Flyers Honor Bernie Parent
The Philadelphia Flyers pay tribute to hockey legend Bernie Parent, honoring his legacy in every victory this season. Each standout player receives a replica of Parent’s goalie mask, an iconic symbol of his golden era. The white mask, with the Flyers logo on both sides, evokes the image that Parent projected in Time magazine in the 1970s, when the team was much more than just a sports team, but the face of the “Broad Street Bullies”. In an emotional tribute before the match against New Jersey, the mask was placed on one of the goals, in memory of the legendary goalkeeper, who recently passed away at the age of 80. “Forever our number 1,” declared Lou Nolan, the Flyers’ announcer since 1972. The tribute extended to Parent’s number 1, retired and hung in the heights of the stadium, alongside the banners of the Stanley Cup championships, the only ones in the franchise’s history. Parent was the Flyers’ goaltender during the “Bullies” era, under the direction of owner Ed Snider, one of the most prominent teams in the sport. Parent led the Flyers to win the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975, earning the Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies in consecutive seasons. This achievement made the Flyers the first NHL expansion team to win the championship. Before the game against New Jersey, a photo of Parent smiling with his two Stanley Cup rings dominated the giant screen at the stadium, next to the bronze statue of Snider, the Flyers’ founder, who passed away in 2016.Fans turned out over the weekend to remember Parent, in a two-day celebration that included a service on Friday and the tribute game on Saturday. Supporters wore jerseys with Parent’s number 1 and celebrated every moment of his glory years. The loudest cheers were for the Stanley Cup highlights. The Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins in six games to win the Stanley Cup in 1974 and Buffalo in 1975. Parent achieved shutouts in the decisive games of both seasons. On the return flight from Buffalo, the Flyers placed the Stanley Cup in the middle of the aisle. For almost 90 minutes, they couldn’t take their eyes off the coveted prize.“We have two Stanley Cups thanks to Bernie,” said Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke during an event honoring Parent.
Bobby Clarke
With Parent as an unstoppable force in goal, the phrase “Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent” became a popular bumper sticker in Philadelphia, a slogan that accompanied him during his retirement and his years as a team ambassador. Parent was also an ambassador for the Ed Snider Youth Hockey and Education program, a youth hockey program created in 2005 for low-income youth in Philadelphia. The program announced on Saturday that it would honor Parent’s legacy with the Bernie Parent Goaltending Development Program, which aims to prepare young people for success on and off the ice. Flyers Charities presented a $50,000 donation, which was matched by Snider’s children. Parent, team captain Bobby Clarke and Dave “The Hammer” Schultz became Flyers stars under Snider’s direction, at a time when the team was known for its aggressive playing style that earned it the nickname “Bullies.” They embraced their nickname as the NHL’s roughest team and won the hearts of Flyers fans. More than 2 million fans thronged the streets of Philadelphia for each of their championship parades. Most of the surviving members of the Cup teams attended Saturday’s game and Clarke held back tears at the tribute, while mentioning other players from the Stanley Cup teams who have passed away: Barry Ashbee, Ed Van Impe, Bill Flett, Ross Lonsberry and Rick MacLeish. “And now, God bless Bernie, because he’ll join them,” Clarke said. “And the rest of us, until we join them, we’ll talk together forever.”“We were able to sit down, look at the Stanley Cup and savor it,” Parent said in 2010. “It was a special moment.”
Bernie Parent
