The Greatest Flyers of All Time
Mt. Rushmore of Philadelphia NHL Hockey
Through online voting, ESPN has asked viewers to select their home state’s Mt. Rushmore of Sports. In this second story of a six part series, the Philadelphia Flyers’ Mt. Rushmore is unveiled. Each professional team in Philadelphia along with the Big Five will have their own Mt. Rushmore before the final Mt. Rushmore of Philadelphia Sports in unveiled. All current and former players, executives, owners and broadcasters are eligible.
Philadelphia Flyers
Bernie Parent (1)
The greatest masked man in Flyers’ history, Bernie Parent, helped lead the Flyers to two consecutive Stanley Cup Championships. During those two seasons, Parent went 91-27 in net for the Flyers with a goals against average under two. Parent also won two Conn Smyth Trophies as the MVP of the playoffs and two Vezina Trophies as the top goalie in the league.
Bob Clarke (16)
Passed over by every team in the NHL Draft because of concerns about his diabetes, Clarke found a home with the Orange and Black in Philadelphia for a legendary career. Clarke, a 1987 inductee to the NHL Hall of Fame, amassed 1,210 career points throughout his career. As a member of the Broad Street Bullies, Clarke was also one of the most physical players in the league and totaled 1,453 penalty minutes during his 15-year career in Philadelphia. The three-time Hart Trophy winner also had a successful run as the team’s General Manager. Clarke still serves the Flyers as an executive for General Manager Paul Holmgren.
Ed Snider
Without a brilliant leader and visionary, Philadelphia would not have likely been awarded one of the NHL’s expansion teams in 1966. Ed Snider, however, with his plan to build a great American sporting arena for his new hockey team and the 76ers, is the Father of the Flyers. Within nine years of his team’s creation, the Flyers won two Stanley Cups. In addition to his business savvy which brought hockey to Philadelphia, Snider has also given much back to the community through the creation of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation which gives children in need throughout the Philadelphia area the opportunity to play hockey.
Gene Hart
From the inception of the Flyers in 1967 until 1995, Gene Hart was the voice of hockey in Philadelphia. Hart spanned generations, and is still revered in the Philadelphia hockey community 10 years after his death. As soon as you enter the press box at the Wachovia Center, which is named for Hart, you can’t miss the collage of pictures dedicated to the legendary broadcaster. Hart was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997 for his brilliant career with the Flyers. Good night and good hockey.
To read the other Mt. Rushmore of Philadelphia sports articles, follow the following choices.
Philadelphia Phillies: http://major-league-baseball.suite101.com/article.cfm/mt_rushmore_of_philadelphia_sports
Philadelphia 76ers: http://nba.suite101.com/article.cfm/mt_rushmore_of_philadelphia_sports
Philadelphia Eagles: http://national-football-league-nfl.suite101.com/article.cfm/mt_rushmore_of_philadelphia_sports
Big Five Basketball: http://college-basketball.suite101.com/article.cfm/mt_rushmore_of_philadelphia_sports
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