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AJ McKenzie
  • 2 days ago
The Flyers of the mid to late 70s
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
Transcript
00:00:12It's an honor to be
00:00:16Grace to hug you
00:00:18We don't have to
00:00:19Nobody
00:00:24Who are guys
00:00:39Born in the frozen heart of winter
00:00:41And bred of Canadian grit
00:00:44The game of hockey can be traced to the early 1800s
00:00:49As an organized endeavor
00:00:50The sport reached its golden age
00:00:52In the 25-year period between 1942 and 1967
00:00:58When all of six teams made up the National Hockey League
00:01:02The NHL enjoyed a small but passionate following
00:01:05As the original six preserved the game's unique blend of grace and force
00:01:11While respecting its code of aggression
00:01:18But in an effort to expand Canada's national past
00:01:21This time to a nationally televised American pursuit
00:01:25The lords of the game introduced six new stateside teams in 1967
00:01:31Soon, to the disgust of hockey purists
00:01:34One of these fledgling franchises
00:01:37Turned their sacred sport
00:01:38Into a savage spectacle
00:01:42And in seizing the game's holy grail
00:01:44These bullies would bloody the face of the National Hockey League
00:01:50But their improbable story
00:01:52Began as a risky investment
00:01:54I learned that the league was expanding
00:01:56And I felt that Philadelphia would be a great place
00:01:58For one of the expansion teams
00:02:00And they had these grand plans
00:02:02They were going to build this new building
00:02:04The Spectrum
00:02:05We all laughed at them
00:02:06Who are these guys?
00:02:07Not one of them
00:02:07I think had really ever been on a hockey rink in their entire life
00:02:11A bunch of business guys from Philadelphia
00:02:13We went around to the various banks
00:02:16And they were totally disinterested
00:02:17What is it, soccer?
00:02:18And we said, no, it's hockey
00:02:20And they said, well, hockey will never go over to Philadelphia
00:02:23Another sort of fell asleep during our presentation
00:02:26But the last bank we went to
00:02:29Gerard Trust, fortunately the vice president
00:02:31Had played hockey at Harvard
00:02:33And loved hockey
00:02:34And had a lot of faith in what we were doing
00:02:36And we got the loan
00:02:37After securing the $2 million expansion fee
00:02:41In February of 1966
00:02:43The Philadelphia Flyers
00:02:45Were officially welcomed to the NHL
00:02:47Also newly minted
00:02:49Were the St. Louis Blues
00:02:51Pittsburgh Penguins
00:02:52Minnesota North Stars
00:02:54California Seals
00:02:56And Los Angeles Kings
00:02:59Philadelphia Flyers
00:03:00Philadelphia Flyers
00:03:04With their first pick in the 1967 expansion draft
00:03:08The Flyers selected Bernie Perrant
00:03:11A young French-Canadian goaltender
00:03:14Left unprotected by the
00:03:15Boston Bruins
00:03:18Joining Perrant on the team's inaugural roster
00:03:21Were players also discarded by the original six
00:03:24And to many of them
00:03:26Heading to Philadelphia
00:03:28Was a fate far worse than rejection
00:03:31The guy come by and he says
00:03:33I just heard your name on the radio
00:03:34I hear you being drafted by Philadelphia
00:03:36He says, what?
00:03:36What are you talking about?
00:03:37He says, yeah
00:03:38I didn't know I wasn't protected by Boston
00:03:40So talk about disappointment
00:03:42Starting all over again with an expansion team
00:03:45Did not really thrill me
00:03:47First of all, I had a good look on the map
00:03:48And see where the heck Philadelphia was
00:03:53How would you even know how to
00:03:56How would you
00:03:56Let me look this guy up
00:04:03We're coming over the
00:04:04Old Penruth
00:04:05You guys from Kitchener, Ontario
00:04:07Saying he had to look up where Philadelphia was
00:04:10It's one of the biggest cities on the continent
00:04:13Where's Kitchener, Ontario?
