and until New Year's Day performed really well. Then the abdominal pains returned. He kept trying to play through it, his play obviously struggling, until by the all star game he tore the abdominal muscle from the pelvic bone. Season over. He finished the season with 23 goals and 43 points in 51 games. All of his points were scored in the first half of the season, and gives you an idea of how good he was before the injury.

With Renberg watching the Flyers struggle throughout the post-season, the common sentiment, be it from players or coaches, was that the Flyers really missed Renberg.

Renberg returned to play 77 games in 1996-97, but was never quite the same player. He scored just 22 goals, with just 1 on the PP. He played through more nagging injuries, the most scary was a severe facial laceration. He also suffered an ankle injury known as "skate bite" that hindered him late in the season and through out the playoffs. The Flyers lost the Stanley Cup final to the Detroit Red Wings.

Losing the Cup was the last moment Renberg would experience as a Flyer. In the off season the Flyers would go after Tampa Bay's Chris Gratton, and gave up the injury riddled Renberg, fearing Renberg was finished.

Renberg was far from finished playing, but his best years were finished. He struggled in Tampa, in a two year return to Philadelphia, 10 games in Phoenix and three years in Toronto. His only high points came internationally, playing in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics, and earning a gold medal in the 1998 world championships.

Renberg's vagabond ways in the NHL were hardly uncommon, but never easy for anyone involved, but especially the player's family. All the packing and moving and the lonely life of a NHL wife led Renberg's wife to leave and go back to Sweden, taking their daughter with her. In 2004, Mikael Renberg left the millions of dollars of the National Hockey League to return home to Sweden to play hockey and be closer to his daughter.

Ken Linseman

2007-10-27T20:16:00.001-07:00

Ken Linseman was a real effective hockey player, but he was not much of a finisher. I mean that two ways. Though a good offensive presence, he was not a goal scorer. And secondly, he was real shit disturber with a reputation for causing a lot of trouble that he rarely stuck around to see the end.

Yes, Linseman's reputation will always be that of a dirty hockey player. He was a physical player in all zones of the ice, but at 5'11" and 175lbs he was anything but a heavy hitter. He did hit hard though, often taking a couple more strides than he should have, and often using his arms and elbows to hit high. In a pre-obstruction crackdown NHL he was well versed in other uses for the hockey stick. He would slash, cross check, and spear an opponent, and he was a clutch and grab specialist.

Making it even worse was Linseman's mouth. He was so yappy on the ice that he drove many an opponent crazy listening to him. He was like your little brother or sister who would tease you into a fury until you got in trouble for throwing the first punch. Linsemen drew many penalties by being a super pest.

Linseman was down right dirty at times. In fact, not many people remember that in junior hockey he was charged and convicted of assault for kicking an opponent in the forehead with his skate.

It's actually too bad that Linseman chose to play this way, because he was actually quite a decent hockey player. He was an excellent defensive player and face-off expert, and as such he was given important responsibilities late in games. He would doggedly pursuing the puck to no end, but he had good anticipation and vision to make the job much easier.

Though he lacked great straight ahead speed, Linseman was a wonderful skater. He had tremendous lateral movement. He was as shifty a player as I've ever seen, and with a single step he could change direction and never be out of the play. He skated with very bent over, which led to his nickname "The Rat," not his antagonistic style.

Offensively he was a nice presence. He was a good stickhandler and a solid playmaking pivot. Blessed with excellent vision, he could feed pucks to teammates at the same time holes opened up.

As mentioned previously, Linseman was not a goal scorer. He did not possess an especially accurate or powerful shot. Instead he relied on crashing the slot looking for deflections and rebounds.

In 1978 Linseman joined the Philadelphia Flyers organization, and was being groomed to be Bobby Clarke's replacement on the ice. In many ways he was similar to Clarke though not nearly as good offensively or even defensively. He would spend 4 seasons on the Rat Patrol line with Paul Holmgren and Brian Propp but would wear out his welcome.

Linseman joined the Edmonton Oilers in 1982-83, forming an effective line with Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson. Linseman was part of the Oilers 1984 Stanley Cup championship.

The following year, Linseman was traded to Boston where he put in more than five seasons. By the turn of the decade he had lost some of his steam. He would round out his career with brief return appearances in Philadelphia and Edmonton as well as Toronto.

Linseman's reputation may forever be as a super pest, but his greatest legacy will be for his role in redefining the draft.

When Linseman was starring in junior hockey with the Kingston Canadiens, he attempted to sign as an under-aged player with the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA. At the time both the NHL and WHA excluded anyone under the age of 20 from the draft and from playing. But Linseman figured at 18 he was old enough to vote and go to war, so why couldn't he earn a living?

The attempt unexpectedly exploded into a full-blown legal bout that was eventually settled only when Linseman secured an injunction against the WHA and was allowed to join the Bulls.

Linseman's successful bid created quite the groundswell, and changed hockey forever. Soon the WHA was raiding junior hockey of many top young players, including Mike Gartner, Michel Goulet, Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. The NHL came on board too, dropping the draft age to 18.

The lowering of the draft age has made drafting future NHL players a very uncertain task. Suddenly grade 12 kids, many of whom were rushed into junior hockey and away from their family's home that much earlier, faced a lot of pressure to perform. Aside from the elite talents, many kids are not able to live up to expectations.

Brian Propp

2007-10-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

When Brian Propp was selected in the 1st round, 14th overall by Philadelphia in 1979, the Flyers knew they had drafted a player with one of the most marvelous junior careers in hockey history.

The star forward of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Propp was the WHL leader in assists (112) and points (182) in 1977-78. The season after that he led the WHL in goals, assists and points. He was also the leading goal scorer in the 1976-77 playoffs and point leader in the 1978-79 playoffs.

During his last junior season he shattered all kinds of scoring records together with his line mates Ray Allison and Laurie Boschman. The trio combined to score an amazing 496 points (220 goals and 276 assists) during the regular season. Propp's own statistical line consists of a ridiculous 94 goals and 194 points in 71 games. The trio continued their rampage in the playoffs, scoring 109 pts (44 goals and 65 assists) in 22 games. Propp led the way with 38 points, and then another 11 in 5 Memorial Cup games.

By the time he turned professional Brian held the Canadian junior career scoring record with his 511 points including 219 goals and 292 assists in just 213 games. While the record has since been bettered, there is no doubt that Brian Propp is a legend in Canadian junior hockey history.

Looking at those lofty scoring statistics in comparison to his NHL stats might suggest he was a bit of a let down in the 1980s. It was not uncommon for the elite offensive players to be scoring in excess of over 120 points during that decade. Anyone who watched Propp dominate the WHL would have expected Propp to be topping out at the offensive levels of Dale Hawerchuk, Denis Savard, Bernie Nicholls, Kent Nilsson, Denis Maruk or Peter Stastny. He was every bit as talented as the members of that group.

While he never had a single enormous offensive season, Propp's strength was his consistency, as his point total with the Flyers suggest. During the 1980s he scored 75, 66, 91, 82, 92, 97, 97, 67, 76, and 78 points in successive seasons. He was one of the league's best left wingers during the 1980's but his work often went unnoticed by the media and the fans outside of Philadelphia.

But scoring stats never properly told the story of Brian Propp. He was quiet and shunning of any spotlight. He always placed the team's goals ahead of his own, and he worked hard to become a complete player. He became a tremendous defensive player while averaging over a point per game. Blessed with speed and strong anticipation skills, he and Dave Poulin formed a tremendous penalty killing tandem, perhaps the best of the 1980s. And though he was small at 5'10" and 195lbs, he was very willing to initiate physical play, although he understandably didn't like being the recipient of such contact. He also had a reputation as one of the top divers in the league.

Propp had tremendous natural athletic ability. Researcher Patrick Houda was always amazed by his physicals.

"He was always near the top when it came to aerobic stress tests as well as condition tests. It had to have been genetic because he was always way ahead of everyone else without even having to train nearly as hard. His longtime Flyers teammate Dave Poulin nearly had to kill himself to reach Brian's aerobic capacity, while Brian could almost coast to reach an even higher level."

Though he was a fine playmaker always had more assists than goals, Houda also remembers Propp as a goal scorer.

"He had probably the best eye-hand coordination in the league during the 1980's. Many of his goals were scored on deflections and tip-ins."

Propp definitely had a goal scorer's mentality, with a real nose for the net. He was always amongst the league leaders in shots on goal. He had a big slap shot from the top of the face off circle, but also possessed a lethal wrist shot. He was also very opportunistic, and knew how to exploit openings and dart in and out of traffic looking for garbage goals.

Propp also had a very good first-step quickness. He was an outstanding skater but it was his explosive out-of-the-blocks quickness that made him a dangerous scorer.

The Flyers, not coincidentally, were extremely strong during Propp's tenure. Twice they made the Stanley Cup finals, only to fall short against the incredible Edmonton Oilers both times. Both series, especially 1987, were classic battles.

Brian scored a total of 876 points in 790 games with the Philadelphia Flyers before he was traded to Boston for a 2nd round draft pick in the 1990 entry draft. His stint in Boston was short (14 regular season games and 20 playoff games), but pretty successful as he got to the Stanley Cup finals with them in 1990.

That same summer he signed as a free agent with the Minnesota North Stars. He proved to be a great acquisition and scored 73 points during the regular season. He then helped Minnesota reach the Stanley Cup finals later that year (1991),scoring 23 points in 23 playoff games, but once again he lost in the finals. It was his fourth Stanley Cup final defeat, a disappointment that never got easier.

Propp played another two seasons with the North Stars before playing one season in Switzerland with Lugano (1992-93). He finished his career with the Hartford Whalers in 1993-94 after having signed as a free agent on October 4,1993. That last season Brian eclipsed two magic milestones: 1000 games and 1000 points. Fittingly enough Brian scored his 1000th point (a goal) against his former club, Philadelphia. Brian not only scored 1004 pts in 1016 regular season games but also had a very fine 148 points in 160 playoff games.

Brian played in five All-Star games but would have traded them in a heartbeat for a sip from the Cup. He will go down in history as one of the most underrated left wings in NHL history. When he retired he was the 7th highest scoring left winger of all time.

Pete Peeters

2007-09-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

As a youngster I instantly took a liking to goaltender Peter Peeters. Initially it had to be the name that attracted me took him, but his play quickly made him a long time favorite.

Peeters is the the son of Dutch immigrants, and grew up as a competitive swimmer while tending to the nets on the side. In fact, it was not until he was 18 years old that he committed to major junior hockey, joining a weak Medicine Hat Tigers squad for two years starting in 1975.

With a porous defense in front of him, Pete Peeters was peppered with pucks. But this pickle that Peeters picked turned out to be a perfect training ground. The huge workload and respectable showing earned him high praise from scouts. In 1977 he was selected 135th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Amateur draft.

After two years apprenticing in the American Hockey League, winning the Hap Holmes trophy as top goalie along the way, Peeters was promoted to the Flyers for the 1979-80 season, sharing the nets with Phil Myre.

The Flyers must have thought they had the second coming of Bernie Parent based on the way Peeters started that year. He went 22-0-5 before losing his first game of the season on February 19th! Of course that was the year the Flyers went 35 straight games without a loss, and partner Myre picked up some wins during that streak as well. Peeters finished the year with a record of 29-5-5 with a 2.73 GAA, earning him an All Star game nod. He was the Flyers go to guy in the playoffs as well, leading the Flyers all the way to Stanley Cup finals, only to lose on an over time goal courtesy of the New York Islanders' Bob Nystrom.

The following season Peeters had the impossible task of duplicating his incredible rookie season. Of course he could not, and over the next two years in Philadelphia his GAA rose and his playoff success dwindled.

Peeters was a tough guy to warm up to as well. Known as a grouchy guy, he was nicknamed Grumpy. He did not like the Philadelphia system of rotating goalies and at times carrying three netminders. A bit of a sore loser, he was not easy to talk to after games, especially in games that he loses. One Philadelphia reporter found that out in the 1981-82 season when he accused Peeters of physically assaulting him. The incident helped lead to Peeters departure from the City of Brotherly Love.

In June 1982 the Flyers traded Peeters to Boston in exchange for stud defenseman Brad McCrimmon. Both teams fared well in the trade, especially Boston in that first season. Peeters had perhaps his best year, playing in a career high 62 games, posting an amazing record of 40-11-9 with 8 shutouts and a NHL best-of-the-decade 2.36 GAA. At one stretch he went 31 games without a loss. Not surprisingly Peeters was awarded the Vezina Trophy as top goalie and named to the NHL's First All Star Team. Almost as impressive was the fact that Peeters finished 2nd in the entire league in Hart Trophy voting as league MVP in a time when the award was basically owned by the great Wayne Gretzky.

Again Peeters was faced with the unenviable task of living up to his previous years performance. And again he would not be able to live up to the gaudy expectations. He played two more years in Beantown while his GAA inflated the numbers in the L column increased. Though his critics skepticism grew, he remained a top goalie in most minds in the NHL. He was invited to Team Canada for the 1984 Canada Cup, one of his greatest honours, but sprained his ankle. Still he was able to play in the final game against Sweden and clinch the championship. He was also the goalie in the dramatic 3-2 OT win against the Soviets. The game, considered by many to be one of the greatest of all time, wasthe highlight of his career.

