Bob Clarke doesn’t have to guess at the value of Bob Kelly and Simon Gagne. He helped shape both of their Flyers stories.
Clarke was the captain of the 1975 team that closed out the Stanley Cup Finals in Buffalo with Kelly’s Game 6 winner, and he was also the general manager who took Gagne in the first round, 22nd overall, of the 1998 NHL Draft. So when the Flyers Hall of Fame announced Kelly and Gagne as its next inductees, Clarke was an obvious person to ask.
The longtime Flyers figure didn’t hesitate.
“They’re both very deserving,” Clarke said. “The Hound, he did as much for us as a player as he did for us in our offices.
He’s a special man. He had the ability to work every day and not just as a hockey player but as a man who goes to work.
“He’s a worker and he gave the majority of his adult life to the Flyers.”
Kelly, known as “The Hound,” spent years around the organization after his playing days ended, serving as a goodwill ambassador. Clarke said that kind of contribution fits right into what made those Flyers teams click.
Clarke pointed to a group that collected most of the attention in those years - himself, Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, Rick MacLeish and others - while stressing that the success was never about one name carrying the load.
“I think it’s proof once again to all teams that the team is better than the individual,” Clarke said. “I know how great Bernie was but he didn’t win it by himself.
Our whole team, everybody contributed. For a lot of years we were like that.
“We had pretty good talent individually but we were still just a team. Everyone was expected to contribute.
At times we had to drag some guys into it but we did. That was our responsibility, all of us.”
Kelly fit that mold perfectly. He was one of the leaders of the Broad Street Bullies, a player willing to throw himself into the roughest nights without hesitation. Clarke said that kind of buy-in was part of the Flyers’ identity.
“The players have to contribute to the team,” Clarke said. “And then the team will be strong. That’s what we had and the Hound represented that.”
The results backed it up. During the 1975-76 season, the Flyers went 36-2-2 at the Spectrum, turning home ice into a brutal assignment for visitors. Clarke said opposing players often came down with the so-called “Flyer Flu.”
Gagne brought a different kind of impact. The speedy left wing flashed skill and scoring touch while helping the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference finals in 2000 and 2004, then the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010.
“Simon was a great player,” Clarke said. “Great talent.
In junior he was a centerman. He ate up the Sundin brothers (Henrik and Daniel) in the 1999 World Juniors (Gagne had seven goals in seven games).
“(Flyers coach) Roger Nielson put him back at wing. We were very close to sending him back to junior. We had some injuries and Roger put him in there.”
That move changed everything. Gagne went on to record two 40-goal seasons and finished his Flyers career at plus-140.
“So much talent,” Clarke said. “No nights off.
He just played at a high level all the time. Real good teammate.”
In Other News...
Flyers Suddenly Face A Cam York Problem On Defense
Cam Yorks absence has quickly become a real lineup issue for the Flyers, who had to adjust their blue line after the defenseman landed on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 8. York was hurt in the game against the Ottawa Senators, and the move leaves Philadelphia shuffling its defense while trying to keep some stability early in the schedule.
To cover the gap, the Flyers brought up Hunter McDonald from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and made corresponding moves with Jack Studnicka and Helge Grans, sending both back to the AHL affiliate. For a team still sorting out its defensive mix, the next question is how long it can manage without York and what the ripple effect will be on the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Linked To Proven Scorer But The Price Could Sting
The Flyers have a winger in Owen Tippett who naturally draws attention when teams start hunting for proven scoring help, and Montreal is one of the clubs being mentioned as a possible fit. Shaun Starr and Marco DAmico have been discussing the Canadiens' interest, pointing to Tippetts ability to finish chances and the way his age lines up with where Montreal is trying to go.
What makes the idea more complicated is the cost. Any move for a scorer with Tippetts profile would almost certainly require real assets coming back the other way, and that is where the conversation starts to get tricky for a team trying to build thoughtfully rather than chase a quick fix. For now, it remains only a speculative link, but it is the kind of rumor that keeps a Flyers name in the center of the market. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Win Eases One Problem While A Bigger Roster Concern Grows
The Flyers got a needed lift in their win over the Senators, and some of the credit went to the young talent that has been pushing harder for a bigger role. Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone helped drive the offense, a reminder that even amid a messy stretch, the organization has some promising options bubbling up as it tries to steady the lineup.
Still, one win does not clear the larger roster issue hanging over the club. Philadelphia is dealing with being shorthanded and may need more movement to patch the depth chart, even after already bringing Hunter McDonald up to help the blue line. With trade chatter still hovering, including the possibility of Travis Konecny being moved at some point, the Flyers remain in the familiar spot of trying to balance immediate survival with longer-term decisions. [Read more 🡒]