Philadelphia Flyers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philadelphia Flyers
Conference	Eastern
Division	Atlantic
Founded	1967
History	Philadelphia Flyers 1967-present
Arena	Wachovia Center
City	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Local Media Affiliates	Comcast SportsNet WPSG-TV (CW Philly 57) WIP (610 AM)
Team Colors	Black, Orange, White
Owner	Comcast-Spectacor
General Manager	Paul Holmgren
Head Coach	John Stevens
Captain	Peter Forsberg
Minor League Affiliates	Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) Trenton Titans (ECHL)
Stanley Cups	1973-74, 1974-75
Conference Championships	1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1979-80, 1984-85, 1986-87, 1996-97
Division Championships	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

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Contents 1 Franchise history 1.1 1967-1972: The Beginning of the Orange & Black 1.2 1972-1979: Broad Street Bullies, Champions and Success 1.3 1979-1987: New faces and Near-misses 1.4 1987-1994: The Downward Spiral 1.5 1994-2004: Close calls, Clarke/Lindros & Cup-contention 1.6 2004-present: The New NHL 2 Team colors and logo 3 Seasons and records 3.1 Season by season results 3.2 Individual records 4 Current roster 5 Famous players 6 Leaders 6.1 Team captains 6.2 Head coaches 6.3 General managers 7 References 7.1 General 7.2 Footnotes 8 External links

[edit] Franchise history

See also: History of the Philadelphia Flyers

The city of Philadelphia had been home to an NHL team before for one season; the Philadelphia Quakers during the 1930-31 NHL season. They suspended operations for the next and subsequent seasons until they finally cancelled the franchise in 1936. Philadelphia would have to wait another 30 years for the NHL to return when in 1966, the league awarded an expansion franchise to the city. Flyers was the name chosen for the new franchise as it conveyed the motion and excitement that was to be consistent with both hockey in general, as well as the new Philadelphia club.

[edit] 1967-1972: The Beginning of the Orange & Black

The Flyers first two seasons came to an end with first round playoff losses to the St. Louis Blues in 1967-68 and 1968-69. After the team had been manhandled by the Blues in a four-game sweep the second time around, owner Ed Snider instructed General Manager Bud Poile to acquire bigger, tougher players.^[1] While head coach Keith Allen soon after replaced Poile as GM, this mandate would eventually lead to one of the most feared teams to ever take the ice in the NHL. The keystone of those teams was acquired when the Flyers took a chance on a diabetic from Flin Flon, Manitoba named Bobby Clarke with their second draft pick in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. By the time training camp came around it was clear that Clarke was the best player on the team; however, the Flyers continued to struggle the next few years.

[edit] 1972-1979: Broad Street Bullies, Champions and Success

It was only during the 1972-73 season that the Flyers shed the mediocre expansion team label and became the intimidating "Broad Street Bullies", a nickname coined by Jack Chevalier and Pete Cafone of the Philadelphia Bulletin on January 3, 1973.^[2] After a season in which the Flyers recorded their first winning season and Bobby Clarke won the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, an overtime goal by Gary Dornhoefer in Game 5 turned the tide of their first round series with the Minnesota North Stars in the Flyers' favor, as the Flyers won their first playoff series in six games. They were outmatched in the semifinals by the Montreal Canadiens, losing in five games.

Goaltender Bernie Parent returned to the franchise in the off-season, and the Flyers proved that the expansion teams could challenge the Original Six in 1973-74. The Bullies would continue their rough-and-tumble ways, led by Dave Schultz's 348 penalty minutes, and they would reach the top of the West Division. The return of Parent proved to be of great benefit as he established himself as one of, if not the best, goaltender in the league, winning a record 47 games and sharing the Vezina Trophy with Tony Esposito. Come playoff time, the Flyers easily swept the Atlanta Flames in the first round. In the semifinals, the Flyers defeated the New York Rangers as they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals by winning in seven games.