Interestingly, Peeters found the Canada Cup experience to be such a high that he had trouble once he returned to Boston for the season. Bruins GM Harry Sinden directly linked the Canada Cup to Peeters poor season by his standards, claiming "he was tired, both physically and emotionally." Peter Peeters was Petered!

After a slow start to the 1985-86 season, Peeters was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Pat Riggin. Obviously the Caps were counting on Peeters' track record of great performances when placed in a new environment, though that never really panned out in Washington. Instead Peeters supplied the Caps with solid but not spectacular goaltending for the next 5 seasons. But he was never able to find any playoff success with the Capitals either.

Peeters returned to Philadelphia for the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons, the final two of his career. Peeters did so by his choice, signing as a free agent. It seemed like an odd move, as Peeters left Philadelphia because he dislike the three goalie rotation so much. Now he found himself as part of another three goalie rotation in Philly, sharing the nets with Ron Hextall and Ken Wregget. Hextall was hurt much of the 1989-90 season though.

Peeters retired with 246 wins, 155 losses and 51 ties in 489 career games. He posted 21 career shutouts and had a career GAA of 3.08, a very respectable number for the high scoring 1980s. Upon retirement he returned to the family farm near Edmonton, where he grew up and always returned to in the off seasons. He eventually got into coaching, serving as a goaltending specialist with the Minnesota North Stars, Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes before returning to Edmonton to do the same role with the Oilers.

If you take the highlights of Pete Peeters career, you could mistake him as one of the greatest goaltenders of all time. He had some great highs, such as 1979-80 in Philadelphia, 1982-83 in Boston and the 1984 Canada Cup. But because of his team's frequent failures in the playoffs and the fact he rarely played 2/3rds of the schedule like most top goalies, Peeters isn't really remembered as one of the top goalies of the 1980s that he actually was. If Peeters is remembered at all, it is in a highlight reel seen surrendering Mario Lemieux's first NHL goal.

Pelle Eklund

2007-08-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

In the 1980s Per-Erik Eklund, better known as Pelle Eklund, was a fantastic talent out of Stockholm. Blessed with skating, puckhandling and passing skills that, dare I say, at times rivaled everyone except maybe Wayne Gretzky.

Despite this, the Philadelphia Flyers and specifically head coach Mike Keenan were slow to exploit his talents.

Eklund was drafted by the Flyers 161st overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, surprisingly late for a player of his talents. Even more surprising, Eklund was passed over entirely in the 1981 and 1982 drafts.

1983-84 turned into one of the greatest seasons any Swedish player ever experienced. His unforgettable season included an Olympic bronze medal, a Canada Cup second place finish, a Swedish Elite League championship, a Swedish Golden Puck award as player of the year, and the nod as the Athlete of the Year in all of Sweden. He was already a legend in Sweden, particularly amongst the loyalists of AIK Solna.

Eklund broke into the NHL in 1985-86. His impact was enormous, becoming a power-play quarterback specialist from the half boards. Using incredible vision, uncanny anticipation and the softest of hands, Eklund powered the Flyers special team. His favorite target was Tim Kerr, a giant of a man who stood in the slot, impossible to budge. Kerr scored a NHL record 34 PP goals that season. Ilkka Sinisalo was another favorite target of Eklund's generosity. He scored 19 PP goals.

Eklund himself chipped in with 8, more than half of his 15 goals for the season. But his true value could be found in his team leading and league-wide rookie leading 51 assists, most of which came on the power play.

Most of Eklund's points came on the power play because of coach Keenan's unexplained reluctance to use him in any other situation. He was almost strictly a power play specialist early on in his career, sitting on the bench much of the rest of the time, or toiling on a rarely used 4th line.

Keenan was a tyrant of a coach who loved big, physical two-way players. Eklund was tiny at 5'10" and just 170lbs. He was never to be confused with a physical player, almost always operating from the perimeter. He also insisted Eklund had to shoot more. Though he was a good shooter with a career 13% shooting average, he remained a pass-first player all of his career, a common trait of Europeans of that era.

Though he never fit the Flyers stereotype, even Keenan could not deny Eklund's natural talents. Perhaps the most talented of all Flyers players (quite a claim considering the likes of Brian Propp and Mark Howe were around), Eklund was an elegant skater and was a surprisingly good defensive center and would become a good penalty killer. But playmaking was his forte.

Keenan was eventually won over when it came to giving Eklund a full opportunity to shine. That was best illustrated in the 1987 playoffs when the Flyers made it all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, only to lose a heartbreaker to Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers. Eklund scored 7 goals and 20 assists for 27 points that spring. Only Brian Propp, with 28, scored more points for the Flyers. And only Gretzky scored more assists. Eklund was especially dominant in the Wales Conference finals against Montreal.

Having finally won over Iron Mike Keenan, the sky seemed to be the limit for Pelle Eklund. But he would never get over the 70 point barrier that he should have passed by March 1st. Part of this was due to the Flyers surprisingly quick decline into one of the weaker teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was also bothered by a series of injuries, namely to his knees. He would play through the injuries, rarely missing a game, but rarely would he play at 100%. He also had to deal with personal hardships, as his wife divorced him and took their son back to Sweden.

Good times returned for Eklund as he helped the Swedes capture gold at the 1991 World Championships. But Eklund's productive days in the NHL were over. He was dispatched off to the Dallas Stars at the trading deadline in 1993-94, but after an unsuccessful run in the playoffs, Eklund opted to return to Sweden.

Eklund continued to play with Leksands IF until the end of the decade. Eklund returned to near-hero status in Sweden, despite his unpopular decision to play for Leksands, where his new wife lived, over AIK. Leksands had to pay $1M Swedish dollars to acquire his rights, but it was well worth it as Eklund won the Swedish Elite League MVP award. Eklund's legion of AIK fans even serenaded him with their own song.

He also remained a regular with Tre Kroner, the Swedish national team. In total he played in 126 international matches including 6 world championships and an Olympics.

In his 9 year NHL career, Pelle Eklund scored 120 goals, 335 assists for 455 points in 594 games.

Earl Heiskala

2007-07-29T19:10:00.001-07:00

Meet Earl Heiskala, one of the original Broad Street Bullies.

Though he was gone before the glory, or should we say gory days of the Philadelphia Pugilists, Heiskala was one of the few original tough guys in the Flyers lineup in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Flyers actually started to build their team around little but skilled players like Andre Lacroix, Simon Nolet and Jim Johnson. Heiskala was the resident tough guy.

Heiskala played his junior hockey with the Hamilton Red Wings until 1963. He then bounced around the minor league circuit before finding a home with the WHL Seattle Totems. He spent three years in Seattle, from 1965 through 1968. By his third year he had established himself as a player to be reckoned with, as he scored 26 goals while accumulating a league high 157 PIM.

Heiskala's boss in Seattle was Keith Allen. The same Keith Allen would leave Seattle when the NHL expanded into Philadelphia. It was Allen who showed good faith in Heiskala, and by the 1968-69 season had acquired him to play with Philadelphia.

Allen and coach Vic Stasiuk believed in the young left wingers potential, but never saw it realized at the NHL level. His best showing was in 1969-70 when, often playing with Garry Peters and Dick Cherry, he scored 8 goals and 15 points plus 171 PIM. However #19 was criticized for not contributing enough in terms of tangible on- ice performance to warrant his high penalty minutes, and became a spare part in 1970-71.

For whatever reason, Heiskala never seemed to get along with members of the Boston Bruins. On October 13th, 1968 he fought Derek Sanderson AND Ken Hodge. The following season Heiskala got into it with none other than Bobby Orr. After a bit of a high sticking duel, five minute majors were handed to both participants, though the linesmen got in the way too early for a true fight.

Part way through that 19 70-71 season Earl was demoted to the minors, where he'd spend a year and a half in the minors with the San Diego Gulls. Earl loved the California sunshine, and jumped at a chance to return to major league hockey when the WHA Los Angeles Sharks offered him a contract. He spent a year and a half in the WHA before the Sharks tried to trade him to New York. He never did play for that team, and instead stayed in sunny California.

Ilkka Sinisalo

2007-06-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Ilkka Sinisalo was a terribly underrated forward on some strong Philadelphia Flyers teams during the 1980s. Often overlooked by the likes of Brian Propp, Mark Howe, Tim Kerr, Pelle Lindbergh and Ron Hextall, Sinisalo quietly was a key cog in the Philadelphia team that twice reached the Stanley Cup finals.

Undrafted by the NHL, the HIFK (Finland) left shooting right winger was signed by the Flyers in 1981 as an undrafted rookie free agent, a practice that is now forbidden for European players under the NHL collective bargaining agreement. The Flyers made other teams look foolish for not taking a chance on this fine player.

An exceptional skater, Sinisalo was an unheralded two way winger. He had great hockey sense and vision which made him a regular on both the power play and penalty kill. He was a good compliment to the immovable Tim Kerr on Flyers power plays. Sinisalo would use his one step quickness to get into passing lanes, often acting as a diversion while Kerr got into position in front of the net. He also possessed deadly wrist and backhand shots. On the penalty kill Sinisalo's speed and anticipation made him a regular. At regular strength Sinisalo was equally strong at both ends of the ice. He ranks high on the Flyers all time +/- leader list.

When healthy, Sinisalo was a consistent 30 goal/70 point scorer. However health was a luxury for Sinisalo, as he only played in excess of 70 games in 3 of his 10 full NHL seasons. In fact in 1988-89 severe arm and ankle injuries limited him to just 13 contests, and 1 goal.

After nine seasons in Philadelphia, the aging winger signed on with the Minnesota North Stars in 1990-91. His stay there was short as he was traded to Los Angeles after just 46 games in Minny. Ilkka only played 10 games over 1 1/2 seasons in Los Angeles, and finished his North American career uneventfully in the minor leagues.

He returned to play several seasons in his native Finland before becoming involved in the management of a Finnish team. He also became a landlord in a Helsinki apartment complex where Janne Niinimaa lived while still playing in Finland early in his career.

Tim Kerr

2007-06-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

Stopping Tim Kerr was like trying to stop a freight train. Weighing in at 230 pounds the enormous right winger was impossible to move. Kerr had the ability to park himself in the slot and not be budged even by the defense's best efforts.

Because he was a big player that took abuse often, Kerr was plagued with injuries that he had to continuously overcome throughout his career. His injuries included a torn ligament in his knee, and a bad shoulder that he had to have operated on five times.

When asked about his rough treatment Kerr just shrugged it off saying, "That's what the pads are for. I don't snap much. Sometimes they try to bang me from the back, but that just doesn't work"

Despite his injuries, Kerr was a terrific hockey player who had the ability to score. In his first three seasons, Tim Kerr only managed to score a total of 54 goals, an amount that he equaled in his fourth season. He then went on to have another 54 goal season and then two consecutive 58 goal seasons. Kerr also finished with an amazing 18.8% shooting percentage throughout his entire career.

"Of course, it's pretty hard to miss from the crease in," he said when asked about his incredible shot percentage. Almost 80% of Kerr's goals game from ten feet out or closer, since no defensemen could uproot him from the slot.

Pat Quinn commented on Kerr saying, "He's like a tree out there, but he's a tree with brains." Not only was he strong, but he had the ability to think when on the ice. Ted Sator compared him to Mike Bossy saying that his hands were every bit as fast, so in some key face off situations the coach would have Kerr take the draw.

Kerr started off his career with the Philadelphia Flyers, and was later taken by San Jose in the expansion draft of 1991. However, he never played a game with the Sharks because he was immediately traded to the New York Rangers for a year and then to the Hartford Whalers for the final 22 games of his career in the 1992-93 season.

Throughout his career, Kerr played 655 games in which he amassed 370 goals. He also received the Bill Masterton Trophy in 1989, and played in the All Star game from 1984-1986. However, life wasn't always easy for Tim. Not only did he constantly battle injuries throughout his career, but in the 1991-92 season his wife died ten days after giving birth. A great player and goal scorer Tim Kerr was one of the most underrated players during his career in the NHL.

Bob Froese

2007-06-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

When Bob Froese's junior career ended, you would have had a hard time convincing him he'd be one of the better goalies in the NHL in the 1980s. From 1974 through 1978 Froese toiled with some bad junior teams in St. Catherines, Oshawa and Niagara Falls. He was drafted in the 11th round, 160th overall by the St Louis Blues. It is rare that a late pick blossoms like Froese did.

Froese never got a chance in St. Louis. He was apparently drafted to fill a minor league position in the Blues depth chart. He played in the lowly IHL and was released from the Blues organization in the summer of 1981.

The Blues loss was the Flyers gain as they signed him as an unrestricted free agent. He reported to minor league Hershey of the AHL but before long was called up to the Flyers. He had a strong rookie season as a backup netminder. He had a 17-4-2 record with 4 shutouts and a 2.52 GAA. Almost out of nowhere, Froese was now in the NHL to stay.

Froese was initially a backup to fellow hot goalie prospect Pelle Lindbergh. However in 1983-84 Lindbergh struggled while Froese played well. He was 28-13-7 with a GAA of 3.14 in a high scoring NHL.

Coach Iron Mike Keenan made his NHL debut in 1984-85. One of his many traits is to stick with one goalie for an entire season. Unfortunately for Bob, Iron Mike preferred Lindbergh. Froese only got into 17 games, but put up an impressive numbers which should have earned him more ice time. He had 13-2 record with 1 shutout and a 2.41 GAA, although Lindbergh was incredible as well, winning the Vezina and All Star honors.