00:04:19Close Avenue Bridge
00:04:20And on the right-hand side
00:04:21There's a machine there
00:04:22I asked the bus driver
00:04:23I said, what's that machine
00:04:24Oh, that's great
00:04:35Yeah
00:04:39A city hall for them
00:04:41And they put them in open convertibles
00:04:42For a ride down Broad Street
00:04:44There were no more than 20 people
00:04:45On the parade route
00:04:46People were wondering
00:04:47Who in the heck we were
00:04:48And what was going on
00:04:50He saw somebody flip the bird at them
00:04:51And he heard one other guy
00:04:54Yelling from the sidewalk
00:04:55You'll be in Baltimore by Christmas
00:04:59What the hell are we getting ourselves into here?
00:05:02Though evidence of its role
00:05:04In the nation's birth
00:05:05Was at every turn
00:05:06The Philadelphia
00:05:07At which these young Canadians had arrived
00:05:10Bore little resemblance
00:05:11To the history book version of the city
00:05:17Yeah, maybe because
00:05:18Like a century or so passed
00:05:22Crazy what happens when two centuries pass
00:05:24It was a hard scrabble
00:05:26Beer and a hoagie kind of
00:05:44So from the prison
00:05:45Thank you
00:05:45And to the people
00:05:45To the city
00:05:46See you
00:05:47You
00:05:47You
00:05:47Yeah
00:05:47Yeah
00:05:51You
00:05:51And to the city
00:06:01You
00:06:08to the history book version of the city
00:06:12it was a hard-scrabble, beer-and-ahogie kind of town
00:06:18heavily defined by close-knit ethnic neighborhoods
00:06:21and a working-class population set in its ways
00:06:25Philly no longer appeared to be a place
00:06:27where new ideas took flight
00:06:31particularly something as absurd as hockey
00:06:34but there it was in a state-of-the-art arena on South Broad Street
00:06:38Bill Sutherland scored the goal to win the first game of the spectrum
00:06:411-0 before 7,000 people
00:06:44in what Bill Putnam, the team's president, described as the worst hockey game ever played
00:06:48it took a little while for the players to get to know each other
00:06:52once we did, we beat Montreal, we beat Boston
00:06:57and then one weekend in February, they swept Toronto and Chicago back-to-back into the spectrum
00:07:02and that's when the crowds went from four digits to five digits
00:07:06our fans took to it at that point, it built a momentum
00:07:11shortly thereafter, the roof blew off so it kind of interrupted our first season
00:07:16the high winds which halted work on the roof yesterday made the job difficult to do
00:07:2055 games into their first season
00:07:22severe winds sent pieces of the spectrum roof up into the air
00:07:29and their schedule along with it
00:07:31forced to play their remaining
00:07:40home games on the road
00:07:53the Vagabond Flyers showed their resolve
00:07:58with nimble skating and strong goaltending
00:08:01the Keith Allen-led club finished one game below 500
00:08:05enough for first place in the weak Western Division
00:08:09which contained all six expansion teams
00:08:15they'd again qualify for the playoffs in year two
00:08:21but Philly's first forays into postseason play
00:08:24sent a shiver down the city's spine
00:08:30the Flyers were bludgeoned in two six
00:08:32yeah, they got the crap kicked out of them
00:08:35that's the playoff years against the St. Louis Blues
00:08:39Noel Picard and the Lager brothers terrorized
00:08:43the Flyers
00:08:44and broke legs intentionally and bloodied and bludgeoned the Flyers
00:08:52Claude LaForge got beat up pretty badly by Noel Picard
00:08:56he called Cochran from behind
00:08:59broke his cheekbone, knocked out 5-6-10
00:09:02and I remember a Snyder saying that will never happen again
00:09:06we realized that we would have to become tougher, stronger and bigger
00:09:11and we may not be able to win a lot of games as we're growing
00:09:15but we certainly didn't have to get beat up
