Philadelphia Flyers
Encyclopedia : P : PH : PHI : Philadelphia Flyers
- redirect
Facts
- Founded: 1967-68 (franchise awarded February 9, 1966)
- Arena: Wachovia Center (1996-present), (Capacity 19,519)
- Former Home Arena: The Spectrum (1967-1996)
- Uniform colors: orange, black, white
- Logo design: the letter "P" with an orange dot in the center and wings streaking from the back
- Division Championships: 15 (1967-68, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1979-80, 1982-83, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1999-00, 2001-02, 2003-04)
- Conference Championships: 7 (1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1979-80, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1996-97)
- Most Points in NHL: 3 times (1974-75 (113), 1979-80 (116), 1984-85 (113))
- Stanley Cup Finals appearances: 7 (1973-74; defeated Boston, 4-2), (1974-75; defeated Buffalo, 4-2), (1975-76; lost to Montreal, 0-4), (1979-80; lost to NY Islanders, 2-4), (1984-85; lost to Edmonton, 1-4), (1986-87; lost to Edmonton, 3-4), (1996-97; lost to Detroit, 0-4)
- Stanley Cup Championships: 2 (1973-74, 1974-75)
- Added in the 1967 NHL Expansion, along with the California Seals, Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues.
- Main Rivals: New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres
Franchise history
- For more details on this topic, see History of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers, however, were derided by other teams (and idolized by their fans) for being the "Broad Street Bullies" (the Spectrum's location on Philadelphia being Broad Street). Seven players racked up over 100 penalty minutes during that first Cup-winning season. They successfully defended their title in 1974-75 by defeating the Buffalo Sabres in another six-game Finals series. Despite failing to capture a third consecutive Stanley Cup in 1975-76 (being swept in the Finals by the Montreal Canadiens), the Flyers were still victorious against the Soviet Union’s dominant Central Red Army team in a memorable exhibition game held on January 11, 1976 in Philadelphia, 4-1.
In 1979-80 they would go undefeated for a North American professional sports record 35 straight games (25-0-10), a record that still stands to this day. They failed to win the Cup that year, losing to the New York Islanders on a disputed off-sides call, 4 games to 2. The Flyers would return to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1984-85 and 1986-87 behind the goaltending of Pelle Lindbergh and Ron Hextall respectively, but would lose both times to Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers.
In 1992, the Flyers made an infamous trade to acquire 1991 first overall pick Eric Lindros from the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for six players (including Peter Forsberg), two future 1st-round draft picks, and $15 million. Lindros' playing career with the Flyers, beginning in 1992-93 and ending in 1999-00, showed glimpses of greatness but was marred by major injuries and bickering with General Manager Bob Clarke. While the trade yielded two Stanley Cups for the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise, the Flyers only had one trip to the Finals -- a sweep at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings in 1996-97 -- to show for it.
Once the NHL Lockout came to an end, the Flyers signed their former 1st-round draft pick Peter Forsberg to a two-year contract. Forsberg, along with Simon Gagne, Mike Knuble, Joni Pitkanen, and Keith Primeau highlight the current squad.
Team name/logo
The Flyers name was chosen to convey the motion and excitement that was to be consistent with both hockey in general, as well as the new Philadelphia club. Despite the idea for the name being the brainchild of owner Ed Snider's sister, the name was officially chosen by then nine year old Alec Stockard, among others who had all unknowingly chosen the winning name in a mail in contest conducted by Acme Markets. However, Stockard had spelled his entry "Fliers", as it appears first in the English dictionary. To this day, it is unknown why the second spelling of the word, replacing the "i" with a "y" was chosen over the first. Some of the names that were considered but abandoned in favor of "Flyers" were: Lancers, Raiders, Royals, Sabres, Knights, Huskies, Blizzards, Ice Caps, Ice Picks, Greenbacks, Liberty Bells and Quakers.
