The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Eastern Conference.[1] The Flyers were founded in 1967 as one of six expansion teams, increasing the size of the NHL at that time to 12 teams.[2]
Since the franchise was established, the team has won the Stanley Cup two times as league champions in 1974 and 1975, the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl six times – twice as division champions and four times as conference champions – and the Prince of Wales Trophy as conference champions four times. Prior to the Presidents' Trophy first being award in 1985–86, the Flyers led the league in points three times in 1974–75, 1979–80, and 1984–85, but have not led the league in points at the end of the regular season since.
Twenty people – thirteen players and seven builders – who spent time with the Flyers have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Flyers have inducted twenty-eight people into a team hall of fame since 1988 and six of those inductees have also had their numbers retired.
League awards
Team trophies
The Flyers won the Stanley Cup as league champions in back-to-back years during the mid-1970s.[3] They have not won the Cup since despite six return trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. They won the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl six times,[4] twice as West Division champions and four times as Campbell Conference regular season champions. Realignment after the 1980–81 season moved the Flyers to the Wales Conference (known as the Eastern Conference since the 1993–94 season) and they have since won the trophy given to the conference's playoff champion, the Prince of Wales Trophy, four times.[5] The Flyers have never won the Presidents' Trophy which has been given to the team finishing the regular season with the best overall record based on points since the 1985–86 season.[6][7] Prior to the creation of the trophy the Flyers led the league in points three times for the 1974–75, 1979–80, and 1984–85 seasons.[8]
Team trophies awarded to the Philadelphia Flyers[8]
Twenty-one Flyers players or coaches have received thirty annual individual awards from the league, most occurring during the 1970s and 1980s. The most frequently won awards include the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, Jack Adams Award, and the Vezina Trophy, each won four times by Flyers players or coaches. Bobby Clarke's three Hart Trophy wins is the most of any Flyers player or coach of one particular award.
A few highly coveted NHL awards have never been won by Flyers players and occasionally they have been on the losing end of some close calls for them. Mark Howe finished as runner-up three times during the 1980s in voting[12] for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.[13] During their respective rookie seasons, Bill Barber (1972–73), Ron Hextall (1986–87), and Shayne Gostisbehere (2015–16) finished second in voting[12] for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the league's most outstanding rookie player.[14] During the 1994–95 season Eric Lindros finished tied for the league's scoring title with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jaromir Jagr. However, Jagr was awarded the Art Ross Trophy, given to the league's regular season scoring champion,[15] due to the first tiebreaker being the player with the most goals,[15] Jagr having scored 32 goals[16] compared to Lindros' 29.[17]
In the case of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who exhibits outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,[18] no Flyers player has ever finished in the top three in the voting for it.[12] Due to their history as the Broad Street Bullies during the 1970s it has been suggested the Lady Byng is not an award Flyers players covet.[19] Dave Brown, who was an enforcer with the team during the 1980s and 1990s, went so far as to say the only way he would ever win the award is "if they renamed it the Man Byng."[20]
Individual awards won by Philadelphia Flyers players and staff[21]
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is a mid-season exhibition game held annually between many of the top players of each season. Forty-five All-Star Games have been held since the Flyers entered the league in 1967, with at least one player chosen to represent the Flyers in each year. The All-Star game has not been held in various years: 1979 and 1987 due to the 1979 Challenge Cup and Rendez-vous '87 series between the NHL and the Soviet national team, respectively, 1995, 2005, and 2013 as a result of labor stoppages, 2006, 2010, and 2014 because of the Winter Olympic Games, and 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[41] Philadelphia has hosted two All-Star Games. The 29th and 43rd took place at the Spectrum.
The following is a list of Philadelphia Flyers who have been enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Of the thirteen Flyers inducted as Players, six spent significant time with the team – Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber played their entire NHL careers with the Flyers while Bernie Parent, Mark Howe, Eric Lindros, and Mark Recchi each played at least eight seasons with the club. Of the seven who were inducted as Builders who spent some time in the Flyers organization, Ed Snider, Keith Allen, and Fred Shero were inducted largely due to their time with the Flyers.
Philadelphia Flyers inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame[21][46]
Eight members of the Flyers organization have been honored with the Lester Patrick Trophy. The trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States.[71] This list includes all personnel who have ever been employed by the Philadelphia Flyers in any capacity and have also received the Lester Patrick Trophy.