00:09:18so we decided that no team would ever intimidate us ever again
00:09:22and we conducted our drafts and we conducted
00:09:29our philosophy in that direction
00:09:39by the Blues
00:09:41the Flyers brass attended the 1969 amateur draft
00:09:46with a bigger, tougher purpose in mind
00:09:51over 12 feet and nearly 400 pounds combined
00:09:555th and 6th round picks Dave Schultz and Don Lesky
00:09:59fit the new Flyer mold
00:10:02but the fate of the franchise was sealed earlier in the draft
00:10:06when Philly took a Flyer
00:10:07on a player thought to be damaged goods
00:10:10Bobby Clark had diabetes
00:10:12and I think most of the scouts knew that
00:10:14and they were worried about his stamina
00:10:15every team in the league passed up Bobby Clark
00:10:18at least once
00:10:19several passed him up twice
00:10:21and at least one passed him up three times
00:10:23before the Flyers took him in the second round
00:10:25Mr. Snyder called a doctor in Philadelphia
00:10:28who was a diabetic specialist
00:10:29and asked him
00:10:30the doctor assured him
00:10:32that if I lived like a diabetic is supposed to
00:10:34that I'd be able to play
00:10:35here's a little kid that shaved with a Kleenex
00:10:37and you knew he was going to be a leader
00:10:39right off the get-go
00:10:40despite Clark's solid rookie season
00:10:42the Flyers regressed in their third year
00:10:46failing to make the playoffs
00:10:47with just 17 wins
00:10:51two more losing seasons followed
00:10:53marked by uninspired play
00:11:00the team was still in search of a winning season
00:11:03and an identity
00:11:05it would find both in season 6
00:11:07when a player known as the Hammer came to town
00:11:11when Schultz got to the Flyers
00:11:13it all changed
00:11:14he became the hunter
00:11:15his mouth would twitch
00:11:16and his eyes would get big
00:11:19it was like a lion
00:11:21going into the den
00:11:22and there was the red piece of meat
00:11:24Schultz is hammering down
00:11:27Schultz continues to
00:11:29fail away with the right hand
00:11:31Schultz is now going to the mid-section
00:11:33Schultz got a gentleman at a long range
00:11:35so he can start pumping the uppercut
00:11:37now he's getting the better on it
00:11:41Schultz's aim in his hockey life
00:11:43it's quite obvious
00:11:44we had the baddest animal
00:11:47in the hockey jungle
00:11:49and never even had a fight
00:11:51before he turned pro
00:11:53I was a goal scorer
00:11:54believe it or not
00:11:55rarely fought
00:11:56it wasn't until I got sent to the Eastern Hockey League
00:11:59by the Flyers
00:11:59my first year at the end of training camp
00:12:01that I started fighting
00:12:03I got in a fight my first game
00:12:04I got in a fight my second game
00:12:05and all of a sudden
00:12:06I was Sergeant Schultz
00:12:07so I'm sure the Flyers were going
00:12:09to see Schultz
00:12:10and what was I to do
00:12:12said come to the Flyers
00:12:14and continue my ways
00:12:16I became this guy
00:12:18that bought
00:12:19that crazy
00:12:23if you want to try and intimidate
00:12:25one of the better skating players
00:12:27and more skilled
00:12:28you better turn around
00:12:29because something's coming after
00:12:30somebody had to do it
00:12:31and I did it
00:12:34he took on all of the players
00:12:36on all of the teams
00:12:38that used to beat us up
00:12:39and beat them up
00:12:42here's back at you
00:12:44it was an amazing thing to watch
00:12:50when you get hit by a Dave Schultz right
00:12:52he's going to break your balls
00:12:53that can be uplifting to a team
00:12:56let's have some fun
00:12:57we used to play and fight
00:12:59and then
00:13:01and then we'd go drink their beer
00:13:03Dave the Hammer Schultz
00:13:05immediately earned a reputation
00:13:07as the most ferocious flyer
00:13:08smashing records
00:13:10for number of fights