Their opponent in the finals, the Boston Bruins, took Game 1 in Boston, but Bobby Clarke scored an overtime goal and ultimately a natural hat trick (three straight goals) in Game 2 to even the series. The Flyers won Games 3 and 4 at home to take a 3-1 series lead, but Boston won Game 5 to stave off elimination. That set the stage for Game 6 at the Spectrum. The Flyers picked up the lead early when Rick MacLeish scored a first period goal. Late in the game, Bobby Orr hauled down Clarke on a breakaway; the penalty all but assured the Flyers of victory. Time expired as the Flyers brought the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia for the first time. Parent, having shut out the Bruins in Game 6, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

In 1974-75, Schultz topped his mark from the previous season by setting an NHL record for penalty minutes (472 in all). Clarke's efforts earned him his second Hart Trophy and Parent was the lone recipient of the Vezina Trophy. The Flyers as a team improved their record slightly with a mark of 51-18-11, the best record in the league. After a first-round bye, the Flyers easily swept the Toronto Maple Leafs and when presented with another New York-area team in the semifinals, the Flyers shut the door on the New York Islanders, winning the series in seven games.

Facing the Buffalo Sabres in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers won the first two games at home. Game 3, played in Buffalo, would go down in hockey lore as "The Fog Game" due to an unusual May heat wave in Buffalo which forced parts of the game to be played in heavy fog, as Buffalo's arena lacked air conditioning. The Flyers lost Games 3 and 4, but won Game 5 at home in dominating fashion, 5-1. On the road for Game 6, Bob Kelly scored the decisive goal and Parent pitched another shutout (a playoff record fifth shutout) as the Flyers repeated as Stanley Cup champions. Parent also repeated as the playoff MVP, winning his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy.

The Flyers recorded the best record in team history (points wise) with a record of 51-13-16 in 1975-76. The "LCB" line, featuring Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke, and Bill Barber, set an NHL record for goals by a single line with 141 (Leach 61, Clarke 30, Barber 50). Clarke, on his way to a third Hart Trophy, set a team record for points in one season with 119. Heading into the playoffs, the Flyers squeaked past Toronto in seven games and defeated Boston in five games to head to a third straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Flyers didn't come close to a third straight championship as they ran into an up-and-coming dynasty in Montreal, and were swept in four straight games. Despite the loss, Leach was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for scoring 19 goals in 16 playoff games.

The highlight of the season had no bearing on the season standings. On January 11 at the Spectrum, the Flyers, as part of the Super Series '76, played a memorable exhibition game against the Soviet Union's dominant Central Red Army team. As the Bullies had put intimidation to good use the past three years, the Flyers' rugged style of play led the Soviets to leave the ice midway through the first period, protesting a hit on Valeri Kharlamov, whom Clarke had slashed on the ankle in the famous 1972 Summit Series. After some delay, the Soviets returned after they were warned that they would lose their salary for the entire series. The Flyers went on to win the game rather easily, 4-1, and were the only team to defeat the Red Army outright in the series. Head coach Fred Shero would proclaim, "Yes we are world champions. If they had won, they would have been world champions. We beat the hell out of a machine."^[3]

[edit] 1979-1987: New faces and Near-misses

The Flyers would go undefeated for a North American professional sports record 35 straight games (25-0-10) in 1979-80, a record that still stands to this day. In doing so, the Flyers wrapped up the Patrick Division title with 14 games to spare and the No.1 overall seed in the playoffs. Their regular-season success continued into the playoffs, as they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the New York Islanders, the Flyers would ultimately lose in six games on Bob Nystrom's overtime Cup-winning goal. The end result of the series was marred by controversy, as the Islanders' fourth goal in that game was clearly offside, but no whistle was forthcoming. Linesman Leon Stickle admitted after the game he had blown the call.

Behind the goaltending of Pelle Lindbergh (who led the league with 40 wins and won the Vezina Trophy), the Flyers posted the best record in the NHL in 1984-85. The Flyers would roll through the playoffs to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Though they defeated the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 by a score of 4-1 at home, the Oilers won the next four games and the series. Tragically, Lindbergh was fatally injured in a car accident a month into the 1985-86 season. After his tragic death, the team rallied and showed perseverance by garnering the best record in the Wales Conference. However, an emotionally exhausted Flyers team lost in the first round of the playoffs to a "Cinderella" Rangers team in five games.