Members of the Philadelphia Flyers honored with the Lester Patrick Trophy
The Flyers have retired six of their jersey numbers and taken another number out of circulation. Barry Ashbee's number 4 was retired a few months after his death from leukemia.[84]Bernie Parent's number 1 — Parent wore number 30 during his first stint with the Flyers[85] — and Bobby Clarke's number 16 were retired less than a year after retiring while Bill Barber's number 7, Mark Howe's number 2, and Eric Lindros' number 88 were retired shortly after their inductions into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The number 31, last worn by goaltender Pelle Lindbergh, was removed from circulation after Lindbergh's death on November 11, 1985, but it is not officially retired.[86] Also out of circulation is the number 99 which was retired league-wide for Wayne Gretzky on February 6, 2000.[87] Gretzky did not play for the Flyers during his 20-year NHL career and no Flyers player had ever worn the number 99 prior to its retirement.[85][88]
Established in 1988, the Flyers Hall of Fame was designed to "permanently honor those individuals who have contributed to the franchise's success."[95] Candidates for the hall are nominated and voted upon by a panel of media members and team officials.[95]
Members of the Philadelphia Flyers inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame[39]
First awarded following the 1974–75 season, the Barry Ashbee Trophy is given out to the team's "outstanding defenseman" as determined by a panel vote consisting of local sportscasters and sportswriters.[112] The trophy is named in honor of Barry Ashbee, an NHL second team All-Star and the team's best defenseman during the 1973–74 season who suffered a career-ending eye injury during Game 4 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Semifinals.[113]Eric Desjardins won the trophy seven times during his Flyers career including six in a row his first six seasons with the Flyers. Kimmo Timonen with five wins and Mark Howe and Ivan Provorov with four wins are the only other Flyers to win the trophy at least four times.
The Flyers unveiled the Bobby Clarke Trophy on November 15, 1984, to honor the retired Bobby Clarke during Bobby Clarke Night at the Spectrum.[115] Clarke was the captain of the Flyers for several seasons, including during the team's two Stanley Cup championship seasons, and was and still is the holder of several Philadelphia Flyers records. Since then it has been given to the "team's most valuable player" as determined by a panel vote consisting of local sportscasters and sportswriters.[112]Claude Giroux won the trophy five times during his Flyers career while Eric Lindros won the trophy four times.
First given out for the 2006–07 season to honor the memory of long-time announcerGene Hart, the Gene Hart Memorial Award is given to the Flyer "who demonstrated the most "Heart" during the season" as voted on by members of the Philadelphia Flyers Fan Club at their monthly meetings.[112]
The Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy is awarded to the "Flyer who has most improved from the previous season, as voted by his teammates."[112] Named to honor the memory of Pelle Lindbergh, a Vezina Trophy–winning goaltender with the Flyers who died at the age of 26 on November 11, 1985, following a car crash the day before, the trophy has been given to 31 different players since the 1993–94 season.
Winners of the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy[114][116]
First given out following the 2000–01 season, the Toyota Cup is an award given to the player who earns the most points from Star of the game selections throughout the regular season, "five points for being the First Star, three for Second Star, and one for Third Star."[112] The Tri-State Toyota Dealers sponsor the award and make a donation of $5,000 in the winning player's name to the player's favorite charity.[112]Claude Giroux with seven wins, Simon Gagne and Carter Hart with three wins, and Travis Konecny with two wins are the only multiple-time winners of the trophy.
The Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award was first awarded following the 1976–77 season as the Class Guy Award "to the player who best exemplifies a strong rapport with the media."[117] The award was renamed and re-defined in 1999 to honor the memory of Yanick Dupre.[117] Dupre, who played 35 games over parts of three seasons with the Flyers, died on August 16, 1997, at the age of 24 after a 16-month battle with leukemia.[112] It is now given to the "Flyer who best illustrates character, dignity and respect for the sport both on and off the ice" as decided by the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.[112]
Winners of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award[114][116]
The John Wanamaker Athletic Award is an award given to the "Athlete, team or organization which has done the most to reflect credit upon Philadelphia and to the team or sport in which they excel" by the Philadelphia Sports Congress.[123] A Flyers player, coach, or team has won the award six times.[123] In addition to the athletic award, Ed Snider won the lifetime achievement award in 2012 and the Flyers' Wives Fight for Lives won the community service award in 1996.[123][124]
Philadelphia Flyers who have received the John Wanamaker Athletic Award[123]
^"Jaromir Jagr". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference, LLC. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
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^"Lady Byng Memorial Trophy". National Hockey League. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
^Miles, Gary (April 19, 1995). "A Draft Candidate For Lady Byng". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 6, 2014. Among the Flyers, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is not the most coveted award. After all, their heritage reaches back to the Broad Street Bullies...