00:13:11and time in the box
00:13:13feared throughout the league
00:13:14the Hammer's
00:13:15goonish ways
00:13:16proved contagious
00:13:19it made all
00:13:20our players
00:13:22play with a little bit
00:13:23bigger balls
00:13:27a little bit more nerve
00:13:29and a little bit more aggressive
00:13:32we can have more policemen
00:13:38than anybody
00:13:38who said you only have one
00:13:41the scene I envision
00:13:43is in blazing saddles
00:13:45every ugly criminal
00:13:46in world history
00:13:47is applying
00:13:48to be part of the posse
00:13:54we're not going to just
00:13:55Schultz beat the living daylights
00:13:57out of these guys
00:13:57now it's our turn
00:13:58whenever
00:13:59the game was dull
00:14:01just send out Bob Kelly
00:14:02and he would liven things up
00:14:07I call the machine gun Kelly
00:14:10he could throw 30 punches
00:14:13to your run
00:14:15he was a windmill
00:14:17a whirl
00:14:18and fire
00:14:21Kelly jumped on
00:14:22I don't even know
00:14:23he was
00:14:24I always had lots of energy
00:14:30so I like to expand it
00:14:31and it's nothing like
00:14:31driving somebody's head
00:14:32through the boards
00:14:33to make it feel good
00:14:42we just happen to be
00:14:44better than anybody else
00:14:45and we were able to
00:14:46beat up everybody else
00:14:47if we had to
00:14:51the game has been
00:14:52played a long time
00:14:54with fighting
00:14:55as a major element
00:14:56of the game
00:14:57it never really was
00:14:59thought of
00:15:00as anything unusual
00:15:02there was nothing
00:15:03premeditated about it
00:15:05it was just
00:15:05people in crazed
00:15:07search of the Stanley Cup
00:15:11but things were different
00:15:12for the Flyers
00:15:13what the Flyers did
00:15:14that no other team
00:15:16had previously done
00:15:19was win
00:15:19through intimidation
00:15:21they really made
00:15:22fighting a tactic
00:15:29people knew right away
00:15:30that this
00:15:30was something different
00:15:33it was all part of
00:15:34the game plan
00:15:35it was all part of
00:15:35the strategy
00:15:39we're just going to vote
00:15:40and annihilate people
00:15:42and by annihilating them
00:15:43we're going to render them
00:15:44ineffective
00:15:45and that's how we're going to win
00:15:46and it worked
00:15:48up midway through the 72-73 season
00:15:53when it became clear that
00:15:55nearly every Flyer game
00:15:57would feature a steady stream
00:15:59of fisticuffs and uncurbed mayhem
00:16:01the club earned its fabled nickname
00:16:03from local sports scribe
00:16:05Jack Chevalier
00:16:06and headline writer
00:16:08Pete Caffone
00:16:10the Broad Street bullies
00:16:13tallied an incredible 600 more penalty minutes
00:16:16than did the second most penalized team
00:16:18the fifth first foursome
00:16:21of Dave the Hammer Schultz
00:16:22Bob Hound Kelly
00:16:24Don Big Bird Seleski
00:16:26and Andre Moose Dupont
00:16:29combined for nearly 900 penalty minutes
00:16:32more than the team totals
00:16:34for six of the league's clubs
00:16:36but it wasn't all welts and bruises
00:16:38that marked Philly's first winning season
00:16:40the physical play
00:16:42opened up a previously unseen flow of offense
00:16:45as five Flyers scored 30 or more goals
00:16:49including Cowboy Bill Fleck
00:16:51with 43
00:16:52and Rick McLeish
00:16:53with 50
00:16:54the franchise also won
00:16:56its first playoff series
00:16:58highlighted by Gary Dornhofer's
00:17:00overtime goal against Minnesota
00:17:06Storied moment
00:17:07for a team
00:17:08still writing its history
00:17:14mentioned push overs
00:17:17to established aggressors
00:17:19and by the time camp opened
00:17:21the following year
00:17:22they had also changed their fortune
00:17:25sensing a dependable goalie
00:17:27was the final piece to the puzzle
00:17:29general manager Keith Allen