Froese was thrust into the spotlight the following year, as Lindbergh tragically died in an automobile accident just 8 games into the season. Froese managed to stay focused on the ice, and filled in admirably. He posted a league high 31 wins (with 10 losses and 3 ties), 5 shutouts and 2.55 GAA. He didn't get the Vezina, but was named as a Second Team All Star and shared the Jennings trophy with back up Darren Jensen.

Unfortunately for Froese, he was unable to lead the Flyers past the first round of the playoffs. This did not help him get into Mike Keenan's good books, not that he ever really seemed to be.

Despite his incredible season and track record, Froese lost his job the following season to an amazing rookie named Ron Hextall. Hexy would go on to one of most amazing debuts in NHL history. Froese returned to backup duty, only appearing in 3 games before Christmas.

Froese got the Christmas gift he wanted in 1986, as he was traded to the nearby New York Rangers. Froese however would never be the number one guy in New York. Instead he served for 4 seasons as a capable backup and father figure to John Vanbiesbrouck.

Eventually the highly touted Mike Richter was ready to play in New York as well. With Richter and Beezer, Froese was quickly pushed out of the way by the 1989-90 season. That proved to be his last season in the National Hockey League.

Froese turned to God after hockey. At last note he was pastor at Faith Fellowship Church in Clarence, New York. He has also been active with Hockey Ministries International, a religious charity featuring many former NHL stars like Ryan Walter and Mike Gartner.

Bill Barber

2007-06-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

New fans to the game know Bill Barber as the 2001 Jack Adams Award winner (coach of the year) with the Philadelphia Flyers. What they might not realize is that while that was Barber's first season behind the Flyer's bench, he is now in his third decade of service with the Flyers.

And what a 30 years it has been for the Callander, Ontario native!

Bill Barber started his career with the Flyers farm team in 1973. After 11 games he was called up to Philadelphia as an injury replacement, and never left.

A center throughout junior, Flyers legendary coach Fred Shero utilized his speed and skill as a left winger alongside Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke. Barber would go on to record 420 goals, along with 53 more in the playoffs. He was a key member of the two Stanley Cup championship Flyers teams in 1974 and 1975. He was selected as a first team All-Star once and a second team All-Star twice. Once he scored 50 goals, 5 times he scored over 40 and 9 times he scored 30 goals! He played in the Canada Cup and World Championships. He was highly regarded as one of the best forwards in his era. He is immortalized forever now as his number 7 hangs high in the rafters in Philly and he is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame..

Barber of course played In a time when the Philadelphia Flyers were nicknamed "The Broadstreet Bullies." Barber however was never a goon. Instead established himself as one of the greatest skilled wingers the game has ever seen. His speed and scoring prowess were integral parts of the two Stanley Cup celebrations.

There was no doubting that he was among the best players in hockey

"I can't think of a winger in the NHL who was a better all around hockey player," remembers former teammate Rick MacLeish

"He skated up and down the ice with the reliability of a metronome, and by dedicating his NHL career to blending in, he stood out," wrote Philly hockey beat writer Jay Greenberg. "He had the soul of a grinder, but the talent of a an artist."

Of course Bill is also remembered for perfecting the dive. He had a knack of drawing penalties and frustrating opponents by embellishing infractions. The dive is considered to be a European import in the professional game, but Barber mastered it just as the European invasion began.

Bill Barber was forced to retire due to knee surgery in 1984. The career ending surgery cut short Bill's bid to score 500 goals and 1000 points, yet the Hockey's Hall of Fame selection committee forgave Bill for not being able to reach those milestones and included him among the hockey immortals anyways..

"I wanted to be remembered as being capable of doing my job day in and day out, not just as a goal scorer but was a good all around player for every kind of situation."

NHLPA.com once asked Barber to share his favourite hockey memories, and they often centered around the international game:

"I think obviously the early years and the championship teams and from there the Canada Cups. The '76 Canada Cup, the '78 Challenge Cup in New York. I went to the '81 Canada Cup but I hurt my knee the very last inter-squad game and I couldn't participate that year. I went to Europe one year after we didn't do too well in the playoffs and I went over there and played for Canada in Finland and had the opportunity to play with Gretzky which was good.

Also the Russian game we played here when they went through that one year on tour. They hadn't lost. They tied a couple games but they hadn't lost a game until they faced us and I thought it was, I wouldn't say a lopsided game, but pretty close to it. We out-shot them heavily and outplayed them and ended up winning the game, 4-1, and that's when they had walked off the ice.

So that's another moment that stays there. And I can go to the team that went 35 games without a loss, the year we went to the Finals. That's another memory that will stay there with me a long time. Any time you can have a team that doesn't lose in 35 games that means you've got to be doing something right."

Barber turned to coaching, and was particularly successful in the AHL with Philadelphia's farm team, the Philadelphia Phantoms.

"It's different in its own sense. You feel helpless at times. You prepare your team the best you can possibly prepare them and yet you sit back and you watch and you say, 'Geez, I wish I could be of help here. I've been through this before, the pressure aspect of things," Barber said of coaching.

Bob Dailey

2007-03-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

Bob Dailey is one guy who might prefer the international hockey icing rule as opposed to the National Hockey League's.

In international hockey, players don't have to skate back and touch the puck in order for the referee to whistle the play dead and have a puck drop back in the offending team's zone. The NHL keeps the touch up rule because it can often be considered an exciting play if there is a fast speed chase to eliminate the icing call.

However those high speed chases have led to a number of injuries over the years. One of the worst happened one November night in 1981.

Bob Dailey, a Philadelphia Flyers veteran defenseman, raced back to freeze the puck before the Buffalo Sabres left winger Tony McKegney could get to the puck. The two collided. McKegney skated away, but Dailey remained on the ice in obvious pain, his ankle shattered.

"I was simply going in with McKegney for an icing. I was going full tilt, the way I always played. That's the only way I knew how. But I hit a rut in the ice with my skate. That's what did it. Not McKegney. And when I hit, my ankle shattered into what seemed like a hundred pieces." said the 6'5" 230lb giant of a defenseman.

"I had a good hunch my career was over that night" he added. He attempted to make a comeback, but it was ultimately unsuccessful.

Nicknamed "the Count," the Toronto Marlies defenseman was originally a 9th overall draft pick by the Vancouver Canucks in 1973 after Dailey, Mark Howe and Mike Palmateer led the Marlies to the Memorial Cup championship. However Dailey's experience in Vancouver was mixed.

"The organization wasn't the greatest in the world, " said the native of Kingston Ontario, "but the city was great. It was the city that made it easier to play for the Canucks."

Dailey also learned a lot from the Canucks veterans.

"I have to give a lot of credit to guys like Bobby Schmautz, Orland Kurtenbach and Gary Smith. Those veterans taught young guys like me how to live the game of hockey, to enjoy it. They helped me mature very quickly after I began playing in the pros."

The Flyers, looking for a mobile yet rugged defenseman, traded Larry Goodenough and Jack McIlhargey to Vancouver part way through the 1976-77 season. The move was done with the idea that Dailey could be the last piece of the Flyer's puzzle to returning to championship glory, but in his 5 years in Philly, the Flyers played second fiddle to Montreal and the New York Islanders.

Daily had an incredible first full year in Philadelphia - scoring 21 goals and 57 points in 76 games. That was strong enough to get him a nod in his first NHL all star game appearance. And while he never came close to putting up such strong numbers again, he remained among the top defensemen in the league. He returned to the NHL All Star game in 1981.

Dailey was on his way to his second decade of service in the National Hockey League before the ankle injury shattered his career. He tried to make a comeback some 4 years later when he appeared in 5 games with the Hershey Bears, but it just wasn't in the cards.

Bob Dailey played in 561 NHL games, scoring 94 times plus assisting on 231 others for 325 points. He added 12 goals and 34 points in 63 games in the playoffs.

Dailey became a real estate agent in New Jersey following his hockey playing days.

Don Saleski

2007-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

There was a time when Don Saleski represented all that was wrong in hockey. Boy did were we wrong about him.

Saleski was one of the famed Broad Street Bullies. Along with Bob "Hound Dog" Kelly, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, and "Moose" Dupont, Saleski was one of the noted goons on a team that knew no rule book. Nicknamed "Big Bird" because his wild hair reminded many of the Sesame Street character, Saleski would be sure to enter upon or create any fracas involving another Flyers player, whether it was necessary or not. Any fracas included with fans, which in 1976 got him charged in Toronto, though nothing ever came of the charges.

But Saleski was anything but the cement-head most people made him out to be.

In junior hockey in the late 1960s, he was one of the few hockey players attend university, studying at the University of Saskatchewan. He would continue his education while playing in the NHL and afterwards, studying at Villanova University and Wharton business school. He also obtained a realtor's license while with the Flyers.

His interest in scholastics and business paid off handsomely after hockey. He went on to become a top salesman and later vice president with ARAMARK sports and entertainment group, and then president and chief operating officer of Club Systems Group, Inc. With sales volumes in the hundreds of millions and personal salary and stock options numbering many times more than what he earned in hockey, Don Saleski life is far beyond hockey. Nowadays he has started his own company, Business Edge Development, a sales training company in the Greater Philadelphia area.

In the 1987 book Life After Hockey by Michael Smith, Saleski talks about both his hockey career and his prosperous business career. You almost get the sense that the man once known as "Big Bird" is far more proud of his business successes than his career on the ice, which included two Stanley Cup rings. He admits to being reluctant to talk about his hockey past, saying that is done and over with and just a stepping stone to where he is now. Even in the text he comes across as much more vibrant when discussing his business ventures.

The author, who first met Saleski back in 1978, says "he struck me almost immediately as a bright, articulate person with a mind of his own. He certainly did not fit the image of the Broad Street Bully as he was often portrayed."

Even on the ice Saleski wasn't nearly as bad as his reputation. He only had 629 PIMs in 543 NHL games, and after his first season or two he curtailed his fighting, largely because he wasn't that good at it. Schultz suggested in his autobiography by calling him " a big sonofagun who couldn't fight very well but would throw his weight around" and "he had this wild-man routine to make himself more scary than he really was."

He was a 20 goal scorer who was utilized as a shutdown winger. Often teamed with center Orest Kindrachuk, he was often assigned the task of controlling top wingers on the other team.

“I never considered myself a tough guy. I was more of an instigator. I caused a lot of problems and Dave Shultz would finish them off. I was competitive and wanted to win, so I did whatever I could to help the team,” he told philadelphiaflyers.com.

Late in his career Saleski was not playing much in Philadelphia and he asked for a trade. He was moved to the Colorado Rockies, which proved to be a difficult transition for him.

“I went from winning close to 50 games (a season) with the Flyers to winning 15 with Colorado. When you are competing every night just trying to keep the score close, it’s a whole different mentality then when you are competing to win. It was tough on me, but I also felt bad for the young guys on the team because they would really get down and demoralized. We had a real poor hockey team.”

Saleski was viewed as a disappointment in Colorado. He had a sound theory as to why he and his former Bully Brothers had trouble once they left Philadelphia:

"One of the problems I experienced in Colorado was similar to the problem that other guys with the Flyers experienced when they were traded to other teams. People associated with other teams viewed us differently. I was skilled at my role and other Flyers also gave a specific strength to the team. But, other people didn't view us as role players. There was a perception we were more complete players than we really were, thereby expecting more out of us. They expected us to be complete leaders for their teams and looked for a greater contribution than we really could provide.

You would think a player of Saleski's ilk would be a perfect fit in Don Cherry's world, but he would never see eye to eye with his coach.

"If Blue (Cherry's beloved bulldog) could have spoken, he could have coached better than Don Cherry," he once said.

"He didn't know how to deal with that team. He didn't know how to motivate them. He motivated them by intimidation. It wasn't so much the way he treated me, I felt terrible the way he treated the younger kids on the team."

Although he has distanced himself somewhat from hockey and his image in it, he still holds a special place for the Broad Street Bullies.

"When I think of memories I think of the team and how we had a common vision. We supported each other and we really had this bond. We still do. I don’t see the guys that often, but when we do see each other there is the feeling of excitement. It is almost like a brotherhood.”

Reggie Leach

2007-03-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

During most of the mid 1970s to the early 1980s, NHL teams needed gun control. You see when teams faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers they had plenty to worry about, namely Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber and Bernie Parent. However teams would often focus the attention of their top checkers against a streaky though explosive right winger from Riverton, Manitoba. That winger's name? One of the most prolific sharpshooters nicknamed "The Rifle" - Reggie Leach

Reggie entered the league as one of the brightest prospects of the 1970 Amateur Draft. He was drafted 3rd overall by the Boston Bruins after three great years with the WHL's Flin Flon Bombers. In three seasons from 1967 to 1970 Reggie scored 188 goals in just 138 games! He added 100 assists for 288 points!

Reggie got off to a slow professional start in 1970-71. He played most of the season in the minors while playing 23 games with the Bruins, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists. His disappointing season had some of the Bruins faithful concerned. However in all fairness the Bruins at this time were the defending Cup champs and had a deep talent pool. Reggie wasn't able to crack the talent rich lineup enough to show what he was truly capable of doing.