The Flyers found themselves with another Vezina Trophy goaltender between the pipes, rookie Ron Hextall, in 1986-87. On the road back to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers had been decimated by injuries. Despite this, the Flyers went the distance with Edmonton, losing in heartbreaking fashion in seven games. Hextall was voted playoff MVP, the second such time a Flyer won the Conn Smythe Trophy despite being on the losing team, the other being fellow Manitoban Reggie Leach in 1975-76.

[edit] 1987-1994: The Downward Spiral

Though the Flyers stumbled in 1987-88, finishing third in the Patrick Division (after a first-place finish the previous three years), they managed to take a 3-1 series lead on their first round opponents, the Washington Capitals. The Flyers blew the series lead as the Capitals forced a Game 7. They then blew a 3-0 lead in Game 7 as the Capitals won in overtime 5-4. Head coach Mike Keenan was fired as a result.

Despite finishing at the .500 mark in 1988-89, the Flyers made the playoffs for the 17th consecutive season. An unexpected run through the playoffs lasted until they bowed out in the Wales Conference Finals to the Montreal Canadiens in six games. It would be the Flyers' last playoff appearance until 1994-95.

In June of 1992, the Flyers acquired the rights to Eric Lindros, the #1 overall pick in 1991 who was labeled as The Next One, from Quebec in a package which included six players, two draft picks, and $15 million.

[edit] 1994-2004: Close calls, Clarke/Lindros & Cup-contention

In order to shore up the defense in 1994-95, Hextall was re-acquired from the Islanders and high-scoring winger Mark Recchi was traded to Montreal for John LeClair, Eric Desjardins, and Gilbert Dionne early in the abbreviated season. Eric Lindros and LeClair teamed with Mikael Renberg to form the "Legion of Doom" line, a mix of scoring talent and physical intimidation, as the Flyers won their first division title in eight years. After a march to the Eastern Conference Finals, led mainly by Lindros, who narrowly missed out on the NHL scoring crown, the Flyers lost to the New Jersey Devils in six games.

In 1995-96, Lindros eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time, gathering 115 points, and LeClair scored 51 goals, as the Flyers repeated as Atlantic Division champs and clinched the No.1 seed in the East. However, after surviving a tough six-game, first round match-up with Tampa Bay, a second round match-up with an underdog Florida Panthers club ended their season in six games.

Though Eric Lindros missed 30 games in 1996-97, the Flyers blitzed their way through the Eastern Conference playoffs, returning to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in ten years. However, their opponent, the Detroit Red Wings, proved to be too much as they swept the Flyers in four straight games.

A string of four first round exits in five years was the fate of some highly rated Flyers teams. In 1997-98, they were dominated by Buffalo in five games. In 1998-99, they lost a close series with Toronto with Eric Lindros sidelined due to a collapsed lung sustained on April Fools' Day.

Despite a number of distractions which included the health of head coach Roger Neilson and the on-going controversy between Flyers management and Eric Lindros, the Flyers rallied to overcome the distractions and make a prolonged playoff run in 1999-00. Following Keith Primeau's goal in the 5th overtime of Game 4 against the team's second-round opponent, Pittsburgh, which turned that series in the Flyers' favor after a 2-0 series deficit, Philadelphia built a 3-1 series lead against New Jersey in the Eastern Conference Finals. After New Jersey won Game 5, Lindros returned to the lineup after a lengthy absence for Game 6 in another losing effort. In Game 7, Lindros' career as a Flyer came to an end when a controversial hit by Scott Stevens gave him another concussion. Without Lindros, the Flyers lost the decisive game, 2-1. To add insult to injury, New Jersey went on to win the Stanley Cup.

In 2000-01 with Lindros holding out awaiting a trade, the Flyers lost to Buffalo in six games. In 2001-02, the Flyers only managed to score a meager two goals in a five-game loss to the Ottawa Senators. This performance led to the firing of head coach Bill Barber.

The final season before the 2004-05 NHL lockout, the Flyers made another lengthy playoff run in 2003-04. Led by the play of Keith Primeau, they defeated New Jersey and Toronto on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Flyers forced a Game 7 on the late-game heroics of Primeau and winger Simon Gagne in Game 6. However, they came up short in Game 7, losing 2-1.