00:17:31traded for a familiar face
00:17:33talented but raw
00:17:34Bernie Perrant
00:17:35had been shipped away
00:17:39two years earlier
00:17:41he'd returned to the Flyer Net
00:17:43in 73
00:17:46a polished gem
00:17:48and he came back to us
00:17:50the new and improved Bernie
00:17:52so it's like
00:17:52here we go boys
00:17:56every day in practice
00:17:58piss us off
00:17:59we couldn't score on him
00:18:01you scored on him in practice
00:18:02he'd fire a puck at you
00:18:04I mean he was that intense
00:18:06without question
00:18:07he was the missing link
00:18:08but Bernie was different
00:18:09in a wonderful kind of way
00:18:11fun loving and zany
00:18:13and off the wall
00:18:19well he was half crazy
00:18:20you know I say half crazy
00:18:22but he wasn't
00:18:23he was all crazy
00:18:26he always had to have his nap
00:18:27in the afternoon
00:18:28with this German shepherd dog
00:18:31he loved to smell things
00:18:33if you bought a new pair of shoes
00:18:35oh my god
00:18:36he was all over you
00:18:37oh I love the smell
00:18:38of new leather
00:18:38I mean he had his nose
00:18:39in your shoes
00:18:42I'm a firm believer in life
00:18:43that if you're happy
00:18:45happy things will happen to you
00:18:51that three so just kept me happy
00:18:54that's for sure
00:18:54I still watch them today
00:18:56come on
00:18:59it is a beautiful thing
00:19:01the same could be said
00:19:02of Perron's goaltending
00:19:04playing in all but five
00:19:06of Philly's games
00:19:07his 1.89 goals
00:19:09against average
00:19:10and 12 shutouts
00:19:11led the league
00:19:12in 73-74
00:19:15and his NHL record
00:19:1747 wins
00:19:18stood for 33 years
00:19:21Bernie Perron
00:19:23was the last line of defense
00:19:24on a team built to do more
00:19:26than just brawl
00:19:28we intimidated everybody
00:19:30and it wasn't just
00:19:31dropping the gloves
00:19:34they largely won
00:19:35by outworking teams
00:19:40the most relentless
00:19:41that I've ever seen
00:19:45they weren't all
00:19:46bloody riots
00:19:47they won a lot
00:19:48of games on skill
00:19:51you get guys like
00:19:52McClish and Barber
00:19:53they were offensive machines
00:19:56Matty Van Imp
00:19:57the Watson brothers
00:20:00Layden
00:20:01Barry Ashby
00:20:02those guys were solid
00:20:03ultra competitive guys
00:20:06Terry Crisp
00:20:07or Skinner Chuck
00:20:11Ross Lonsbury
00:20:12never gets enough
00:20:13credit
00:20:13for us
00:20:14he would score
00:20:1530 goals a year
00:20:16and beat plus 50
00:20:18even the guys
00:20:20that were out there
00:20:20fighting
00:20:21were talented
00:20:22Dave Schultz
00:20:23had 20 goals
00:20:24one year
00:20:26the goalie
00:20:26had no chance
00:20:27I'd say
00:20:28don't feel bad
00:20:28because
00:20:29I was a sniper
00:20:32you could be
00:20:33the Broad Street
00:20:33bullies
00:20:34you could be
00:20:34the Joe Bellino
00:20:35bullies
00:20:36you could be
00:20:36anybody you want
00:20:37unless you have
00:20:39the talent
00:20:39you're not going
00:20:40to win
00:20:41period
00:20:42and they
00:20:43had the talent
00:20:45we would not only
00:20:46go in and beat
00:20:47the shit out of
00:20:47their hockey team
00:20:48but we beat them
00:20:48on the scoreboard too
00:20:55before long
00:20:56the spectrum
00:20:58was sold out
00:20:59night after night
00:21:00if anyone
00:21:01appreciated
00:21:02the fine line
00:21:03between talent
00:21:04and terror
00:21:05the team
00:21:05was skating on
00:21:06it was
00:21:07Philadelphians
00:21:15a brand
00:21:16of hockey
00:21:16struck a
00:21:17core
00:21:19they were
00:21:19the perfect
00:21:20antidote
00:21:20for a city
00:21:22longing for a
00:21:23lift
00:21:24if you look
00:21:25at the time
00:21:25and what
00:21:26happened
00:21:26if you really look
00:21:27at it
00:21:27the Eagles
00:21:28weren't any good
00:21:28Sixers
00:21:29weren't any good