Reggie was traded during the 1971-72 season to the California Golden Seals with Rick Smith and Bob Stewart in exchange for Carol Vadnais and Don O'Donaghue. Leach had scored just 7 goals in 56 games with the Bruins that season, but finished the year playing regularly in California. He also showed signs of fulfilling his promise, scoring 6 goals in 17 games.

Leach played two full seasons with the Seals in 1972-73 and 1973-74, scoring 23 and 22 goals respectively. Needless to say the Seals weren't exactly the strongest team around and while Reggie got some decent playing time, he had few quality players to play with.

That all changed in the summer of 1974. The defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers acquired his rights. It wasn't cheap for the Flyers either, as it cost them Larry Wright, Al MacAdam, and a 1st round draft pick (Ron Chipperfield) for Leach and future considerations (George Pesut). That's a lot for a guy who showed a lot of promise but still hadn't put it all together in the NHL.

Playing with names like Clarke, Barber and MacLeish, Leach exploded. During his first year, 1974-75, with Philadelphia, Reggie scored 45 goals, plus a great playoff performance with 8 goals which lead Philadelphia to a second Stanley Cup, Reggie's first.

In 1975-76 he enjoyed his best year scoring a league leading 61 goals and totaling 91 points in the season. In the playoffs he broke Richard's goal scoring streak with goals in nine consecutive playoff games and set the NHL record for most goals in a playoffs with 19. He tied an NHL record set by Hall of Famer Maurice Richard on May 6, 1976, when he scored five times to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Semi-Finals. The win meant that the Flyers earned a trip back to the Stanley Cup Finals but were swept in 4 games by the Montreal Canadiens. Despite the Flyers' loss, Leach was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as he was clearly the best player in the playoffs. The trophy is definitely a highlight in Leach's career.

"I think it was great because I believe I was the first forward on a losing team to ever win the Conn Smythe. I know other goaltenders had won it beforehand on losing teams but I think at that time it was a great honour to be awarded that trophy and everything else. I didn't really enjoy it at the time because of us getting knocked out in four games."

Reggie "slipped" to 32, 24 and 34 goals respectively over the next three seasons. He returned to the 50 goal club in 1979-80 and remained a productive Flyer until 1982. For the 1982-1983 season, Leach signed on with the Red Wings as a free agent, extending his NHL career by one year. He scored 15 goals to total 381 career goals.

Reggie played his final season of hockey in the CHL with the Montana Magic in 1983-84 before retiring in 1984. Throughout his thirteen year career, he had ten 20 goal seasons and three 40 goal campaigns. He also played in two All-Star games in 1976 and 1980.

Leach finished with 381 goals, 285 assists (totaling 666 points) and 387 PIM in 934 games played.

After Leach's career he went on to sell cars and insurance. He decided to start up his own landscaping company which he did for ten to twelve years. He has also been active with Canada's First Nations speaking on such topics as drugs and alcohol abuse.

Reggie's son Jamie went on to a long minor league career and saw some time in the NHL as well.

Dave Brown

2007-03-05T18:29:00.001-08:00

Dave Brown is considered by many to be one of hockey's all time greatest fighters.

"When he punched you, it hurt." said penalty minute king Tiger Williams of Brown. Tiger, who fought as much as anyone as his almost 4000 career penalty minutes will attest, fell short of naming the toughest guy he ever faced. But Williams had high praise for Terry O'Reilly, Dave Semenko and Dave Brown.

Lots of people have lots of respect for the 6'5" 220lb Brown, who is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Brownie was an honest player who intimidated the opposition in order to keep them honest. No one would take liberties on one of Brown's teammates because if they did, they knew they would have to face the justice of Dave Brown.

So feared was Brown, he didn't even have to drop the gloves on many occasions. While playing with the San Jose Sharks, Dody Wood recalls an incident when Edmonton tough guy Louie Debrusk was causing some after-the-whistle commotion in the corner of the rink.

"(With his reputation) he just has to talk to (another player) and they're scared. Brownie just tapped him on the shoulder," Wood recalls, "and said, 'Louie, what are you doin'?'"

Debrusk simply skated away. Problem solved. Dave Brown's job was done. People feared Brown. More importantly, people respected him.

While Dave's only true on ice contribution was in terms of such intimidation, he was a valuable player. There is no way to measure such a contribution, nor his other contributions, mainly things such as leadership. About the only way to realize his value is to look at the fact that he played in the NHL for more than a decade, mostly with the same team. Given his lack of measurable contributions such as goals and assists, that tells us that Dave Brown was a valuable commodity.

An example of his leadership was how hard he practiced. He rarely got to actually play more than a couple of minutes in many games, but he spent hours working on his limited skating and puck skills. He was always there to help a teammate work on a drill. He also helped to develop a great camaraderie in the dressing room, as he was a very popular teammate.

Brown played in 729 games, mostly with the Philadelphia Flyers. He also played 2 1/2 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers where he was part of the 1990 Stanley Cup Championship. He spent his final season (1995-96) with the expansion San Jose Sharks. He scored 45 career goals while adding 52 assists for 97 points. And in the most telling stat of all, he spent 1789 minutes in the penalty box.

Keith Primeau

2007-02-11T22:58:00.001-08:00

The Philadelphia Flyers are hosting a "retirement party" for Keith Primeau when the Flyers host the Detroit Red Wings. The choice of opponent is no coincidence - Primeau is best known as a Flyer but to many he is a Red Wing as well.

“I have such great memories of playing for the Flyers,” Primeau said. “The fans are like no other and I am proud to have played for them and the city for six years. I'd like to thank Ed Snider and the entire organization for planning this night.”

I had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Keith Primeau. In his draft year I hummed and hawed as to who my Vancouver Canucks should take with the 2nd overall pick. I couldn't decide between Petr Nedved and Primeau. I watched Primeau struggle in his early years in Detroit, and always felt he could be bringing more to the game. Much like a 1960s Leafs fan watching Frank Mahovlich, no matter what Primeau did, it was not good enough for me.

After holding out from Detroit following the Red Wings signing of Igor Larionov, Primeau and Paul Coffey were traded to my secret favorite team, the Hartford Whalers, in exchange for Brendan Shanahan. Though I loved the Whale jersey, I never got to watch them play. I missed Primeau's transformation into an elite leader with the Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes.

Another holdout in 1999 led to Primeau's trading to the Flyers in exchange for Rod Brind'Amour. Sometimes you can tell alot about a player by the players they were traded for. Being traded for Brendan Shanahan and Rod Brind'Amour speaks volumes about just how good Primeau was.

Fortunately, my lasting image of Primeau will be the 2004 playoffs when the Flyers captain literally willed his Flyers deep into the playoffs. He scored 9 goals and 16 points, but it was his sheer determination that brought the team to within one victory of a Stanley Cup finals appearance. I truly wanted the Flyers to win that year because of Primeau's incredible performance. He so impressed me in those playoffs that I was finally a Primeau fan for life.

The other memory I'll always have is of Primeau's dramatic overtime goal against Pittsburgh's Ron Tugnutt on May 4th/5th, 2000. The lazer like shot in the 5th overtime period ended the third longest game in NHL history,

As the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, Primeau still suffers from concussion related effects.

"I still have problems," he said yesterday during a conference call with reporters. "The most severe symptoms are the head pressure and headaches. Flying is a problem for me. I've flown home to Toronto a few times with little effect, but whenever I take a longer flight... that has really put me on my heels."

Derrick Smith

2007-02-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Derrick Smith (not to be confused with Derek Smith) was a big banging left winger for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1980s. He would also see time with the Minnesota/Dallas Stars.

Smith was a real Mike Keenan favorite. His entire game depended on physical play and bone crunching body checks. At 6'2" 210 pounds, Smith made his presence felt more often than not when he was on the ice. Smith's upper body strength and balance on his skates made him a valuable NHL corner man often compared to a former Flyers teammate Rick Tocchet.

However, unlike Tocchet Derrick didn't have the natural skills that Rick had. Though he was a good skater and had good defensive hockey sense, he lacked the puck handling skills and offensive creativeness to take advantage of the numerous offensive opportunities that his relentless forechecking created. He often would come out of the corner with the puck but didn't really have the ability to make a play with the puck. Thus he was largely a one dimensional hockey player - good forechecker and good body checker.

So good was Derrick Smith that Team Canada offered him a try-out for the 1987 Canada Cup team. Though he was one of the last cuts, that team went on to an unforgettable victory of the Soviets.

Smith was also a nice part of two Flyers teams, 1985 and 1987, that advanced to the Stanley Cup finals. Unfortunately for the Flyers, both appearances pitted them against Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers in the height of their Stanley Cup dynasty.

Smith was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1983, 44th overall. He had his best offensive season in his rookie season with the Flyers when he scored 17 goals and 39 points. Twice more in his career he scored 16 goals. Smith was claimed on waivers by Minnesota in 1991 but he would end up play more in the minors than with the Stars.

Smith left the NHL for good after only one game played in the 1993-94. In 537 games he scored 82 goals and 174 points. He added another 14 goals and 25 points in 82 playoff games, most of which were with the Flyers.

Smith was a really useful player - good defensively, a top forechecker and a physical presence while taking few penalties (373 PIM in 537 games). He could play on my team any time.

Bernie Parent

2007-01-31T22:23:00.000-08:00

Beset by troubling injuries that robbed him of many of his best years of his career, Bernie Parent doesn't always get consideration for the greatest goalie of all time.

Yet anyone who saw him play in the mid-1970s knows few goalies have ever played at a higher level than Bernie Parent.

Much like Dominik Hasek 20 years later with Buffalo, for a period of time Parent was simply incredible. He was "the second coming of Jacques Plante" and the Flyers "undisputed MVP." Neither of the Flyers' much celebrated back to back Stanley Cup championships would have been possible without Parent.

Bernie Parent turned pro in 1965 after backstopping Niagara Falls to the Memorial Cup championship. After stints with the Bruins, Leafs, and the WHA, Parent finally found a permanent home with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Many people forget the Flyers actually gave up on Parent prior to their championship reign. In 1971 the Flyers moved Parent to Toronto. Why? The Flyers, still a struggling expansion team seeking depth at most positions, were equally high on another goalie in their system - Doug Favell, Parent's junior cohort. It was felt that Parent, who was establishing himself as one of hockey's top goalies, would command a higher return than Favell. The Leafs returned veteran goalkeeper Bruce Gamble and the 9th overall draft pick, used to select Pierre Plante, a serviceable NHLer with 599 career games, though only 26 with the Flyers. The Flyers also received the highly skilled Shakey Walton, but immediately parlayed him to Boston in exchange for another Flyers' key, Rick MacLeish.

Though the deal was very controversial in Philadelphia as Parent was already a fan favorite, Parent was more than happy to move to Toronto and play with his idol, Jacques Plante. It turns out Plante was a big fan of Parent's, too.

"He's probably got more natural ability than any goaltender in this league," Plante said at the time.

For the next couple of seasons Plante mentored Parent, who was more than eager to soak up anything and everything his idol would offer. Plante's influence on Parent became obvious. Gump Worsley described Parent as "a carbon copy" of Parent, while Gerry Cheevers called him "a fat Jacques Plante."

Though success was not immediately apparent in Toronto, Parent shockingly became the first Leaf to defect to the WHA. The Miami Screaming Eagles gave Parent a 5 year, $750,000 contract, though the team folded before ever playing a game. In another shocking move, Parent signed a $600,000 deal with the Blazers of Philadelphia, of all cities.

By the end of the first season, Parent ended up quitting the Blazers after a pay dispute. His contract nullified, he returned to the NHL, but told the Leafs he wished to be traded back to the Philadelphia Flyers. After sending a first round pick and Favell to the Leafs, finally Parent had come home.

Parent returned to the City of Brotherly Love to find the Broad Street Bullies at their disgraceful best. Parent gave them the goaltending they lacked to lead them to Stanley Cup.

"When Parent is out there, we know we can win games we have no business winning," said Fred Shero, the calculating coach of the Flyers glory years.

In 1973-74 he established himself as the best goalie in hockey. He played more minutes (4314), had more wins (47), had more shutouts (12) and had a better GAA (1.89) than any other goalie, earning the Vezina trophy. In the playoffs he would impossibly take his game to a higher level, upsetting the heavily favored Boston Bruins, sporting Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito, for the Stanley Cup. Parent was the obvious choice as playoff MVP and earned the Conn Smythe trophy.

The following season Parent proved his success was no fluke. He notched another 44 wins, another 12 shutouts, another Vezina Trophy in the regular season, and another Smythe trophy en route to another Stanley Cup in the playoffs.

The Flyers very well may have won a third consecutive Cup title, and by doing so ensuring a loftier legacy of dynasty, but Parent missed most of the year with a serious neck injury. The Flyers did return to another Cup final thanks to the goaltending of Wayne Stephenson, but they were swept by the new/old power in the league - the Montreal Canadiens.

Parent would recover from the neck injury but three seasons later he suffered a career ending eye injury. Somehow a New York Ranger player's stick ignored the best intentions of Parent's trademark mask and clipped his right eye. He spent the next 10 days in hospital, with both eyes bandaged shut. His retina was badly injured, his depth perception and ability to focus permanently damaged, his career over.

