Bernie Parent

Lore & Background

During the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons, in what many consider the finest consecutive seasons ever by a goaltender, the Flyers won the Stanley Cup twice and Parent won the Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy both seasons. In that two-year run of dominance, Parent posted 30 shutouts in regular and post season play combined. A 1984 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Parent was rated number 63 on The Hockey News' list of The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time in 1998. Parent remained an iconic fan favorite in Philadelphia more than three decades after his retirement. In 2017, Parent was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Reader's Guide

Parent was born on April 3, 1945 in east Montreal. He was the youngest of seven siblings. He grew up in Rosemont, Quebec, a district of Montreal. Parent's hero as a young boy was Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacques Plante, whose sister lived in Parent's neighbourhood.

Many times Parent watched out for Plante's visits to his sister and her family. Plante later became his teammate and mentor in 1971 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, when Plante was 43. Parent played for the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA Junior A league. A two-time winner of the Dave Pinkney Trophy (lowest goals-against average or GAA), he wrapped up his junior career on the team that won the OHA championship and the Memorial Cup championship in 1965.

Parent began his career with the Boston Bruins in the 1965–66 season, appearing in 39 games. The following season was split between Boston and the Bruins' farm club in Oklahoma. Left unprotected for the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, Parent was chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers where he and Doug Favell, another former Bruin prospect, split the netminding duties for the Flyers' first season. Parent recorded a 2.48 GAA with four shutouts and the Flyers finished first in the NHL's West Division.

Over the next two seasons, with Favell performing inconsistently or injured, Parent became the Flyers' #1 goalie and appeared in 58 and 62 games for the Flyers achieving impressive save percentages of .925 and .921, although due to the weakness of the Flyers who allowed a lot of shots, his GAA and win totals were not nearly as impressive. Looking for help up front to improve the club's offence, Philadelphia dealt Parent and a second-round pick in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft (Rick Kehoe) to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Bruce Gamble and a first-round selection (Pierre Plante) in the same draft in a three-way transaction that also involved Boston on January 31, 1971.

The Flyers acquired Rick MacLeish and Danny Schock from the Bruins who received Mike Walton from the Maple Leafs. The trade turned out to be a positive turn for Parent. In Toronto, Parent joined his boyhood hero, Jacques Plante, who at 42 was having an all-star season. Under Plante's tutelage, Parent became a more consistent and technically proficient goalie. Parent played well for the Leafs through the 1971–72 season, gaining valuable regular season and playoff experience.

The Unmatched Dominance of the Mid-Seventies

Bernie Parent's tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers during the mid-1970s stands as perhaps the most dominant two-year stretch in goaltending history. Between the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons, he delivered performances that redefined excellence between the pipes, leading his team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. During this incredible run, Parent recorded a staggering combined total of 30 shutouts across regular season and playoff play. In 1973–74 alone, he posted a league-leading goals-against average of 1.89 alongside a .932 save percentage while playing in 73 of the team's 78 games.

His brilliance earned him both the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, a feat he repeated the following year. This period cemented his reputation not just as a great goalie, but as an all-time legend, with fans in Philadelphia adopting the famous slogan, 'Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent,' to describe his seemingly supernatural ability to deny opponents.

A Journey Through Expansion and Rival Leagues

Parent's professional path was far from linear, marked by significant transitions that shaped his ultimate success. Drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1965, he spent two seasons before being selected by the expansion Philadelphia Flyers in 1967, where he initially shared duties with Doug Favell. Seeking to bolster their offense, Philadelphia traded Parent to the Toronto Maple Leafs in January 1971, a move that proved fortuitous as he trained under his childhood idol, Jacques Plante.

However, seeking new opportunities, Parent became the first NHL player to jump to the World Hockey Association in 1972, signing with the Miami Screaming Eagles before joining the Philadelphia Blazers. A contract dispute led him back to the NHL, where Toronto traded his rights back to the Flyers for Favell and a draft pick. This circuitous route ultimately returned him to Philadelphia just before his career-defining years, proving that his resilience and adaptability were as vital to his legacy as his technical skill.

Defining Moments in Championship History

While Parent's statistics are legendary, specific moments during the Stanley Cup Finals defined his legacy as a clutch performer. In the deciding sixth game of the 1974 finals against the Boston Bruins with under three minutes remaining, he made a spectacular kick save to stop a savage slapshot from Ken Hodge, preserving a shutout and securing the championship. This iconic save became a staple in NHL advertising for years. He replicated this heroics the following year, shutting out the Buffalo Sabres 2–0 in the sixth game of the 1975 Final to win his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy.

These performances were not merely about stopping pucks; they were displays of mental fortitude under immense pressure. By winning the MVP award for both championship runs and maintaining a flawless record in the deciding games, Parent demonstrated an ability to elevate his game when it mattered most, solidifying his status as the cornerstone of the Flyers' dynasty.

Legacy and Enduring Impact on Hockey

Bernie Parent's influence extends far beyond his retirement in 1979, recognized universally as one of the greatest goaltenders ever to play the game. His induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984 was a testament to his unparalleled achievements, while later accolades included being ranked number 63 on The Hockey News' list of Top 100 NHL Players and named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history by the league itself. Even decades after hanging up his pads, he remained an iconic figure beloved by Philadelphia fans, a rare feat for a retired athlete.

His career trajectory, from a junior champion with the Niagara Falls Flyers to a two-time Stanley Cup winner and Vezina Trophy recipient, serves as a blueprint for goaltending excellence. The combination of his technical proficiency, developed under mentors like Jacques Plante, and his historic statistical dominance ensures that Parent's name remains synonymous with greatness in the annals of ice hockey history.

Gallery