The Flyers' logo was a creation of artist Sam Ciccone. Like the name, the idea behind the logo was to convey the motion and speed of hockey, while referring to both the sport and the city. Ciccone came up with the now familiar stylized P containing an orange hockey puck, with four wings coming off the back. This logo was reflective of both the team's new name and the city of Philadelphia. Although Ciccone created other designs, the P was almost instantly the clear choice for all involved.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutesRecords as of July 13, 2006 Hockeydb.com, [Philadelphia Flyers season statistics and records.]
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1967-68 | 74 | 31 | 32 | 11 | — | 73 | 173 | 179 | 987 | 1st in West | Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Blues) |
| 1968-69 | 76 | 20 | 35 | 21 | — | 61 | 174 | 225 | 964 | 3rd in West | Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Blues) |
| 1969-70 | 76 | 17 | 35 | 24 | — | 58 | 197 | 225 | 1123 | 5th in West | Out of Playoffs |
| 1970-71 | 78 | 28 | 33 | 17 | — | 73 | 207 | 225 | 1060 | 3rd in West | Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Blackhawks) |
| 1971-72 | 78 | 26 | 38 | 14 | — | 66 | 200 | 236 | 1233 | 5th in West | Out of Playoffs |
| 1972-73 | 78 | 37 | 30 | 11 | — | 85 | 296 | 256 | 1756 | 2nd in West | Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Canadiens) |
| 1973-74 | 78 | 50 | 16 | 12 | — | 112 | 273 | 164 | 1750 | 1st in West | Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Bruins) |
| 1974-75 | 80 | 51 | 18 | 11 | — | 113 | 293 | 181 | 1969 | 1st in Patrick | Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Sabres) |
| 1975-76 | 80 | 51 | 13 | 16 | — | 118 | 348 | 209 | 1980 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Canadiens) |
| 1976-77 | 80 | 48 | 16 | 16 | — | 112 | 323 | 213 | 1547 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Semifinals, 0-4 (Bruins) |
| 1977-78 | 80 | 45 | 20 | 15 | — | 105 | 296 | 200 | 1668 | 2nd in Patrick | Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Bruins) |
| 1978-79 | 80 | 40 | 25 | 15 | — | 95 | 281 | 248 | 1548 | 2nd in Patrick | Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Rangers) |
| 1979-80 | 80 | 48 | 12 | 20 | — | 116 | 327 | 254 | 1844 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Islanders) |
| 1980-81 | 80 | 41 | 24 | 15 | — | 97 | 313 | 249 | 2621 | 2nd in Patrick | Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Flames) |
| 1981-82 | 80 | 38 | 31 | 11 | — | 87 | 325 | 313 | 2493 | 3rd in Patrick | Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-3 (Rangers) |
| 1982-83 | 80 | 49 | 23 | 8 | — | 106 | 326 | 240 | 1337 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Division Semifinals, 0-3 (Rangers) |
| 1983-84 | 80 | 44 | 26 | 10 | — | 98 | 350 | 290 | 1488 | 3rd in Patrick | Lost in Division Semifinals, 0-3 (Capitals) |
| 1984-85 | 80 | 53 | 20 | 7 | — | 113 | 348 | 241 | 1540 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Finals, 1-4 (Oilers) |
| 1985-86 | 80 | 53 | 23 | 4 | — | 110 | 335 | 241 | 2025 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-3 (Rangers) |
| 1986-87 | 80 | 46 | 26 | 8 | — | 100 | 310 | 245 | 2082 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Finals, 3-4 (Oilers) |
| 1987-88 | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | — | 85 | 292 | 292 | 2194 | 2nd in Patrick | Lost in Division Semifinals, 3-4 (Capitals) |