[edit] 2004-present: The New NHL

Coming off the NHL Lockout, the Flyers were picked by many to win the Stanley Cup after they signed superstar Peter Forsberg to a two-year contract. However, they were hampered by injuries prior to and during the 2005-06 season and ended up leading the NHL in man-games lost to injury (388 total) among playoff teams. Though they were first in the NHL in January, the Flyers fell to 5th place in the Eastern Conference by season's end. Facing Buffalo in the first round, the Flyers lost the series in six games.

After a disappointing 2005-06 season a staggering number of players (14 in all) underwent surgery for a variety of injuries. It was originally suspected Forsberg would miss the first half of 2006-07 due to surgery on both of his ankles, but the recovery time was cut in half when a second surgery on his other ankle was deemed unnecessary. Amongst the players the Flyers added were two 25-goal scorers in Kyle Calder and Geoff Sanderson and among the players leaving the team were Eric Desjardins (retired), Michal Handzus (traded to Chicago for Calder), and Kim Johnsson (signed with Minnesota). Keith Primeau announced his retirement on the eve of training camp, September 14, due to still lingering effects from post-concussion syndrome. On that same day the Flyers named Peter Forsberg the new captain.

The Flyers' 40th year anniversary season got off to a rough start. On October 22, 2006, just 8 games into the regular season and with a record of 1-6-1, Bob Clarke resigned as General Manager, and head coach Ken Hitchcock was fired and replaced by Assistant Coach John Stevens. Assistant GM Paul Holmgren was named General Manager of the club and is expected to hold onto the position until the end of the season.

The 2006-07 team also set a couple of unremarkable franchise records during the first quarter of the season: Worst record to begin a season and longest home losing streak (6 games).

[edit] Team colors and logo

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. The Flyers unveiled a 3D version of this logo during the 2002-03 season which is currently used with their 3rd jerseys.

Orange, black and white have been the team colors since the beginning and were also the colors of Philadelphia's previous NHL team, the Philadelphia Quakers. The team's home jersey was white up until the 2003-04 season and the team's away jersey was orange up until the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the only alteration to the general design coming prior to the 1982-83 season. A black jersey was debuted in 1997-98 which served as a third jersey up until the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs when it became the team's road jersey. It has been the team's home jersey since 2003-04. Also of note is the fact the Flyers were the first and one of only two NHL teams to wear Cooperalls, hockey pants that extend from the waist to the ankles, in 1981-82. They wore them the following season but returned to the traditional hockey pants in 1983-84.

[edit] Seasons and records

[edit] Season by season results

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Records as of December 10, 2006.

