Philadelphia Flyers
First expansion team to win the Stanley Cup.
The Philadelphia Flyers are an ice hockey team from Philadelphia that plays in the National Hockey League’s Metropolitan Division within the Eastern Conference. They joined the league in the 1967 expansion and became the first team from that group to win the Stanley Cup, doing so in 1974 and again in 1975. The Flyers are the second NHL club to call Philadelphia home; the first, the Philadelphia Quakers, lasted only one season in 1930–31, setting a record for futility with a 4–36–4 mark—still the fewest wins in a single NHL season. The Quakers folded after that year, and the city’s hockey scene shifted to the minor-league Philadelphia Arrows until World War II ended their run. A later attempt to revive an NHL team in Philadelphia, led by Len Peto in 1946, failed due to insufficient arena funding.
The modern Flyers owe their existence to Ed Snider, then vice-president of the Philadelphia Eagles, who saw long lines of Boston Bruins fans buying tickets for a last-place team at a basketball game in 1964. Snider, along with Bill Putnam, Jerome Schiff, and Eagles owner Jerry Wolman, formed a group to bring an NHL expansion team to Philadelphia. The team’s name came from Snider’s sister, Phyllis, who suggested “Flyers” before a planned naming contest could take place. The Flyers debuted on October 11, 1967, losing 5–1 to the California Seals. Despite a storm that blew part of the Spectrum’s roof off and forced them to play their last seven home games on the road, they won their division with a sub-.500 record but lost to the St. Louis Blues in seven games in the first round of the playoffs.
After another playoff loss to the Blues in 1969, majority owner Snider ordered general manager Bud Poile to acquire bigger, tougher players. This mandate, carried forward by new GM Keith Allen, led to the drafting of Bobby Clarke in 1969 and enforcer Dave Schultz. Clarke’s 15 goals and 31 assists as a rookie earned him an All-Star nod, but the team struggled in 1969–70, winning only 17 games—the fewest in franchise history—and setting an NHL record for most ties in a season (24). They missed the playoffs for the first time. In 1970–71, the Flyers returned to the playoffs but were swept by the Chicago Black Hawks. A three-way trade sent goaltender Bernie Parent to the Toronto Maple Leafs and brought Rick MacLeish from the Boston Bruins.
- Founded
- 1967
- Stanley cup titles
- 1974, 1975
- Home arena
- Xfinity Mobile Arena (since 1996)
- Division
- Metropolitan Division, Eastern Conference
- Previous home arena
- Spectrum (1967–1996)
- Nickname
- Broad Street Bullies
Lore & Background
The Flyers were founded as part of the 1967 NHL expansion. Ed Snider, then vice-president of the Philadelphia Eagles, began planning for a new arena after observing a crowd of Boston Bruins fans lining up for tickets to see a last-place team. Snider formed a group including himself, Bill Putnam, Jerome Schiff, and Eagles owner Jerry Wolman. The team name 'Flyers' was suggested by Snider's sister, Phyllis, and announced on August 3, 1966.
During the 1970s, the Flyers earned the nickname 'Broad Street Bullies' due to their association with Broad Street and the players' consistent brawling with other teams. The nickname was coined by Jack Chevalier and Pete Cafone of the Philadelphia Bulletin on January 3, 1973, after a brawling victory over the Atlanta Flames. The team's rough style was driven by owner Ed Snider's mandate to acquire bigger, tougher players after being physically outmatched in the 1969 playoffs.
A notable tradition began on December 11, 1969, when the Flyers introduced playing a recording of Kate Smith singing 'God Bless America' instead of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' at specific games. The move was initiated by promotions director Lou Scheinfeld as a way to defray national tensions during the Vietnam War, and the tradition grew as the team was perceived to be more successful on those occasions.
Reader's Guide
The Philadelphia Flyers hold a significant place in NHL history as the first expansion team from the 1967 expansion to win the Stanley Cup, achieving back-to-back championships in 1974 and 1975. Their success was built on a physical, intimidating style of play that earned them the enduring 'Broad Street Bullies' nickname. Key figures in their early success included goaltender Bernie Parent, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1974 and shared the Vezina Trophy in 1974, and Bobby Clarke, who became the first expansion team player to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP. The team's home games have been played at Xfinity Mobile Arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex since 1996, after previously playing at the Spectrum from 1967. The Flyers have appeared in the Stanley Cup Final five additional times since their two victories, most recently in 2010. Their legacy includes setting NHL records for fewest wins in a season by a Philadelphia team (the 1930–31 Quakers) and for most ties in a season (24 in 1969–70), as well as Dave Schultz setting the penalty minutes record with 472 in 1974–75.
Did You Know?
- The Flyers are the second NHL team to represent Philadelphia; the first, the Philadelphia Quakers, played only one season in 1930–31 and set a record for fewest wins in a season (4–36–4).
- The team's name 'Flyers' was suggested by Ed Snider's sister, Phyllis, and announced on August 3, 1966.
- The tradition of playing Kate Smith's 'God Bless America' at games began on December 11, 1969, as a way to defray national tensions during the Vietnam War.
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