| 1988-89 | 80 | 36 | 36 | 8 | — | 80 | 307 | 285 | 2317 | 4th in Patrick | Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Canadiens) |
| 1989-90 | 80 | 30 | 39 | 11 | — | 71 | 290 | 297 | 2067 | 6th in Patrick | Out of Playoffs |
| 1990-91 | 80 | 33 | 37 | 10 | — | 76 | 252 | 267 | 1945 | 5th in Patrick | Out of Playoffs |
| 1991-92 | 80 | 32 | 37 | 11 | — | 75 | 252 | 273 | 1838 | 6th in Patrick | Out of Playoffs |
| 1992-93 | 84 | 36 | 37 | 11 | — | 83 | 319 | 319 | 1887 | 5th in Patrick | Out of Playoffs |
| 1993-94 | 84 | 35 | 39 | 10 | — | 80 | 294 | 314 | 1697 | 6th in Atlantic | Out of Playoffs |
| 1994-951 | 48 | 28 | 16 | 4 | — | 60 | 150 | 132 | 741 | 1st in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Devils) |
| 1995-96 | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | — | 107 | 282 | 208 | 1785 | 1st in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Panthers) |
| 1996-97 | 82 | 45 | 24 | 13 | — | 103 | 274 | 217 | 1699 | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Red Wings) |
| 1997-98 | 82 | 42 | 29 | 11 | — | 95 | 242 | 193 | 1766 | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Sabres) |
| 1998-99 | 82 | 37 | 26 | 19 | — | 93 | 231 | 196 | 1075 | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Maple Leafs) |
| 1999-00 | 82 | 45 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 105 | 237 | 179 | 1233 | 1st in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Finals, 3-4 (Devils) |
| 2000-01 | 82 | 43 | 25 | 11 | 3 | 100 | 240 | 207 | 1183 | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Sabres) |
| 2001-02 | 82 | 42 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 97 | 234 | 192 | 1242 | 1st in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Senators) |
| 2002-03 | 82 | 45 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 107 | 211 | 166 | 1003 | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Senators) |
| 2003-04 | 82 | 40 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 101 | 229 | 186 | 1357 | 1st in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Finals, 3-4 (Lightning) |
| 2004-052 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005-06 | 82 | 45 | 26 | —3 | 11 | 101 | 267 | 258 | 1187 | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Sabres) |
| Total | 3014 | 1513 | 1014 | 457 | 30 | 3513 | 10298 | 8816 | 60044 | — | — |
1 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.
2 Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
3 As of the 2005-06 NHL Season, all games will have a winner and OTL includes SOL (Shootout losses).
Notable players
Current squad
As of July 13, 2006 [link]
| Goaltenders | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number |
| Player | Catches | Acquired | Place of Birth |
| 30 | Antero Niittymäki | L | 1998 | Turku, Finland
| |
| 42 | Robert Esche | L | 2002 | Whitesboro, New York | |
| Defensemen | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number |
| Player | Shoots | Acquired | Place of Birth | |
| - | Nolan Baumgartner | R | 2006 | Calgary, Alberta
| ||
| - | Lars Jonsson | L | 2006 | Borlange, Sweden
| ||
| 2 | Derian Hatcher - C | L | 2005 | Sterling Heights, Michigan
| ||
| 3 | Mike Rathje | L | 2005 | Mannville, Alberta
| ||
| 23 | Denis Gauthier | L | 2006 | Montreal, Quebec
| ||
| 34 | Freddy Meyer | L | 2003 | Sanbornville, New Hampshire
| ||
| 41 | Alexandre Picard | L | 2003 | Gatineau, Quebec
| ||
