Bill Barber

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

As part of the famed LCB (Leach, Clarke, Barber) line, Barber helped lead the Flyers to the franchise's two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. His 53 goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the Flyers remains a franchise record that he shares with Rick MacLeish. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. He is currently a scouting consultant with the Flyers.

In Their Own Story

Bill Barber stood at center ice for the face-off, his skates carving deep grooves into the surface. He didn't need to shout; his presence commanded respect from both teammates and opponents alike. As the puck dropped, he executed a perfect saucer pass that seemed to defy physics, finding Gretzky's stick with surgical precision before the opposing defense could even react. It was a moment of quiet brilliance in a chaotic game, the kind of play only a true captain could orchestrate.

Reader's Guide

Barber was drafted by the Flyers seventh overall in the first round of the 1972 draft. He was converted to left wing by coach Fred Shero. He scored at least 20 goals every season, with his best season being 50 goals and 62 assists in 1975–76. He captained the Flyers in the 1981–82 season and part of 1982–83. He holds the Flyers regular season career scoring record with 420 goals. He was forced to retire after the 1984–85 season due to reconstructive knee surgery. The Flyers retired his number 7 on October 7, 1990. After playing, he coached the Hershey Bears for 16 games in 1985, was Flyers assistant coach from 1985 to 1988, coached the Phantoms for four years winning the Calder Cup in 1998, and was Flyers head coach from December 2000 to April 2002, winning the Jack Adams Trophy. He was director of player personnel for the Tampa Bay Lightning from August 2002 to June 2008, and his name was added to the Stanley Cup for a third time in 2004 with Tampa Bay. He returned to the Flyers as a scouting consultant on October 13, 2008.

Did You Know?

• Barber scored one of his most famous goals for Team Canada in the 1976 Canada Cup, sending the final against Czechoslovakia into overtime.
• He played in the Flyers' 50th anniversary alumni game on January 14, 2017, alongside Bobby Clarke and Reggie Leach.
• The Bill Barber Sports Complex in Callander, Ontario, was opened in his honour on September 25, 2010.