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
1967-68	74	31	32	11	—	73	173	179	987	1st, West	Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Blues)
1968-69	76	20	35	21	—	61	174	225	964	3rd, West	Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Blues)
1969-70	76	17	35	24	—	58	197	225	1123	5th, West	Did not qualify
1970-71	78	28	33	17	—	73	207	225	1060	3rd, West	Lost in Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Black Hawks)
1971-72	78	26	38	14	—	66	200	236	1233	5th, West	Did not qualify
1972-73	78	37	30	11	—	85	296	256	1756	2nd, West	Won in Quarterfinals, 4-2 (North Stars) Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Canadiens)
1973-74	78	50	16	12	—	112	273	164	1750	1st, West	Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Flames) Won in Semifinals, 4-3 (Rangers) Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Bruins)
1974-75	80	51	18	11	—	113	293	181	1969	1st, Patrick	Won in Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Maple Leafs) Won in Semifinals, 4-3 (Islanders) Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Sabres)
1975-76	80	51	13	16	—	118	348	209	1980	1st, Patrick	Won in Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Maple Leafs) Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (Bruins) Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Canadiens)
1976-77	80	48	16	16	—	112	323	213	1547	1st, Patrick	Won in Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Maple Leafs) Lost in Semifinals, 0-4 (Bruins)
1977-78	80	45	20	15	—	105	296	200	1668	2nd, Patrick	Won in Preliminary Round, 2-0 (Rockies) Won in Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Sabres) Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Bruins)
1978-79	80	40	25	15	—	95	281	248	1548	2nd, Patrick	Won in Preliminary Round, 2-1 (Canucks) Lost in Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Rangers)
1979-80	80	48	12	20	—	116	327	254	1844	1st, Patrick	Won in Preliminary Round, 3-0 (Oilers) Won in Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Rangers) Won in Semifinals, 4-1 (North Stars) Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Islanders)
1980-81	80	41	24	15	—	97	313	249	2621	2nd, Patrick	Won in Preliminary Round, 3-2 (Nordiques) Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Flames)
1981-82	80	38	31	11	—	87	325	313	2493	3rd, Patrick	Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-3 (Rangers)
1982-83	80	49	23	8	—	106	326	240	1337	1st, Patrick	Lost in Division Semifinals, 0-3 (Rangers)
1983-84	80	44	26	10	—	98	350	290	1488	3rd, Patrick	Lost in Division Semifinals, 0-3 (Capitals)
1984-85	80	53	20	7	—	113	348	241	1540	1st, Patrick	Won in Division Semifinals, 3-0 (Rangers) Won in Division Finals, 4-1 (Islanders) Won in Conference Finals, 4-2 (Nordiques) Lost in Finals, 1-4 (Oilers)
1985-86	80	53	23	4	—	110	335	241	2025	1st, Patrick	Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-3 (Rangers)
1986-87	80	46	26	8	—	100	310	245	2082	1st, Patrick	Won in Division Semifinals, 4-2 (Rangers) Won in Division Finals, 4-3 (Islanders) Won in Conference Finals, 4-2 (Canadiens) Lost in Finals, 3-4 (Oilers)
1987-88	80	38	33	9	—	85	292	292	2194	3rd, Patrick	Lost in Division Semifinals, 3-4 (Capitals)
1988-89	80	36	36	8	—	80	307	285	2317	4th, Patrick	Won in Division Semifinals, 4-2 (Capitals) Won in Division Finals, 4-3 (Penguins) Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Canadiens)
1989-90	80	30	39	11	—	71	290	297	2067	6th, Patrick	Did not qualify
1990-91	80	33	37	10	—	76	252	267	1945	5th, Patrick	Did not qualify
1991-92	80	32	37	11	—	75	252	273	1838	6th, Patrick	Did not qualify
1992-93	84	36	37	11	—	83	319	319	1887	5th, Patrick	Did not qualify
1993-94	84	35	39	10	—	80	294	314	1697	6th, Atlantic	Did not qualify
1994-951	48	28	16	4	—	60	150	132	741	1st, Atlantic	Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Sabres) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-0 (Rangers) Lost in Conference Finals, 2-4 (Devils)
1995-96	82	45	24	13	—	103	282	208	1785	1st, Atlantic	Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Lightning) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Panthers)
1996-97	82	45	24	13	—	103	274	217	1699	2nd, Atlantic	Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Penguins) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-1 (Sabres) Won in Conference Finals, 4-1 (Rangers) Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Red Wings)
1997-98	82	42	29	11	—	95	242	193	1766	2nd, Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Sabres)
1998-99	82	37	26	19	—	93	231	196	1075	2nd, Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Maple Leafs)
1999-00	82	45	22	12	3	105	237	179	1233	1st, Atlantic	Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Sabres) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-2 (Penguins) Lost in Conference Finals, 3-4 (Devils)
2000-01	82	43	25	11	3	100	240	207	1183	2nd, Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Sabres)
2001-02	82	42	27	10	3	97	234	192	1242	1st, Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Senators)
2002-03	82	45	20	13	4	107	211	166	1003	2nd, Atlantic	Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Maple Leafs) Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Senators)
2003-04	82	40	21	15	6	101	229	186	1357	1st, Atlantic	Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Devils) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-2 (Maple Leafs) Lost in Conference Finals, 3-4 (Lightning)
2004-052	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2005-063	82	45	26	—	11	101	267	258	1187	2nd, Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Sabres)
2006-07	29	8	17	—	4	20	71	109	463	5th, Atlantic	—
Total	3042	1521	1030	457	34	3533	10367	8923	60497	—	—

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; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).

