Philadelphia Flyers

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

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

Beginning play in 1967-68, the new expansion teams were hampered by restrictive rules that kept all major talent with the Original Six. Though they struggled early on, the Flyers would prove by the early 1970s that they could challenge the Original Six. Center Bobby Clarke and goaltender Bernie Parent would emerge as the team's first superstars as the Flyers became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup in 1973-74, defeating Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins in a six-game Finals series.

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 minutes

Records 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 ^*

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

Hall of Famers

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