Parent was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

Pelle Lindbergh

2006-11-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

When discussing Europe's greatest goaltender of all time - most talk centers around Soviet Union's Vladislav Tretiak and the Czech Republic's Dominik Hasek, with a slew of youngsters such as Miikka Kiprusoff, Tomas Vokoun and Henrik Lundqvist now entering the picture. Sweden's Pelle Lindbergh is another name that gets much mention. Had Lindbergh had he not died in a tragic car accident, he would be mentioned much more often.

Lindbergh, born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1959, became the first European goalie to excel in the National Hockey League. Despite growing up in Sweden, Lindbergh grew up idolizing the Broad Street Bullies, the Philadelphia Flyers, and in particular their saving grace, Bernie Parent. So it came as quite a thrill to Pelle when in 1979 the Flyers made the Swedish netminder their 3rd round draft choice.

Lindbergh "jumped the pond" (came across the Atlantic) to play in North America the very next season. Coming off of a bronze medal performance in the 1980 Olympics, the Flyers felt Lindbergh needed more time to develop in the North American game and culture, so he was assigned to the Flyer's top farm club, the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League.. In his first season Lindbergh won the Hap Holmes Trophy as the AHL's top goaltender, as well as Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and a First All Star. He led the Mariners to the Calder Cup championship. He went 31-14-5 with 1 shutout and a 3.26 GAA in the regular season followed by a 10-7 record with a 3.54 GAA in the playoffs.

Despite accomplishing all one could do in the AHL in his first season, Lindbergh would only become a part time NHLer the following season, due largely to the stellar goaltending of Flyers starting netminder Pete Peeters. Lindbergh would backup Peeters for part of the season, only seeing action in 8 less than spectacular games. He spent most of the year on the bench, and also back in the AHL where he again excelled.

1982-83 saw the Flyer's deal Peeters to the Boston Bruins for Brad McCrimmon, and opening the door for not only Pelle Lindbergh, but another hot shot goaltending prospect in the organization - Bob Froese. The two would share the crease that season. Lindberg went 23-13-3 with a 2.98 GAA, but faltered badly in the playoffs, going 0-3 with a 6.00 GAA.

Bob Froese meanwhile came up from Maine to post a 17-4-2 record with a spectacular 2.52 GAA. The following season would see Froese get the nod as the starter and Lindbergh backed up, struggling to a 16-13-3 season with a 4.05 GAA. There became much doubt whether this Swedish goalie could break the European stereotype and become a star goalie in the NHL.

Lindbergh quickly erased any doubts the following season. Lindbergh shone in training camp and stole back the starting role. He would play in a league leading 65 games and led all goalies with 40 wins, accumulating only 17 losses with 7 ties and 3.02 GAA. Even more importantly, he was even better in the playoffs where he played all in playoffs games, going 12-6 while posting an incredible 2.50 GAA and a playoff leading 3 shutouts. Lindbergh's incredible playoff run was cut short by the powerful Edmonton Oilers, as they would go on to defeat the Flyers in the 1985 Stanley Cup Final. At the end of the year, Lindbergh was given the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender.

Lindbergh would get off to another quick start the following season, going 6-2 in 8 games, quickly proving the season before was no fluke. However, tragedy would then strike. On November 10, 1985 Lindbergh crashed his sports car into a wall, and he died on impact. One of hockey's brightest young superstars died in a senseless drinking and driving mishap.

News of Lindbergh's passing was obviously a shock to fans of the NHL, but also to his fellow countrymen in Sweden. Lindbergh was a household name in Sweden. By the time he was only 20 years old he established himself as the top goalie in Sweden. His international accomplishments were highlighted by the 1980 Olympics bronze medal. Lindbergh twice played in the European Junior Championships where he was named top goaltender both years. As well he participated in two World Championships and the 1981 Canada Cup.

Brad McCrimmon

2006-11-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

Though Brad McCrimmon never came close to duplicating his junior numbers at the NHL level, make no mistake - Brad McCrimmon was one of the top defensemen in the 1980s. He also spent most of the 1990s as a dependable veteran and teacher. No wonder why he is now in the coaching business.

Brad was an incredible junior player with the Brandon Wheat Kings from 1976-1979. Look at his junior numbers:

1976-77 72 GP - 18G - 66A - 84 Pts - 96 PIM
1977-78 65 GP - 19G - 78A - 97 Pts - 245 PIM
1978-79 66 GP - 24G - 74A - 98 Pts - 139 PIM

Plus he was incredible in the playoffs. He average well over a point a game in the post season. In 1979 he helped the Wheaties advance all the way to the Memorial Cup, though his team would ultimately fall short. The two time WHL All Star defenseman also twice represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships.

After one of the finest junior careers in hockey history, McCrimmon topped it all off with a NHL 1st round selection - 15th overall in by the Boston Bruins.

Already sporting one of the best young defensemen ever to play the game in Ray Bourque, the Bruins looked strong for years to come on the blueline. McCrimmon developed slowly though, and in his third season took a step backwards, scoring just 1 goal and 9 points in 78 games. .

After those three seasons in Boston, the Bruins took a chance and dealt the still highly thought off rearguard to Philadelphia in exchange for number one goalie Pete Peeters. The Bruins really felt they needed a goalie and with the 1st round draft selection of Gord Kluzak, McCrimmon became expendable. Harry Sinden, Boston's cheap General Manager, later admitted the trade was also fueled by a contract squabble.

Though possessing a strong stride, McCrimmon was not a great skater at the NHL level. He lacked any element of speed and in his early days was weak one on one because he was awkward in his turns in pivots. Over time he learned to overcome his deficiencies by playing the angles and rarely being caught out of position. Once he learned how to do this he really became a solid NHL defensive back liner.

McCrimmon really came into his own in Philadelphia, particularly when he assumed the spot along side highly skilled defenseman Mark Howe. The fierce competitor was never a star, but was a valuable member of the Flyers. He would take care of the defense and physically manhandling players in his own zone allowed Howe to take chances offensively and become one of the best (and most underrated) defenseman in history.

McCrimmon was never an offensive threat at the NHL level, he did put up some decent numbers from 1984 through 1987. Though it wasn't until his trade to the Calgary Flames in the summer of 1987 that saw him emerge from Howe's shadow. He was named as a second team All Star as he posted a league high + 48 as well posting 42 points without Howe (although playing with the likes of Al MacInnis and Gary Suter might have helped his stats some!).

The Flyers traded McCrimmon saying that they needed to get some fresh blood in the lineup as the Flyers were a veteran team. However the Flyers players did not like the trade.

"You can't replace a guy like him," said LW great Brian Propp of McCrimmon. "He was one of our main team leaders."

Propp was right, as the Flyers team that had twice gone to the Stanley Cup finals quickly fell apart (for a variety of reasons, not just because of the loss of McCrimmon).

The Flames traded a 1st round draft pick to Philadelphia in exchange for McCrimmon. The trade came shortly after the 1987 Stanley Cup finals in which McCrimmon was a key performer for the eventual runner up Flyers. The Flames were seeking some veteran leadership, defense and toughness to help guide them to the Stanley Cup finals, and in McCrimmon's second season in Cow Town, that is just what happened. Only this time McCrimmon was the bride and not the bridesmaid, as the Flames won their first Stanley Cup in 1989.

Fearing McCrimmon was nearing the end of his career (just like Philly did 3 years earlier) the Flames moved Brad to Detroit in 1990. By 1992 he was reunited with Mark Howe who joined the team his father made famous. However Brad was soon on the move again, this time to spend three years in Hartford. He'd also spent a year with the Phoenix Coyotes before stepping behind the bench to coach at various levels

Brad retired with 81 goals, 322 assists and 403 points in an amazing 1222 games career. He added 11 goals and 29 points in 116 playoff games.

Peter Zezel

2006-11-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

Peter Zezel carved out a nice career as solid two way second or third line center.

Though somewhat on the small side, Zezel was extremely strong, especially his lower body. He was great along the boards as he was so hard to knock down. He was also an agile skater with great balance, and his background as a soccer player (he played with the Toronto Blizzard of the NASL and the North York Rockets of the CSL) gave him an extra advantage over most hockey players - great puck skills with his feet. In the corners and in faceoff scrums, Zezel would go in and use his strength and balance to tie up his opponent, and then kick the puck to an open teammate.

Though known best as a defensive oriented checking center, Zezel had some good offensive talents. He had a strong and accurate wrist shot and slap shot, but preferred to set up an open teammate than shoot the puck himself. He was very confident with the puck. His offensive totals were hindered by his commitment as the team's checking center, but twice Peter scored 72 points. In 1986-87 with Philadelphia when he finished behind Tim Kerr for the team goal and point scoring lead. In 1988-89 and in 1989-90 Peter enjoyed his longest run as an offensive player, often centering Brett Hull in St. Louis.

An excellent faceoff man, Zezel was a crunch time player. Some questioned his inconsistent intensity, but he became a favorite of Mike Keenan, the most demanding coach of the day. Keenan inherited a young Zezel in Philadelphia and later recruited his services in St. Louis and Vancouver.

Peter played two seasons with the Toronto Marlies of the OHL before advancing directly to the NHL. In 1982-83, he scored 35 goals and 39 assists in 66 games. Through 68 games in 1983-84, he tallied career-highs with 47 goals, 86 assists, and 133 points.

Peter was the first choice (41st overall) of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1983 Entry Draft. In 1984-85, he had a strong rookie season, finishing fifth among league rookies in scoring with 61 points, and set a Flyers' rookie record with 46 assists. A fractured hand early in the season hampered Zezel's scoring totals and his chance at a serious run at the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie.

Through he played in a career-high 79 games in 1985-86, he took a step backwards like many NHL sophomores do. He recorded a career-best plus-27 rating but scored "only" 17 goals and 54 points. Because of the Flyers' great depth he had to accept a role on the third line and played well as a checking center, helping to mould his career.

In 1986-87, Peter stepped up his game by establishing career-highs with 33 goals and 72 points. He had a strong playoff as a checking forward, scoring 3 goals and 13 points in a 25 game run that saw the Flyers push the mighty Edmonton Oilers to 7 games in one of the greatest Stanley Cup finals ever.

A great special teams player, Zezel added a career-high 14 power play goals in 1987-88. However he only add 8 even strength goals for a decline of 11 goals from the previous year. His point total also dropped, by a total of 15 points.

As the Flyers quickly fell on hard times, team management began cleaning house. After getting off to a slow start in 1988-89 (4 goals in 26 games), the Flyers traded Zezel was traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Mike Bullard. Zezel quickly found a home with sharpshooter Brett Hull on his right wing and Zezel finished strongly, picking up a career high 49 assists (between the two teams) that season. In 1989-90, he tied his career-best 72 points (25 goals, 47 assists) in 73 games for the Blues

While Zezel was no doubt a key part of the Blues, team management felt he was expendable. Perhaps a lack of production in the playoffs (1 goal in 12 games in 1990) signaled the end of Zezel's days in St. Louis. On July 13, 1990, he was traded with Mike Lalor to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Geoff Courtnall.

Zezel's stay in the US capital didn't last long. A wonky left ankle caused Zezel to miss more games than he appered in. In 20 games with the Capitals, Peter scored seven goals and five assists. On Jan. 16, 1991, he was traded with Bob Rouse to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Al Iafrate.

Fully recovered from his fractured ankle, Zezel finished the 1990-91 season strongly. Between the two teams in 1990-91, Peter reached the 20-goal mark for the fifth consecutive season. However Zezel's production decline for much of his stay in Toronto. From 1991-94, he registered 36 goals and 64 assists in 175 games for the Leafs. A variety of small but nagging injuries (most notably a back problem that forced him to sit half of the 1993-94 season) didn't help him much.

On Aug. 10, 1994, the Dallas Stars acquired him with Grant Marshall as compensation for the Leafs signing of restricted free agent Mike Craig. In 30 games with the Stars during 1994-95 lockout shortened season, Peter scored six goals and five assists.

It appeared that Zezel's career was done in Dallas. A healthy scratch often, Zezel even saw a conditioning stint in the minor leagues. However On Oct. 19, 1995, he signed as a free agent with the Blues. An old friend named Mike Keenan was in charge and thought Zezel could still fill a role as a 4th line checker and a leader in the dressing room. And Zezel didn't disappoint. In 1995-96, he tallied eight goals and 13 assists in 57 games for the Blues. However after 35 games in the 1996-97 season, the Blues traded Zezel to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Chris McAlpine and a last round choice in the 1999 Entry Draft. Peter finished the 1997-98 season notching three assists in 18 games for the Devils, however was obviously a spare part in Jersey.

By 1997-98 it really looked like Zezel's career was done. He was banished to the minor leagues as a result of strong depth on the Devils' squad. However. On Feb. 5, 1998, Keenan rescued him again as he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 1998 fifth round draft pick. Between the two teams in 1997-98, he scored five goals and 15 assists in 75 games. He looked especially good early in Vancouver, playing on a line with chronic underachiever Alexander Mogilny. However the offensive spark quickly faded. He became a decent 4th liner and faceoff specialist, but was really a spare part on a very weak Canucks team.

Injuries continued to plague Zezel until the trading deadline on March 23, 1999. It was then when the Canucks traded Zezel to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. However Zezel never reported to Anaheim, instead he went AWOL in order to be with his sick niece back home in Toronto.

Peter Zezel Dies

Peter Zezel has died from his rare blood disorder.

