subject: Brief History Of The Philadelphia Flyers [print this page] Brief History Of The Philadelphia Flyers Brief History Of The Philadelphia Flyers
In the mid 1960s, the national Hockey League decided they needed to expand. They had only six teams and were afraid that a competing league would start up and they did not want that. So, the decision was made to double the number of teams to twelve. Among the teams added was the Philadelphia flyers. This franchise would quickly become one of the most successful expansive teams in hockey or any other sport. Here we will look at some pieces of their interesting story.
All six of the new teams were placed into the same division. When that first season ended, the Flyers found themselves number one of the heap even though they finished the season with a losing record. Their first playoff experience was not a very good one. The St. Louis Blues beat them in seven games, sending them packing and on their way back home.
Things did not improve. During the 1969-1970 season the team was only able to come up with seventeen victories and did not make the playoffs. One thing was introduced during that rough season that is still in effect today. The owner of the team began playing "God Bless America" over the arena speakers rather than the National Anthem before every game. It was sung by Kate Smith, and it is a tradition that can still be heard today.
The club soon earned themselves a nickname. The Flyers played on Broad Street at the Spectrum. They played a very aggressive, brawling game. People began to refer to them as the Broad Street Bullies. The name caught on and it became their moniker.
Maybe the moniker acted as an inspiration for the club, for their absence from the playoffs was short lived. The 1974 Flyer team took victory from Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins in six games. Amazingly, the Stanly Cup found its way into the hands of an NHL expansion team in only seven years.
Anyone who thought that their 1974 victory was a fluke would be proven wrong in a hurry. A year later, the Bullies were right in the middle of another Stanly Cup race. After a tough and fierce series against the New York Rangers in the semis, they went on to face the Buffalo Sabres for the top prize. Philly won the Cup again by beating Buffalo in six games.
Throughout the storied, if not brief, history of the franchise many players have achieved legendary status. Topping the list is Bobby Clarke. He made his debut in 1969 and went on to become a member of the NHL's Hall of Fame. He won three Most Valuable Player awards and is recognized by experts as one the game's best one hundred players ever to lace up the skates.
The Flyers have ultimately evolved in one of the league's most consistently successful franchises. Year after year they always seem to find themselves in the thick of the playoff race. So don't be surprised if you look at the standings in the newspaper tomorrow and find them at or near the top.