| 44 | Joni Pitkänen | L | 2002 | Oulu, Finland
| ||
| Forwards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number |
| Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | Place of Birth |
| - | Mark Cullen | L | C/LW | 2006 | Moorhead, Minnesota
| |
| - | Marty Murray | L | C | 2006 | Deloraine, Manitoba
| |
| - | Randy Robitaille | L | C/LW | 2006 | Ottawa, Ontario
| |
| - | Brad Tapper | R | RW | 2006 | Scarborough, Ontario
| |
| 11 | Ryan Potulny | L | C | 2003 | Grand Forks, North Dakota
| |
| 12 | Simon Gagne - A | L | LW | 1998 | Ste-Foy, Quebec
| |
| 15 | Niko Dimitrakos | R | RW | 2006 | Somerville, Massachusetts
| |
| 17 | Jeff Carter | R | C/RW | 2003 | London, Ontario
| |
| 18 | Mike Richards | L | C | 2003 | Kenora, Ontario
| |
| 20 | R.J. Umberger | L | C | 2004 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| |
| 21 | Peter Forsberg | L | C/W | 2005 | Ornskoldsvik, Sweden
| |
| 22 | Mike Knuble | R | RW/LW | 2004 | Toronto, Ontario
| |
| 24 | Sami Kapanen - A | L | LW/RW | 2003 | Vantaa, Finland
| |
| 25 | Keith Primeau - C | L | C | 2000 | Toronto, Ontario
| |
| 26 | Michal Handzus | L | C/LW | 2002 | Banska Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
| |
| 55 | Ben Eager | L | LW | 2004 | Ottawa, Ontario
| |
| 93 | Petr Nedved | L | C | 2006 | Liberec, Czechoslovakia | |
- Bernie Parent - (inducted 1984)
- Bobby Clarke - (inducted 1987)
- Ed Snider - (inducted 1988)
- Bill Barber - (inducted 1990)
- Keith Allen - (inducted 1992)
Retired numbers
- 1 Bernie Parent, G, 1967-71 & 1973-79
- 4 Barry Ashbee, D, 1970-74
- 7 Bill Barber, LW, 1972-84; Head Coach, 2000-02
- 16 Bobby Clarke, C, 1969-84; General Manager, 1984-90 & 1994-present
- 99 Wayne Gretzky (retired league-wide by the NHL in 2000)
The #31 jersey of Pelle Lindbergh (1981-86) has not been officially retired, but the Flyers have not issued that jersey since his death in November 1985.
Team captains
| # | Name | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lou Angotti | 1967-68 |
| 2 | Ed Van Impe | 1968-69 to 1972-73 |
| 3 | Bobby Clarke | 1972-73 through 1978-79 |
| 4 | Mel Bridgman | 1979-80 through 1980-81 |
| 5 | Bill Barber | 1981-82 to 1982-83 |
| 6 | Bobby Clarke | 1982-83 through 1983-84 |
| 7 | Dave Poulin | 1984-85 to 1989-90 |
| 8 | Ron Sutter | 1989-90 through 1990-91 |
| 9 | Rick Tocchet | 1991-92 |
| 10 | Kevin Dineen | 1993-94 |
| 11 | Eric Lindros | 1994-95 to 1999-00 |
| 12 | Eric Desjardins | 1999-00 to 2001-02 |
| 13 | Keith Primeau | 2001-02 to present |
| 14 | Derian Hatcher | 2005-06 to present (serving as captain while Primeau is injured) |
First round draft picks
- 1967: Serge Bernier (5th overall)
- 1968: Lew Morrison (8th overall)
- 1969: Bob Currier (6th overall)
- 1970: none
- 1971: Larry Wright (8th overall)
- 1972: Bill Barber (7th overall)
- 1973: none
- 1974: none
- 1975: Mel Bridgman (1st overall)
- 1976: Mark Suzor (17th overall)
- 1977: Kevin McCarthy (17th overall)
- 1978: Behn Wilson (6th overall)
- 1979: Brian Propp (14th overall)
- 1980: Mike Stothers (21st overall)
- 1981: Steve Smith (16th overall)
- 1982: Ron Sutter (4th overall)
- 1983: none
- 1984: none
- 1985: Glen Seabrooke (21st overall)
- 1986: Kerry Huffman (20th overall)
- 1987: Darren Rumble (20th overall)
- 1988: Claude Boivin (14th overall)
- 1989: none
- 1990: Mike Ricci (4th overall)
- 1991: Peter Forsberg (6th overall)
- 1992: Ryan Sittler (7th overall)
- 1993: none
- 1994: none