Toronto Star - Former Leaf favourite Peter Zezel dies
TSN.ca - Zezel Passes Away At 44
James Mirtle - Peter Zezel 1965-2009
Pension Plan Puppets - Zezel Passes Away At 44

First and foremost I will always remember Peter Zezel for his faceoff expertise and sound defensive game, his reliable play every night and his tough though clean approach to the game. No wonder why he was one of Mike Keenan's favourite players.

I will also remember Peter Zezel as the hearthrob in Philadelphia. Girls swooned after him. His cool hair even landed him a small role in the Hollywood hockey movie Youngblood. He certainly would not look out of place beside Rob Lowe or Patrick Swayze.

Most will remember Zezel as a Flyer or a Maple Leaf, where he spent the bulk of the best years of his career. Because he was such a valuable player even when he was no longer able to contribute offensively, he bounced around the league a lot in later years, with two stops in St. Louis as well as in Washington, Dallas, New Jersey and Vancouver.

But I also remember Zezel as a great person. I had the chance to watch Zezel closely in his final season and a half with the Vancouver. I remember seeing glimpses of the Zezel I watched in Philly and Toronto, but clearly something was weighing on his mind. That was confirmed late in the season when he left on a personal leave. It turned out he desperately wanted to be with his family after his two year old niece had died of leukemia.

Zezel never came back, opting to be with his family. He played senior hockey in Ontario and coached youth hockey and started up a hockey school in Toronto. Rumor had it he would return to the NHL only if he could play for the Leafs. But he did not want to be away from his family any longer.

Maybe something inside of Zezel told him he had better maximize his time with his beloved family. In 2001 Zezel himself fell ill, being diagnosed with the rare and incurable haemolytic anemia blood disorder that destroys red blood cells faster than the body can replace them.

He has been battling this energy zapping disease ever since, taking chemotherapy and even having his spleen removed. All the while he tried his best to keep up his sports camps for kids, encompassing hockey as well as soccer and golf. But last week his organs began to fail and he lapsed into a coma.

Today he was taken off life support. He was just 44 years old. He died single and with no kids of his own, yet he made a huge impact on the lives of so many kids.

Kjell Samuelsson

2006-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Kjell Samuelsson announced that he would retire the same day that Wayne Gretzky made his retirement a 99% certainty. Needless to say, not many noticed that Sameulsson had called it quits. Kjell played in more than 800 games with 4 different NHL teams. He scored a career total of 48 goals, 138 assists and 186 points. Now Gretzky may have scored more points in 5 different seasons than Samuelsson did in his entire career, but Kjell Samuelsson deserves to be remembered too.

Kjell was a steady, dependable defenseman. He was a gigantic player, towering above his opponents with a once- unfathomable size of 6'6" and 235lbs. For much of his career he was the biggest player in the National Hockey League. Though not a graceful skater, Kjell made up for his lack of foot speed with his long stride, but lacked agility. He also had very limited puck skills. He wasn't overly physical but he didn't need to be either. His natural strength and reach enabled him to excel as a defensive stalwart.

A native of Sweden, Kjell was drafted by the New York Rangers 119th overall in 1984. He didn't cross the pond until 1985-86 when he played primarily with the Rangers AHL farm team, appearing in just NHL contests. The next season Kjell made the team but after 30 games was shipped with a 2nd round draft choice to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goaltender Bob Froese.

Kjell was best know as a Flyer where he played in parts of 9 seasons in two separate stints. His first stint came from 1987-1991 when Kjell was in his prime. He enjoyed his best NHL seasons in this time as the Flyers twice went to the Stanley Cup finals. He established career-bests for assists (24) and points (30) while leading the club with a +28 rating. He also represented the Flyers in the All-Star Game. Kjell also represented Sweden at the World Championships and the 1991 Canada Cup.

Kjell was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 as part of the big traded that saw Rick Tocchet and Mark Recchi switch teams. Kjell played an important part of the Penguins 1992 Stanley Cup championship. Kjell played 3 more seasons in Pittsburgh, who also dressed unrelated countryman Ulf Samuelsson..

Samuelsson returned to returned to Philadelphia for 3 years in 1995. In the summer of 1998 the Flyers did not renew his contract and Kjell joined the Tampa Bay Lightning for one season before retiring at the age of 40.

Bobby Taylor

2006-09-28T00:28:00.000-07:00

Calgary, Alberta native goalie Bobby Taylor only appeared in 46 NHL games during a span of five seasons, and despite never being a regular goalie in the NHL he always had a very upbeat attitude. He had a booming self confidence that rubbed of on his teammates around him. For a short time he was the perfect backup netminder.

He entered the professional ranks after having played for the Edmonton Oil Kings (AJHL), St.Catherines Black Hawks (OHA) and Calgary Spurs (WCSHL). He then played in the EHL, WHL and AHL between 1968-71. In September 1968 he was signed by Philadelphia Flyers but continued to play in the minor leagues.

In one of the Eastern Hockey League games he was in goal for the New Jersey Devils and surrendered 18 goals! After the game he almost quit hockey since he didn't think that he needed the aggravation. He quickly disbanded the negative thoughts and worked hard to make it to the NHL instead.

Bobby's break came late in the 1971-72 season after Bruce Gamble had suffered a heart attack during a game and Doug Favell suffered an injury. Philly's coach Fred "The Fog" Shero called up Bobby on an emergency basis up from the Richmond Robins in the AHL. He faced Chicago Black Hawks in his debut and shut out Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita for more than two periods. The game eventually ended in a 3-3 tie but Bobby had played well enough to start in the next game as well. After Bobby retired he said that the first game was easily his biggest thrill ever as a goalie.

In his second NHL game he beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 for his first victory. During the 1972-73 season he was sharing the goaltending duties with Doug Favell until suffering a mid season knee injury that kept him out for a long time. After his injury Bobby only played sporadically, appearing in a total of 15 games for Philadelphia between 1973-76.

Probably Bobby's lowest point of his career came in a game in Vancouver. Don Saleski and Greg Boddy became involved in an altercation up by the glass. Unfortunately, a nimrod fan reached over the glass and grabbed Saleski by the hair. Taylor instantly reacted by scaling the glass and attacking the fan. In all 7 Flyers ended up in the stands, as well as numerous police officers, one of whom was hit, although no one knows who hit him. Crown council pressed charges against Taylor and the other 6 Flyers. All were fined but the judge also found Taylor guilty of assaulting the police officer as the cop testified he remembered seeing goalie equipment. Taylor to this day denies hitting the cop.

Taylor was sentenced to 60 days in jail, but only spent about 15 minutes in the slammer. The Flyers bailed him out and appealed. The appeal was successful.

Coach Fed Shero had a great line about the incident. "I wish they'd kept Taylor in jail until September. Then he would have been in the best shape of his life when he reported to training camp," he said jokingly.

Of course Bernie Parent had become the best goalie in all of hockey, and played almost every game, when Taylor was also a Flyer, which is why he appeared in only 15 games over the course of multiple seasons. Taylor was essentially being paid to take extra practice shots and to open the door to the bench during games!

"The practice was my game" Taylor told Dick Irvin in the great book In The Crease. "When I went to practice I forced myself to be mentally prepared, just as though I was going to a game. It served two purposes. Number one, it helped the guys at practice because they knew they had to work hard against you, that you just weren't out there going through the motions. Secondly, it helped me keep sharp."

And that is what makes the perfect backup goaltender.

Taylor backed up Parent in more ways than just the occasional relief appearance.

"Nobody really knows what a goalie goes through other than another goalie. If you're there with him, patting him on the back, it makes for a much easier relationship. It creates a better atmosphere in the room. The players treat you better and have more respect for you because they see what you're going through and they understand it to a degree."

And that is how Bobby Taylor played an important role in two Stanley Cup championships for the Flyers.

On March 8, 1976 Bobby was traded to Pittsburgh Penguins together with Ed van Impe for Gary Inness and future considerations. However Taylor only appeared in two contests before finishing the season in the minor leagues. Following that season he decided to hang up the pads at the age of 31.

In the end Bobby Taylor played in 46 NHL games - winning 15, tying 6 and losing 17. His career GAA is unimpressive at 4.10 and he never had a shutout or playoff experience. Yet he was an important and little known member of the Broad Street Bullies.

Gary Dornhoefer

2006-08-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

"If you hear somebody say 'that guy is a Dornhoefer-type player,' that's a helluva compliment. He was a player who gave our team character every time he stepped on the ice."

That's what Philadelphia Flyers legend Bobby Clarke had to say in a 1978 interview. It sums up Gary Dornhoefer as a player pretty nicely.

Dornhoefer epitomized the Philadelphia Flyers glory teams of the 1970s - otherwise known as the Broad Street Bullies. With the likes of Clarke, Dornhoefer, Hound Dog Kelly, Moose Dupont, and Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, the Flyers were a rough and tumble team that almost literally fought their way to two consecutive Stanley Cups. Dornhoefer was as gritty as any Flyer, playing with reckless abandon as he headed into the boards, usually with his elbows just a touch high. He thrived in the corners and along the boards. Although he wasn't a great fighter, he willingly dropped the gloves. He played full out at a high tempo, giving everything he had on most shifts.

Gary was originally a Boston Bruin prospect, but spent most of his first 4 pro seasons in the minor leagues. That was during the days of the old 6 team league, so it was tough for many players to crack a NHL lineup in those days. However when expansion came so did ice time in the NHL for Gary. The Flyers picked him up in the expansion draft and the rest as they say is history. For the next 11 years the kid from Kitchener Ontario was #12 for the Bullies.

Because of his crash and bang style of play he endured lots of pain in his career, missing many games. Had he been able to play more, perhaps Gary would have gotten more respect for his hockey skills. Five times he scored over 20 goals, including 30 goals in 1972-73. That year he added 49 assists for a career high 79 points. For his fine season Gary was selected to play in the mid season All Star Game.

Gary was perhaps at his best in the playoffs. His unequaled work ethic and body checking is most valuable in the post season, but Gary scored some big goals in the playoffs - none bigger than in the seventh game of the 1975 semi finals against the New York Islanders. His goal just 19 seconds into game 7 deflated an upstart New York Islanders team. The Flyers won the Cup that year, and in 1974 as well. Gary put up respectable totals in those Cup runs too, scoring 11 points in 14 games in '74, and 10 points in 17 games in '75.

Another memorable goal scored by Gary is forever immortalized outside of the Philadelphia Spectrum in the form of a statue. The statue depicts a Flyer goal, specifically the 1973 overtime winning goal against the Minnesota North Stars in the Stanley Cup quarter finals by Dornhoefer. The series and score were tied at two. After over eight minutes of overtime, he exploded through the North Stars’ defense and backhanded the game-winner past Cesare Maniago before tumbling into the stunned Minnesota goaltender. The goal is widely considered to be the Flyer's first step towards respectability as true Stanley Cup contenders.

But it was the physical game that Gary loved to play best.

""He enjoyed the physical part of the game more than the finesse part," Bobby Clarke said. "He really paid the price physically to play the game. He received more satisfaction from a good body check than from scoring a goal."

"Dorny" had quite the effect on Clarke, who was said to greatly admire him when he first broke into the NHL. Rick MacLeish and Reggie Leach also are quick to credit Dornhoefer with helping them reach the heights they achieved.

Dornhoefer retired at the end of the 1978 season. He retired with a very respectable 214 goals and 328 assists for 542 points in 787 games. He also became the first Flyer to appear in 700 games.

Dornhoefer is still held in high regard in the Flyers franchise, and is a member of the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame.

Mark Howe

2006-07-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake: Mark Howe was not Gordie Howe, his legendary father. But Mark too was a great player.

Gordie Howe was a fearsome physical presence and a goal scoring machine. Mark Howe was one of the steadiest, cleanest and most accomplished players of the 1970s and 1980s.

Mark, born in Detroit where his Canadian father played for 25 years, was member of the U.S. Olympic silver medal-winning team as a 16-year-old in 1972. He followed that up by moving to Toronto where he played junior hockey with the Marlboros. Howe led the Marlies to the Memorial Cup championship, leading the way with 4 goals and 8 points in the 3 game finals.

Mark, and his brother Marty (who also played on the Marlies championship team), jumped to the pro ranks in 1973-74 when they signed with the WHA's Houston Aeros. Coming out of retirement was father Gordie in one of the most remarkable comebacks in sporting history. The father and his two sons played on the same line - a highlight of each players career.

Mark certainly wasn't as robust or physical as his legendary father, but then few ever have been. Mark instead relied on a high skill level. He was a constant scorer and playmaker in the WHA. He relied on his strong hockey sense and puck handling skills

In 1978-79 the Howes left Houston after 4 years and joined the New England Whalers where the trio starred for 2 years before the WHA folded as a league. When the remaining teams of the defunct WHA merged with the NHL, Mark's value to the renamed Hartford Whalers became obvious as he was claimed as a priority selection by the team. Former WHA teams were allowed to keep only two players and the remainder were placed into a league wide dispersal draft.

Howe played primarily as a left winger in Hartford, but by 1981-82 he was playing more and more on the blue line. He would play the rest of his career on defense. Playing on the blue line really brought out the best in Howe. His vision of the ice plus his elite intelligence allowed him to control the game like a quarterback.

