The Philadelphia Flyers

The NHL in Philadelphia before 1967

Before 1967, Philadelphia had only iced a team in the NHL in the 1930-1931 season, when the financially struggling Pittsburgh Pirates relocated in 1930 as the Philadelphia Quakers, playing at The Arena at 46th and Market Streets. The club, garbed in orange and black like today’s Flyers, was coached by Cooper Smeaton, who was to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame 30 years later, for his far more notable role as an NHL referee. Among the young Quakers’ skaters in 1930-1931 was another future Hall of Famer 19-year-old rookie center Syd Howe. The Quakers’ only “claim to fame” was to establish a single-season NHL record for futility which has stood ever since, by compiling a dismal record of 4-36-4, still the fewest ever won in a season by an NHL club. The Quakers quietly suspended operations after that single dreadful campaign to again leave the Can-Am League’s Philadelphia Arrows as Philadelphia’s lone hockey team. The Quakers’ dormant NHL franchise was finally canceled by the league in 1936 (https://hockeyscoop.net/ahlphl/index.html#Quakers) (https://www.nytimes.com/1931/09/27/archives/two-sextets-out-of-hockey-league-ottawa-and-philadelphia-agree-to.html).

In 1946, a group led by Montreal and Philadelphia sportsman Len Peto announced plans to put another NHL team in Philadelphia, to build a 2.5 million dollar rink to seat 20,000 where the Phillies’ former ballpark (the Baker Bowl) stood at Broad and Huntingdon Streets, and to acquire the franchise of the old Montreal Maroons ("Peto Sure He Can Build Arena in Time; National Hockey League Weighs Club Here". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 31, 1946. p. 31.). The latter was held by the Canadian Arena Company, owner of the Montreal Canadiens. However, Peto’s group was unable to raise funding for the new arena project by the league-imposed deadline, and the NHL canceled the Maroons franchise.

While attending a basketball game on November 29th, 1964, at the Boston Garden, Ed Snider, the then-vice-president of the Philadelphia Eagles, observed a crowd of Boston Bruins fans lining up to purchase tickets to see a last-place hockey team (https://flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/hofprof.cgi?005). He began making plans for a new arena upon hearing the NHL was looking to expand due to fears of a competing league taking hold on the West Coast and the desire for a new television contract in the United States. Snider made his proposal to the league, which chose the Philadelphia group – including Snider, Bill Putnam, Jerome Schiff, and Philadelphia Eagles owner Jerry Wolman – over the Baltimore group.

The Early Years (1967-1971)

The new teams were hampered by restrictive rules that kept all major talent with the “Original Six” teams. In the NHL Expansion Draft, most of the players available were either aging veterans or career minor-leaguers before expansion occurred. Among the Flyers’ 20 selections were Bernie Parent, Doug Favell, Bill Sutherland, Ed Van Impe, Joe Watson, Lou Angotti, Leon Rochefort, and Gary Dornhoefer. Having purchased the minor-league Quebec Aces, the team had a distinctly francophone flavor in its early years, with Parent, Rochefort, Andre Lacroix, Serge Bernier, Jean-Guy Gendron, Simon Nolet, and Rosaire Paiement among others. Beginning play in 1967 – 1968, the Philadelphia Flyers made their debut on October 11, 1967, losing 5-1 on the road to the California Seals (https://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/hm.cgi?001hm). They won their first game a week later, defeating the St. Louis Blues on the road. 2-1 (https://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/hm.cgi?002hm). The Flyers made their home debut in front of a crowd of 7,812, shutting out their intrastate rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 1-0 on October 19 (https://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/hm.cgi?003hm). Lou Angotti was named the first captain in Flyers history, while Rochefort was the Flyers' top goal scorer after netting a total of 21 goals. With all six expansion teams grouped into the same division, the Flyers were able to win the division with a sub-.500 record despite being forced to play their last seven home games on the road due to a storm blowing parts of the Spectrum’s roof off. However, playoff success did not come so quickly, as the Flyers were upset by St. Louis in a first-round, seven-game series.

Angotti left the team in the off-season, being replaced by Van Impe as team captain. Led by Van Impe and the team-leading 24 goals of Andre Lacroix, the Flyers struggled during their sophomore season by finishing 15 games under .500. Despite their poor regular season showing in 1968 – 1969, the made the playoffs. They lost again to St. Louis, this time being dispatched in a four-game sweep. Not wanting his team to be physically outmatched again, majority owner Ed Snider instructed general manager Bud Polie to acquire bigger, tougher players. While head coach Keith Allen soon after replaced Polie as general manager, this mandate eventually led to one of the most feared teams to ever take the ice in the NHL. The keystone of those teams was acquired when the Flyers took a chance on a 19-year-old diabetic from Flin Flon, Manitoba, Bobby Clarke, with their second draft pick, 17th overall, in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. Keeping Snider’s mandate, the team also drafted future enforcer Dave Schultz 52nd overall.

By the time training camp came around, it was clear that Clarke was the team’s best player, and he quickly became a fan favorite. His 15 goals and 31 assists in his rookie season earned him a trip to the NHL All-Star Game. Despite his arrival, the team struggled in 1969 – 1970, recording only 17 wins – the fewest in franchise history and setting the NHL team record for the most ties in a season (24). They lost the tiebreaker for the final playoff spot to the Oakland Seals, missing the playoffs for the first time.

Here are the first-round draft picks from 1967 – 2023:

· 1967: Serge Bernier (5th overall)
· 1968: Lew Morrison (8th overall)
· 1969: Bob Currier (6th overall)
· 1971: Larry Wright (8th overall) & Pierre Plante
             (9th overall).
· 1972: Bill Barber (7th overall)
· 1975: Mel Bridgman (1st overall)
· 1976: Mark Suzor (17th overall)
· 1977: Kevin McCarthy (17th overall)
· 1978: Behn Wilson (6th overall) & Ken Linseman
            (7th overall) & Danny Lucas (14th overall)
· 1979: Brian Propp (14th overall)
· 1980: Mike Stothers (21st overall)
· 1981: Steve Smith (16th overall)
· 1982: Ron Sutter (4th overall)
· 1985: Glen Seabrooke (21st overall)
· 1986: Kerry Huffman (20th overall)
· 1987: Darren Rumble (20th overall)
· 1988: Claude Boivin (14th overall)
· 1990: Mike Ricci (4th overall)
· 1991: Peter Forsberg (6th overall)
· 1992: Ryan Sittler (7th overall)
· 1995: Brian Boucher (22nd overall)
· 1996: Dainius Zubrus (15th overall)
· 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) & Mike Richards
            (24th overall)
· 2005: Steve Downie (29th overall)
· 2006: Claude Giroux (22nd overall)
· 2007: James van Riemsdyk (2nd overall)
· 2008: Luca Sbisa (19th overall)
· 2011: Sean Couturier (8th overall)
· 2012: Scott Laughton (20th overall)
· 2013: Samuel Morin (11th overall)
· 2014: Travis Sanheim (17th overall)
· 2015: Ivan Provorov (7th overall) & Travis Konecny
            (24th overall)
· 2016: German Rubtsov (22nd overall)
· 2017: Nolan Patrick (2nd overall) & Morgan Frost
            (27th overall)
· 2018: Joel Farabee (14th overall) & Jay O'Brien
            (19th overall)
· 2019: Cam York (14th overall)
· 2020: Tyson Foerster (23rd overall)
· 2022: Cutter Gauthier (5th overall)
· 2023: Matvei Michkov (7th overall) & Oliver Bonk
            (22nd overall).