Philadelphia Flyers

Broad Street Bullies

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. They are the second NHL team to represent Philadelphia, with the first team, the Philadelphia Quakers, only playing one season in 1930–31. The team plays its home games at Xfinity Mobile Arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, an indoor arena they share with the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Part of the 1967 NHL expansion, the Flyers are the first of the expansion teams in the post-Original Six era to win the Stanley Cup, victorious in 1973–74 and again in 1974–75. Since their two Stanley Cup victories, they have been in the Final five other times, most recently in 2010.

Quick Facts

Game name: Flyers–Senators brawl
Date: March 5, 2004
City: Philadelphia
Visitor: Ottawa Senators
Arena: Wachovia Center
Attendance: 19,539
Home total: 5

Lore & Background

The Flyers play their home games on Broad Street, first at the Spectrum from 1967 until 1996, and then at Xfinity Mobile Arena since 1996. Their association with Broad Street, along with the players consistently brawling with other teams, earned them the nickname 'Broad Street Bullies' during the 1970s.

Reader's Guide

The Flyers' debut in 1967–68 occurred on October 11, 1967, losing 5–1 to the California Seals. The Flyers won their 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. The Flyers were defeated by the St. Louis Blues in the first round in seven games. In the 1969 playoffs, they lost to St. Louis again, this time in a four-game sweep. In the 1969 draft, they selected Bobby Clarke at 17th overall. Clarke's 15 goals and 31 assists in his rookie season earned him a trip to the NHL All-Star Game. However, the team struggled in 1969–70, recording only 17 wins — the fewest in franchise history — while also setting the NHL record for 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. In 1970–71, the Flyers bounced back from the previous season and returned to the playoffs, but were swept by the Chicago Black Hawks in the first round. In the 1972–73 season, the Flyers earned the 'Broad Street Bullies' nickname. Rick MacLeish became the first Flyer to score 50 goals in a season and the Flyers recorded their first winning season. An overtime goal by Gary Dornhoefer in game five turned the tide of their first-round series with the Minnesota North Stars in the Flyers' favor, as the Flyers got their first playoff series win in six games. However, they were outmatched in the semifinals by the Montreal Canadiens, losing in five games. After the season, Clarke became the first expansion team player to be awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. In 1973–74, the Flyers reached the top of the West Division with a record of 50–16–12. Parent won 47 games for the Flyers, a record which stood in the NHL for 33 years. In the playoffs, the Flyers swept the Atlanta Flames in four games in the first round. In the semifinals, the Flyers defeated the New York Rangers in seven games, becoming the first team to win a series against an Original Six team. In the 1974 Stanley Cup Final, they defeated the Bobby Orr-led Boston Bruins in six games. Parent, with his shutout against Boston in game six, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.