- 1995: Brian Boucher (22nd overall)
- 1996: Dainius Zubrus (15th overall)
- 1997: none
- 1998: Simon Gagne (22nd overall)
- 1999: Maxime Ouellet (22nd overall)
- 2000: Justin Williams (28th overall)
- 2001: Jeff Woywitka (27th overall)
- 2002: Joni Pitkanen (4th overall)
- 2003: Jeff Carter (11th overall)
- 2004: none
- 2005: Steve Downie (29th overall)
- 2006: Claude Giroux (22nd overall)
Team records
- Most Goals in a season: Reggie Leach, 61 (1975-76)
- Most Assists in a season: Bobby Clarke, 89 (1974-75/1975-76)
- Most Points in a season: Mark Recchi, 123 (1992-93)
- Most Penalty Minutes in a season: Dave Schultz, 472 (1974-75)
- Most Points in a season, defenseman: Mark Howe, 82 (1985-86)
- Most Points in a season, rookie: Mikael Renberg, 82 (1993-94)
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in the history of the Flyers. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season. Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points| Player | POS | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Clarke | C | 1144 | 358 | 852 | 1210 |
| Bill Barber | LW | 903 | 420 | 463 | 883 |
| Brian Propp | LW | 790 | 369 | 480 | 849 |
| Rick MacLeish | C | 741 | 328 | 369 | 697 |
| Eric Lindros | C | 486 | 290 | 369 | 659 |
| Tim Kerr | RW | 601 | 363 | 287 | 650 |
| John LeClair | LW | 649 | 333 | 310 | 643 |
| Mark Recchi | RW | 602 | 232 | 395 | 627 |
| Rod Brind'Amour | C | 633 | 235 | 366 | 601 |
| Gary Dornhoefer | RW | 725 | 202 | 316 | 518 |
NHL Awards and Trophies
Stanley Cup Prince of Wales Trophy Clarence S. Campbell Bowl Hart Memorial Trophy Lester B. Pearson Award Vezina Trophy- Bernie Parent: 1973-74 (shared with Tony Esposito of the Chicago Blackhawks), 1974-75
- Pelle Lindbergh: 1984-85
- Ron Hextall: 1986-87
- Bob Froese & Darren Jensen: 1985-86
- Roman Cechmanek & Robert Esche: 2002-03 (shared with Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils)
Team Awards
Every season, the Flyers give out these awards to certain players for achievement in the following categories:
- Barry Ashbee Trophy: Best Defenseman
- Yanick Dupre Memorial: Class Guy
- Bobby Clarke Trophy: Team MVP
- Pelle Lindbergh Memorial: Most Improved
- Toyota Cup: Most Game Star Selections
See also
- List of Stanley Cup champions
- List of Philadelphia Flyers players
- List of Philadelphia Flyers head coaches
- List of Philadelphia Flyers general managers
- Flyers-Devils rivalry
- Flyers-Rangers rivalry
- List of NHL seasons
- List of NHL players
- 1967 NHL Expansion
- Kate Smith
- Curse of Billy Penn
External links
- [Philadelphia Flyers official web site]
- [The Orange and Black - Unofficial fan forum]
- [PhillyFlyers Web Site- Unofficial fan site]
- [Flyers History - unofficial fan site]
| National Hockey League 1917 to present |
| Current teams : Anaheim | Atlanta | Boston | Buffalo | Calgary | Carolina | Chicago | Colorado | Columbus | Dallas | Detroit | Edmonton | Florida | Los Angeles | Minnesota | Montreal | Nashville | New Jersey | NY Islanders | NY Rangers | Ottawa | Philadelphia | Phoenix | Pittsburgh | San Jose | St. Louis | Tampa Bay | Toronto | Vancouver | Washington |
| Trophies and awards: Stanley Cup | Prince of Wales | Clarence S. Campbell | Presidents' Trophy | Adams | Art Ross | Calder | Conn Smythe | Crozier | Hart | Jennings | King Clancy | Lady Byng | Masterton | Norris | Patrick | Pearson | Plus/Minus | Rocket Richard | Selke | Vezina |
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