Howe suffered one of the worst injuries in hockey history on December 27, 1980. Late in the third period Howe crashed heavily into the goal cage and impaled himself on a metal post at the center of the net. The post is no longer used, thanks to the injury. Howe was taken away on a stretcher, treated in hospital for a deep laceration to his left thigh and buttock. The puncture narrowly missed the base of his spine. Had his spine been effected, Howe almost certainly would have never been able to play again..

Howe played three seasons with Hartford before being moved to Philadelphia in a blockbuster of a trade. It was with Philadelphia that Mark would have his best years. Converted permanently to defense from forward, Howe became one of the best defenders of the 1980s. While he never actually won the Norris Trophy, he was routinely among the top candidates for the best defenseman in the league standings, finishing runner up three times.

The transition to defense was Mark's proudest achievement. Very few players in NHL history have had a career let alone a star career split between a forward and defense position. Blessed with excellent skating, speed and agility, Howe's defensive approach was definitely more finesse than physical. His uncanny ice vision and tremendous passing allowed him to control the game. He added a valuable dimension to a physical Flyers defense - he provided the ability to rush the puck out of the zone or make a beautiful break out pass.

Backed by Howe's composure and great hockey sense, the Flyers became the NHL's best team in the East during the middle years of the 1980s. Unfortunately for Howe and his teammates, the Western half featuring the Edmonton dynasty was stronger and the Flyers didn't win the Cup while Howe was there, despite two memorable Stanley Cup final showdowns with Edmonton in 1985 and 1987.

After 10 fine seasons with Philadelphia, the two parties went different ways in 1992. The Flyers felt that Howe was at the end of his career as back injuries limited him to just 101 games in the previous three seasons. In fact Howe had back surgery in 1991 and was told not to play anymore as doctors feared for his health. Howe persisted and signed with the Detroit Red Wings, helping to solidify a young blue line. However the Detroit Red Wings were willing to bring Mark home. Fulfilling a childhood fantasy, he would play for the team his father made famous for the next three seasons, although he continued to miss lots of time with back injuries.

Howe retired in 1994-95. He scored 197 goals, 545 assists and 742 points in 929 NHL games, plus another 61 points (10 goals, 51 assists) in 101 post season affairs. Mark added 504 points in 426 WHA games.

Glen Cochrane

2006-06-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Glen Cochrane was born in Cranbrook and spent much of his childhood in Kamloops. He later played junior hockey in Victoria and liked to spend his summers in Cowichan Bay. So it was like a dream come true to play NHL hockey in his home province when he played parts of two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks.

"I'm really looking forward to it. It's kind of a homecoming for me" said Glen after being traded to Vancouver Canucks on March 12, 1985 for a draft pick.

Glen's career started out in Philadelphia where he is best remembered as an NHLer. A monstrous defenseman at 6'3" and 210lbs, Cochrane was not shy to use his strength and size advantages. He was brutally physical in front of his net, keeping the slot clear of opposing shooters. Glen was always the first on the scene if someone was taking liberties on one of his teammates. Though more valuable than just a goon, Cochrane played the "policeman" role very well.

The Flyers drafted him in the 3rd round, 50th overall in the 1978 Entry Draft. He spent the first two and a half seasons playing for the Flyers' affiliate team in Maine. Glen showed plenty of toughness and gradual progression in his overall game. In his rookie season in Maine he helped the Mariners win the Calder Cup - the American Hockey League championship.

Although he played in one game with the Flyers in 1978-79, he didn't get a good shot at NHL employment until 1981 when he was recalled for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 31 games, scored his first goal and added 219 PIM! By the end of 1980-81 season he had earned a regular spot on the blue line and played in 6 playoff games. He even added one goal in the playoffs.

He played really strong in 1981-82. He scored 6 goals and 18 points and was a very respectable +19. He added a career high 329 PIM but struck fear in the hearts of any opponent who dared to go near the goal crease.

Cochrane was often paired with the great Mark Howe in 1982-83. Cochrane tamed down to "just" 237 PIM and played in 77 games, scoring 2 goals and a career high 24 points. He also had a very impressive +42 ranking. Only Howe posted a better mark on the Flyers that year (+47).

Cochrane continued to play strongly in 1983-84, scoring a career high 7 goals. However as the Flyers acquired more depth Cochrane's ice time was being reduced. Never the most mobile skater, the Flyers experimented with him by playing Cochrane on left wing at times with tenacious twin brothers Rich and Ron Sutter.

Cochrane suffered a fractured kneecap in 1985 which required major off season surgery. However before he got the surgery done, the Flyers traded the injured d-man to Vancouver for a 3rd round draft choice.

It was certainly an odd trade from a Vancouver standpoint. They traded a high pick for a slow d-man with a bad knee. But he was also a local boy who could supply the Canucks with that physical presence to make other teams respect them. Even more odd, in a subsequent trade, the Flyers gave the Canucks their draft pick back! That trade also saw Cochrane-clone Dave Richter and Rich Sutter go to Vancouver for J.J. Daigneault and the Canucks 2nd round pick.

Glen eventually recovered from the patella surgery and appeared in 49 games for the Canucks in the 1985-86 season. However he only scored 3 assists and had 125 PIM. The knee surgery reduced the already slow skater to a crawl, and it was obvious that Glen couldn't play the way he once did in Philadelphia.

Glen's knees continued to bother him. It limited him to just 14 games with Vancouver in 1986-87. He was picked up by Chicago off of waivers in 1987 and played well in his first year in Chicago. He appeared in 73 games, scoring 1 goal (his first in three years) and 9 points along with 204 PIM. However his knee would give him problems again the following year. He was waived by Chicago and finished his career by playing 12 games with the Edmonton Oilers. By this point in his career he was basically just around for his reputation with his fists.

In 411 NHL games, Cochrane scored just 17 goals and 89 points, to go along with 1556 PIM. Cochrane was an admirable competitor that always kept the opposition honest. Teammates and fans really appreciated his hard work. When playing within his limitations and while healthy, Cochrane was a nice piece of the Flyer's hockey puzzle.

Orest Kindrachuk

2006-06-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

Orest Kindrachuk was one of the more underrated players in the National Hockey League during the 1970's.

Kindrachuk was bypassed in the 1970 amateur draft because all NHL teams thought he wouldn't continue his hockey career when he enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan. He had declared he would pursue a career in optometry instead of hockey.

The Philadelphia Flyers did a little more homework than the rest of the league, and were rewarded when they eventually signed him as a free agent in July, 1971. They were impressed with Orest's stellar junior career with the Saskatoon Blades (WCJHL) where he scored 263 points in 164 games. He led the league in assists (100) his last year there.

"I felt at the time that I really wanted to be a doctor and the odds of making the NHL were slim because there were a lot less teams than there are today," recalls Kindrachuk. "I was playing in the commercial league when I started thinking that I could always go back to school. Chronologically, I would not always be young and in top shape to play hockey so I decided to give it a try. Eventually, the Flyers invited me to their training camp. What is crazy is that if I would have played my draft year I might have been selected fairly high then I may never had the opportunity to play for the Flyers and be on a Stanley Cup-winning team. Things really fell into place for me. Call it destiny."

Kindrachuk began his pro career in 1971-72 playing for the San Diego Gulls (WHL) and then played for the Richmond Robins in the AHL where he chalked up 86 pts in 72 games. By 1973-74 Kindrachuk was given a promotion to the National Hockey League. The timing couldn't have been better, as Orest would spend his first two NHL seasons as a Stanley Cup champion.

Orest played an unspectacular role on the Flyers but was a very important part of their team when they won the Cup in 1974 and 1975. He was not the fastest skater around but he was a tenacious checker who was strong on both ends of the ice. A strong penalty killer, he was mostly a center but occasionally played as a left wing.

His coach in Philadelphia, Fred Shero, liked him a lot.

"He was the kind of player you wanted out there in the tough situations because he had both the brains and guts."

Kindrachuk's most regular linemates were tough guys Dave "Hammer" Schultz and Don "Big Bird" Saleski.

"A lot of times when we would go on the road our line would have to play against our opponent’s top line. The three of us were plus players. We could keep up with anybody. We were actually a very good line," Kindrachuk said.

Orest's best season in the NHL came during the 1975-76 season when he had 75 points including 26 goals, this despite playing on the 3rd line. He played some very solid hockey in Philadelphia even though he was bothered by a chronic back ailment for much of his career.

Orest was eventually traded to Pittsburgh together with Tom Bladon and Ross Lonsberry for Pittsburgh's 1st round draft choice in 1978. He was immediately named the Penguins captain in training camp and held that position for his entire stay in Pittsburgh.

"To be named team captain for an NHL team is something I feel really good about. That was quite an honor."

He had a very fine first season in Steel City, scoring 60 points. Unfortunately he ran into a hip point injury problem in the 1979-80 season, but still managed to score a respectable 46 points in 52 games.

Kindrachuk's back eventually cost him his career. He would only manage to play in 13 games in 1980-81 due to a nasty disc problem in his back. Released from his contract in the summer of 1981, Kindrachuk tried to play on, signing as a free agent with the Washington Capitals on September 4, 1981. Ultimately the injuries won the battle and after appearing in only four games he had to retire.

Orest was definitely one of the unsung heroes of the 1970's who never got the headlines but who always did a very fine job. He scored a total of 379 pts in 508 games as well as 40 points in 76 games.

Rich Sutter

2006-05-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

Rich Sutter was no different than any of his 5 brothers who also played in the National Hockey League. All six brothers played the exact same style - hardnosed, mucker and grinder, forechecker, role player, pest, and, above all, winner.

However Rich probably had to play even harder than the rest of his brothers to stick in the National Hockey League. He was probably the least skilled of the six and he was mislabeled early in his career due to an unfortunate incident in Pittsburgh. Yet he understood his limitations and made up for the shortcomings with the family's characteristic hustle and desire.

Rich was drafted 10th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1982. Six selections earlier Rich's twin brother Ron was chosen by the cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. That marked the highest drafting of twin brothers until 17 years later when the Sedin twins Daniel and Henrik were drafted 2nd and 3rd overall.

Every team in hockey wanted a Sutter, except for the Penguins apparently. They soured on Rich quickly. They said he had a bad attitude. Rich was disappointed with his ice time early in his rookie season, and let the Penguins management know that he would rather be playing in junior than sitting on the bench in the NHL. From that point on no matter what Rich Sutter did, it wasn't enough for the Pens. He was traded in early October of his second season as a pro. The whole Pittsburgh chapter is messy, as some of the Pens management team bad mouthed Rich to the point where they were potentially ruining his career. Rich was bitter and even to this day he doesn't like to talk about it.

Like the Sedin Twins, Rich and Ron were quickly reunited. After just 9 games total in Pittsburgh, the Flyers traded for Rich in a deal involving lots of draft picks. Ron went on to a long career in Philadelphia but Rich's stay was relatively brief, playing three years with his brother.

Rich cherished his short time in Philly, and not just because Ron was there. He made some great friends and loved the city, But he was shocked when in the summer of 1986, he was sent to Vancouver in a deal for J.J. Daigneault.

Sutter enjoyed 4 years in Vancouver, posting 20, 15 and 17 goals in the first three years respectively. Sutter, who played both wings, often found himself on a line of midget bangers with Steve Bozek and a veteran Stan Smyl. The trio became known as "Club Chaos" or "Hack-Smack-and-Whack - in no particular order."

Those were lean years for fans of the Vancouver Canucks, but Sutter's endless hustle was always appreciated. Unfortunately, the most memorable moment of Sutter's stay in Vancouver, and maybe his whole career, was a serious injury. On October 23, 1988, Sutter was the victim of viscious high sticking incident with the Oilers Mark Messier. Sutter was entering into the Oiler zone by cutting across the middle of the ice. Messier, deciding to play oral surgeon skated by with his stick at head level and clotheslined Sutter. Sutter broke several teeth, ultimately losing four. Sutter spent hours in the dentist chair. The Canucks team dentist even noted that he had to remove hockey tape which was embedded in Sutter's mouth.

Richie, who was tremendously popular among Vancouver fans, was traded with Harold Snepsts, the ultimate Canuck cult-hero, to St. Louis late in the 1989-90 season. He spent the next three years in St. Louis, the first two with his brother Brian as the head coach. The last two years in St. Louis Rich was reunited with Ron as the Blues traded for his rights too.

Prior to the 1993-94 season, the Blues placed Rich on waivers and he was picked up for relatively nothing by the Chicago Blackhawks. It was another unique situation for Rich as he played with his other brother Brent and both were coached by brother Darryl! Rich either played with or for all of his NHL brothers except for Duane.

Rich's final season was the lock-out shortened year of 1995. It wasn't a great year for Rich either. He bounced from Chicago to Tampa Bay before ending up in Toronto. He retired after the Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs.

Rich scored 149 goals and 166 assists in 874 hard played games. He added 1411 PIMs.

Rich has been doing some scouting since retirement, although like his brothers he too would like to get into coaching. He once even was quoted as saying that he'd like to join twin Ron and run a team together!

Cowboy Bill Flett

2006-05-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

Back in 1974, Cowboy Bill Flett was on top of the universe. He was a tough-as-nails right-winger with the Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers. He fought many battles in his hockey career, and won most of them.

However Cowboy fought the biggest battle in his life, and lost. Bill Flett died on July 12, 1999.