[edit] Individual 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)
• Most wins in a season: Bernie Parent, 47 (1973-74)
• Most shutouts in a season: Bernie Parent, 12 (1973-74 & 1974-75)
• Most power play goals in a season: Tim Kerr, 34 (1985-86)

• Most goals in a playoff season: Reggie Leach, 19 (1975-76)
• Most goals by a defenseman in a playoff season: Andy Delmore, 5 (1999-00)
• Most assists in a playoff season: Pelle Eklund, 20 (1986-87)
• Most points in a playoff season: Brian Propp, 28 (12g,16a) (1986-87)
• Most points by a defenseman in a playoff season: Doug Crossman, 18 (1986-87)
• Most penalty minutes in a playoff season: Dave Schultz, 139 (1973-74)

[edit] Current roster

As of December 9, 2006.

Goaltenders
#		Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of Birth
30		Antero Niittymaki	L	1998	Turku, Finland
35		Martin Houle	L	2004	Montreal, Quebec
42		Robert Esche (IR)	L	2002	Whitesboro, New York

Defensemen
#		Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
2		Derian Hatcher - A	L	2005	Sterling Heights, Michigan
3		Mike Rathje (IR)	L	2005	Mannville, Alberta
6		Randy Jones	L	2003	Quispamsis, New Brunswick
23		Denis Gauthier (IR)	L	2006	Montreal, Quebec
34		Freddy Meyer	L	2003	Sanbornville, New Hampshire
43		Lars Jonsson	L	2006	Borlänge, Sweden
44		Joni Pitkänen	L	2002	Oulu, Finland
45		Alexandre Picard	L	2003	Gatineau, Quebec
46		Jussi Timonen	L	2001	Kuopio, Finland

Forwards
#		Player	Position	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
8		Geoff Sanderson (IR)	LW	L	2006	Hay River, Northwest Territories
9		Stefan Ruzicka	RW	R	2003	Nitra, Czechoslovakia
11		Ryan Potulny	C	L	2003	Grand Forks, North Dakota
12		Simon Gagné - A	LW	L	1998	Sainte-Foy, Quebec
17		Jeff Carter (IR)	C	R	2003	London, Ontario
18		Mike Richards (IR)	C	L	2003	Kenora, Ontario
19		Kyle Calder	LW	L	2006	Mannville, Alberta
20		R.J. Umberger	C	L	2004	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
21		Peter Forsberg - C	C	L	2005	Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
22		Mike Knuble	RW	R	2004	Toronto, Ontario
24		Sami Kapanen	RW	L	2003	Vantaa, Finland
27		Randy Robitaille	LW	L	2006	Ottawa, Ontario
29		Todd Fedoruk	LW	L	2006	Redwater, Alberta
55		Ben Eager	LW	L	2004	Ottawa, Ontario
93		Petr Nedvěd	C	L	2006	Liberec, Czechoslovakia

[edit] Famous players

See also: List of Philadelphia Flyers players and Philadelphia Flyers notable players and award winners

Four Flyers players have seen their numbers raised to the rafters. The first was the number 4 of defenseman Barry Ashbee in April 1975. Ashbee had spent four seasons with the Flyers (1970-74) and sustained a career ending eye injury during the previous season. Goaltender Bernie Parent, who played two different stints with the club (1967-71 & 1973-79), saw his number 1 retired in October 1979. Bobby Clarke, the longtime captain and face of the franchise who spent his entire 15 year playing career with the club (1969-84), had his number 16 raised to the rafters in November 1984. Bill Barber's number 7 was the last number the Flyers officially retired in October 1990. Like Clarke, Barber played his entire career in Philadelphia (1972-84). The Flyers have not issued the number 31 since the death of goaltender Pelle Lindbergh in November 1985 and is considered unofficially retired.

Seven players have donned the orange and black and been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, though only three spent significant time with the club. Parent was the first among these three in 1984 and was followed by Clarke in 1987 and Barber in 1990. No one among Hall of Famers Paul Coffey, Dale Hawerchuk, Darryl Sittler, and Allan Stanley spent more than two and a half seasons with the Flyers.

[edit] Leaders

[edit] Team captains

[edit] Head coaches

[edit] General managers

[edit] References

[edit] General

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

Official Team Site

• Philadelphia Flyers

Historical Team Links

• Flyers History.net

Philadelphia Flyers Head Coaches
Allen • Stasiuk • Shero • McCammon • Quinn • Keenan • Holmgren • Dineen • Simpson • Murray • Cashman • Neilson • Ramsay • Barber • Hitchcock • Stevens