^Sherman, David (September 1, 2003). Philadelphia Flyers Encyclopedia. Sports Publishing, LLC. p. 140. ISBN 978-1582615776.
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^"Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Winners". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
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^Seravalli, Frank (November 11, 2010). "Pelle Lindbergh's spirit lives on, 25 years after fatal crash". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
^"Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game". CNNSI.com. February 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
^Pelletier, Joe (November 20, 2009). "Greatest Hockey Legends.com: Ask The Hockey History Blogger". Greatest Hockey Legends.com. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
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^ abc"Schultz to Join Flyers Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Flyers. October 13, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
^ abcFleischman, Bill (March 17, 1989). "Barber Goes Blandly Into Hall". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^ abFleischman, Bill (March 22, 1991). "For A Change, Good News For Dorny". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^ ab"Joe Watson and Rod Brind'Amour to be inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Flyers. June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
^ abFleischman, Bill (March 23, 1988). "Fitting Tribute: Clarke, Parent 1st To Enter Flyers' Hall Of Fame". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^ abc"Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Eric Desjardins to be inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Flyers. July 31, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
^ abFleischman, Bill (February 14, 1992). "Leach, Hart Reach Flyers Hall". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^"Hextall Inducted into Flyers Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Flyers. February 6, 2008. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^ ab"Paul Holmgren, Rick Tocchet to be inducted into Flyers Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Flyers. October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
^"Flyers to retire Howe's No. 2". Philadelphia Flyers. March 5, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
^Bowen, Les (March 9, 1994). "Busting At Seams: Kerr Latest In Flyers' Hall Of Fame". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^ abBowen, Les (March 23, 1990). "Homecoming: Shero, MacLeish Skate Into Flyers Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^Panaccio, Tim (February 22, 2004). "Snider: Injuries justified recent deals". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^"This Date In Flyers History: December 2". Philadelphia Flyers. December 2, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^"Mark Recchi to be Inducted Into Flyers Hall of Fame | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. September 14, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
^ abBowen, Les (April 9, 1993). "Ed Van Impe Checks Into Flyers Hall Of Fame". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
^Miles, Gary (February 23, 1996). "Joe Watson Added To Flyers' Hall". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
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^"NHL Player Search - Player - Barry Ashbee". Legends of Hockey. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
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^ ab"News: Forsberg Wins Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award". Philadelphia Flyers. April 15, 2006. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
^"All-Time ESPY Winners". ESPN MediaZone. June 24, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
^"Jakub Voracek wins Golden Stick Award, embraced by rabbits". Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
^Sufrin, Mel (1975-12-18). "Clarke named outstanding male athlete". Regina Leader-Post. p. 25. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
^"Lou Marsh winners". Toronto Star. December 9, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
^"NHL Best Swedish Player "Viking Award"". Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
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^"Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
^Snow, Will (June 23, 2016). "Charlie Manuel, Brian Dawkins among Philly hall's newest members". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
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^The winners of the Most Courageous Award for 1977, 1979, 1984, 1986, and 1991 are listed in the cited article with the incorrect year, i.e., the year that follows the award year. (The awards dinner and presentation occur in January or February of the year following the award year.) "'Most Courageous Athlete Award' - Memorable Moments". Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. January 14, 2009. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
^"Claude Giroux wins Pro Athlete of the Year from PSWA". Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. December 16, 2011. Retrieved 2012-04-29.
^"PSWA Honors Jakub Voracek". Philadelphia Flyers. November 4, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
^"Gostisbehere Named Philly Pro Athlete of Year". Philadelphia Flyers. November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
^"Halladay leads Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's honorees". philly.com. Philadelphia Media Network. February 1, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
^"NHL All-Star Kimmo Timonen to Receive Sportswriters' 'Good Guy Award'". Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. December 13, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2015.