It started out back in 1993 when a severe ulcer attack almost claimed his life. Years of voracious drinking caught up with Flett, who soon sought the help of Edmonton Oiler GM Glen Sather and owner Peter Pocklington. They helped Flett check into a Betty Ford clinic and cleaned up his act.

Despite not touching a drink in over 6 years, Flett was about to pay yet again for his previous drinking habits. In May 1999, Cowboy went to a hospital with what he thought was a severe case of heartburn.

"Which I couldn't understand, getting heartburn because I don't have a heart,'' joked Flett.

Although he says he hadn't touched anything stronger than non-alcoholic beer in recent years, Flett's previous lifestyle of hard partying and heavy drinking finally caught up with him. He was informed by doctors that he had become so violently ill, he could have died had he not immediately gone to a hospital.

It turned out to be a gall bladder attack. Two operations later, his condition was considered to be stable, but he was in dire need of an immediate liver transplant.
"The gall bladder problem has caused liver failure, which is the stupid thing to me. If I had drank ... but I haven't even snuck one," sighed Flett. "Nothing stronger than non-alcoholic beer."

Eighteen days later, Bill got the needed liver transplant. However complications from the surgery took Flett's life at the age of 55.

Bill Flett was born in Vermillion, Alberta in July 1943. Before long Bill began to play hockey. Bill's father, C.M. Flett, played professional hockey in Los Angeles and Spokane in the old Western League and with Baltimore of the Eastern League.
Bill inherited his father's love of hockey, but he also took a liking to rodeos as a kid.

"They have rodeos for kids, and I started riding as a teen-ager, " Bill said. "All the guys played football, hockey, and baseball together during the school year and rode in rodeos together in the summer. We tried wrestling steers, riding broncos, and roping calves from quarter horses."

It now becomes obvious how the nickname "Cowboy" came about. If you ever met the man off the ice it was pretty obvious too. He wore typical cowboy attire including his trademark black hat with a feather in it. Add to that his common cowboy boots, jeans and thick black beard, and Bill Flett looked like he should be fighting cattle, not NHL tough guys. Bill even wore his cowboy boots on the golf course, and later in life wore spurs on his skates for old timer hockey charity games.

For much of the mid-1960s Flett was a much traveled minor leaguer who benefited greatly from NHL expansion in 1967. After graduating from the SJHL's Melville Millionaires, Bill traveled through several minor league cities. Making stops in Rochester, Charlotte, Tulsa, Denver and Victoria before landing with the expansion Los Angeles Kings in 1967-68.

Cowboy played 4 and 1/2 seasons in Hollywood, proving to be an early fan favorite in the non-traditional hockey market. He showed a good offensive upside too, scoring 26 and 24 goals in his first two seasons in L.A. However his production slowly fell as the Kings aged, and was traded to Philadelphia in 1972.

It was a great move for Flett. In his first full season in Philly, Flett scored a career high 43 goals and 74 points while playing often on a line with superb playmaker Bobby Clarke. The next year, 1973-74, Flett's production fell to just 17 goals as he was moved to another line, yet he helped the Flyers win their first Stanley Cup. In game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins, Flett assisted on two of Bobby Clarke's goals including the game winner. This was the first time in six and half years that the Flyers beat the Bruins in the Boston Garden. The Flyers gained home ice advantage and went on to win the Stanley Cup. The team's first and the NHL's first expansion team to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

Flett didn't have long to celebrate the victory. The Flyers moved Flett to Toronto shortly after the season was over. Flett, who was originally property of the Toronto Maple Leafs, only played one season in Toronto before joining the Atlanta Flames for two years. He later joined the WHA Edmonton OIlers where he regained his scoring touch in 2 1/2 seasons in the WHA.

Flett returned to the NHL when the Oilers joined the NHL in 1979. However he appeared in only 20 games as he suffered badly broken ribs. He decided to retire and accept general manager Glen Sather's offer to become a scout.

Flett scored 202 goals and 215 assists in 689 NHL games. He also added 103 goals in 195 WHA games. Not bad for a man who once said that if he didn't make the NHL in 4 seasons he'd return to Alberta and become a full time rancher.

"I believe cowboys are the toughest athletes in the world," Bill once said. "A cowboy has no guarantees, no contracts. He pays all his own expenses, all his own entry fees. He rides healthy and rides hurt. Rodeo cowboys have a pain tolerance that is hard to believe. I thought hockey players were tough until I rodeoed."

Dave Poulin

2006-05-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Dave Poulin was one of the best hockey players of the 1980s. Problem was not many people knew it then, and few remember that now.

Poulin was a great hockey player. He didn't score many goals and when he did they weren't pretty. He was an unheralded defensive center who was always shadowing the opposition's top gun. He was always on the ice when the game was on the line, taking key faceoffs and blocking point shots. He was the ultimate team player who was never fully appreciated by the fans or media when he played, and will likely be forgotten about over time.

Not if this website can help it! We're here to preserve the memories of all hockey players so that future generations can appreciate the past players. Hopefully we can do Dave Poulin some justice and immortalize him forever online. Why? Because hockey needs more players like Dave Poulin.

Poulin actually never really considered trying to play in the National Hockey League as a young man.

"I was someone that never … as much as you grow up dreaming about the NHL, I never saw myself playing in the NHL."

Poulin played four years of collegiate hockey at Notre Dame. As a member of the Fighting Irish hockey team from 1978 to 1982, Dave collected a solid 89 goals, 107 assists and 196 points and was named to the CCHA Second All-Star Team in 1982. Despite his success he was never drafted by a NHL team and had no real interest in terms of free agent offers. So decided to prolong his hockey career while gaining some life experience. He crossed the pond and played in 32 games for Rogie of the Swedish Elite League.

Poulin, who was also working as an international sales agent for Proctor and Gamble, returned to North America late in the 1982-83 season where he played in 16 games with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League where he credits coach Tom McVie with really jumpstarting his professional hockey career.

Poulin signed with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent for the final two games of the regular season in 1983. Dave scored 2 goals in those two games and added 4 points in 3 playoff games! Needless to say, Poulin's career was just starting to bloom.

"I had great mentors, particularly early in my career with Darryl Sittler and Bobby Clarke and guys like that to learn from." Poulin quickly adds.

Poulin then went on to play six full seasons with the Flyers. In his first full year in Philadelphia, he recorded career-highs with 31 goals, 45 assists and 76 points. Dave duplicated his fine season in 1984-85 when he recorded 30 goals and 74 points. More importantly he played an integral role in helping lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals.

It was probably during the 1985 playoffs that the Flyers realized that as good as Poulin was offensively, his true value was as a defensive specialist. The Ontario native's hockey sense and smarts allowed him to anticipate plays excellently, both in the offensive and defensive zones. His speed and good hands helped mold him into one of the league's finest penalty killers. Though not an overly imposing figure, Poulin played a physical game, initiating contact intelligently. He was also strong in the faceoff circle and a willing shot blocker. In short, there was nothing that this one time captain would do to win. Though he was quiet in execution, his intensity and heart made him a leader both on and off the ice.

Although his offensive production slipped slightly because of his role as the third line center, Poulin actually gained more acclaim. He was named to the NHL all star games in both 1986 and 1988 and played for the NHL all stars against the Soviets in Rendez'vous 87. He also won the Frank J Selke trophy in 1987 as a reward for his defensive excellence.

1987 may have been Poulin's best year. He scored 25 goals and 70 points and as mentioned play in Rendez'vous and won the Selke. He also helped Philadelphia reach the Finals in 1987 where the Flyers took the heavily favored Edmonton Oilers to 7 games in one of the best Stanley Cup finals in memory. Poulin's job was to cover Gretzky or Messier, which ever guy he was out against at that time. The Flyers very well might have won that series if they had two Dave Poulins - one to cover Gretz and one to cover Mess!

"People call ’87 one of the greatest Cup Finals of all time. We lost to a team that may have had nine Hall of Famers. We were missing our top scorer in Tim Kerr, we were missing top players all along the way and we kept battling. A 3-1 game … Glenn Anderson scores in the last minute to make it 3-1." Poulin recollects painfully. "We were as close to a Stanley Cup as you can get without winning one."

Midway through the 1989-90 campaign, Poulin was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Kenny LInseman.. Again his solid two-way play helped his team reach the Cup Finals but the Bruins eventually fell short to the Edmonton Oilers. It was Dave's third trip to the Finals, and the third time he came up short. He never would win the Cup.

"Most people think I won a Cup. That’s probably great. The perception is that I clearly won a Stanley Cup. And most people, the first question they ask me when they find I didn’t, was how it might have changed my life. I don’t know that. I do know that the three times that I got there, in many ways we had over-achieved to get there and we didn’t leave anything on the table."

Dave played three more full seasons in Beantown.

"In Boston, once again we had a couple of key injuries at key times. And we had a great run with the Bruins there for three years. The next two years we lost to Mario Lemieux in the semi-finals and he went on to win the Cup. So I was fortunate to play for very, very good teams and we went to the Stanley Cup semi-finals six times. I know there’s a lot of players who haven’t been there once.”

In his final year with Boston he won the 1993 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.

Poulin signed with the Washington Capitals as a free agent prior to the 1993-94 season. He played two years with the Capitals before deciding to hang up the blades.

Over his 13 years in the NHL with the Flyers, Bruins and Capitals, Poulin notched 205 goals, 325 assists and 530 points in 724 regular season games. Dave added 31 goals and 73 points in 129 playoff contests.

Dave was unheralded in his defensive role but he loved it.

"I took a great deal of pride in my defence. And defence to me is like cleaning. It’s hard work. If you have a willingness to learn and a willingness to do it, you can do it. And I took a great deal of pride in that. Some nights, driving to the rink, knowing the next three hours every time Gretzky stopped on the ice you were out there. The last year in my division, I had Eric Lindros eight times, I had Mario Lemieux eight times, I had Mark Messier in New York eight times and then I had Adam Oates on my nights off. But I took a great deal of pride in being out there when they were out there."

Ron Sutter

2006-05-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ron Sutter was the last of the Sutter brothers to leave the ice surface of the National Hockey League.

Ron was the highest drafted Sutter ever, going 4th overall to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1982 despite missing part of his final year of junior with a broken ankle. When healthy Ron terrorized the WHL with linemates Troy Loney and twin brother Rich, who is technically older by a few minutes.

Ron was never expected to put up great offensive numbers, although he would put up decent numbers during his Philly days. Instead, he was the guy who would try to shutdown the opposition's top player such as Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux. Sutter's defensive excellence was recognized around the league. In 1985-86 he finished as runner up to Chicago's Troy Murray in league voting as the best defensive forward.

Because of his tenacity, defensive excellence and natural leadership ability, Ron was instantly compared to Bobby Clarke - the Flyers Legend. Those comparisons were ultimately a little lofty as Ron's game lacked offensive polish, although Ron was certainly a key member of the Flyers during the 1980s.

The Flyers had some great years in the 1980s, and twice made the Stanley Cup finals, only to fall short to the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers led by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. The Flyers had the likes of Tim Kerr, Mark Howe and later Ron Hextall in their lineup. Those were some good exciting times to be a Flyers fan.

The 1987 Stanley Cup finals in particular are most memorable. Considered by many as one of the greatest championship series ever played, the Flyers pushed Gretzky's Oilers to the limit. The series took a full seven games to complete.

Had Ron Sutter been fully healthy, the Flyers might have had just enough to knock off the dynastic Oilers. Ron missed half of the season and the start of the playoffs with a stress fracture in his lower back. Despite the debilitating injury, Sutter came back to for the playoffs and played through immense pain.

Pain was nothing new to any of the Sutters. They're all-out style of play led to many injuries. In addition to the back and ankle injuries already mentioned, some of the more serious injuries Ron had to battle through in his career include broken ribs, pulled hip flexor, right knee ligament damage, abdominal pulls, seperated shoulders and the always troublesome groin pull.

Of course none of these injuries altered the way Ron would play, which likely made it tough for Mother and Father Sutter to watch hockey. Twins Ron and Rich played for Philadelphia, and brothers Brent and Duane played for the New York Islanders. The two teams had a fierce rivalry, and of course you knew that the 4 brothers would be a big part of anything that happened during a game.

By 1988 Ron began enjoying his best years offensively. The Flyers were starting their downward cycle and as a result there was more playing time for Ron, which meant more offensive opportunity. He played often on a line with Brian Propp and Rick Tocchet. By December Ron became captain of the team, taking over from Dave Poulin. It was a great compliment to Ron, as he epitomized what Flyers hockey is all about.

By the early 1990s the Flyers were going through their leanest years since they were an expansion team. The house was cleaned including Ron, who was traded to St. Louis in the deal that brought Rod Brind'Amour to Philadelphia. Ron was reunited with twin brother Rich in St. Louis and for one season the two played under head coach Brian Sutter. At least it was getting a little easier for mom Grace and dad Louie to choose a team to cheer for!

Ron played well in St. Louis until 1993-94 when he was traded to Quebec. His stay there was brief, as was his next stop. By 1996 he found a home with the San Jose Sharks for 4 years, but was strictly a 4th liner. In 2000-01 he signed with the Flames by mid season. He was clearly not the player that he used to be, but he was a good influence in the dressing room and a good faceoff man.

Ron Sutter played 1093 games, registering 205 goals, 328 assists and 533 points, not to mention 1352 PIM.