00:21:37who else
00:21:39Phillies were
00:21:41solid
00:21:41but
00:21:43I'm with it
00:21:45in this country
00:21:46in the 70s
00:21:47Philadelphia was
00:21:48one that was hit
00:21:49hard economically
00:21:50Philadelphia really
00:21:51felt its pain
00:21:55and of course
00:21:56they were a city
00:21:57of losers
00:22:01the Eagles
00:22:02the Eagles had one
00:22:03championship
00:22:03and that was in
00:22:0460
00:22:04the Phillies
00:22:05hadn't won a
00:22:06world series
00:22:07coming off in
00:22:071964
00:22:08where they had
00:22:09the dramatic
00:22:10collapse
00:22:12the Eagles
00:22:13had three
00:22:13championships
00:22:16none were
00:22:17recent though
00:22:17the Eagles
00:22:18had won the
00:22:19title 67
00:22:19and then
00:22:20Wilt Chamberlain
00:22:21was traded
00:22:22so the Sixers
00:22:23went downhill
00:22:23and things were
00:22:24so bad
00:22:24that they liked
00:22:25harness raising
00:22:26here
00:22:26it was really
00:22:27a down period
00:22:28this town
00:22:29had a complex
00:22:31I get no
00:22:32respect
00:22:32I'm from
00:22:34Philadelphia
00:22:37crazy nuts
00:22:38from Canada
00:22:39come in
00:22:44the fans
00:22:45loved us here
00:22:45and the city
00:22:46was starved
00:22:47for a winner
00:22:47we were in
00:22:48the right place
00:22:49at the right time
00:22:49the fires
00:22:50gave them hope
00:22:51only God
00:22:52saves more
00:22:52than Bernie
00:22:53Prime
00:22:53right
00:22:53comes along
00:22:54with the flyer
00:22:58the blue collar
00:22:59team
00:23:00and blue collar
00:23:01city
00:23:01so it was
00:23:02a perfect marriage
00:23:04it was all
00:23:05about this
00:23:06tough
00:23:06let's grind it
00:23:07out every day
00:23:08men worked
00:23:09two and three
00:23:09jobs
00:23:10they hustled
00:23:11it was a city
00:23:12of hustlers
00:23:12they loved guys
00:23:14who sweat
00:23:15and bleed
00:23:15fighting
00:23:17literally
00:23:17and figuratively
00:23:27that team
00:23:27personified the city
00:23:28so well
00:23:30the little side
00:23:31streets of Philadelphia
00:23:34all the kids
00:23:34on each street
00:23:35had their own team
00:23:38sure enough
00:23:39there would be
00:23:40a fight
00:23:41two kids
00:23:42are going at it
00:23:45we were easy
00:23:46to fall in love
00:23:47with
00:23:47there was
00:23:47something there
00:23:48for everybody
00:23:50and you know
00:23:50we all
00:23:51looked like
00:23:51porn stars
00:23:52long hair
00:23:53the big
00:23:53blue man
00:23:53shoes
00:23:54and everything
00:23:57we had
00:23:58done a reality
00:23:59show
00:24:02no freaking
00:24:03way
00:24:05these guys
00:24:06not only
00:24:06were fun
00:24:07they were
00:24:07a part
00:24:07of the
00:24:08community
00:24:08they were
00:24:09part
00:24:09of the
00:24:09people
00:24:10they were
00:24:10part
00:24:11of the
00:24:11people
00:24:16they all
00:24:17ran around
00:24:18the same
00:24:18bar outside
00:24:19of Philadelphia
00:24:19over New
00:24:20Jersey
00:24:20called
00:24:20Rexy's
00:24:21together
00:24:21after practice
00:24:23all the players
00:24:23would all
00:24:24go there
00:24:24and have
00:24:24a beer
00:24:24and something
00:24:25to eat
00:24:25and everybody
00:24:26started going
00:24:26there after
00:24:27the games
00:24:27there were
00:24:28times the wives
00:24:30probably hated
00:24:30Rexy's
00:24:32belly up next
00:24:33those guys
00:24:34and have
00:24:35a draft
00:24:35beer
00:24:35and those
00:24:36guys are
00:24:36ready to go
00:24:37yeah yeah
00:24:37get me another
00:24:38okay it's
00:24:39on me
00:24:41we would draw
00:24:4215-20 thousand
00:24:43people to watch
00:24:44us play slow
00:24:44pitch
00:24:46when the game's
00:24:47over we'll
00:24:47stick around
00:24:48just make sure
00:24:48you got some
00:24:49beer and outdogs
00:24:49or something
00:24:50and take the
00:24:50money that you
00:24:51make for charity
00:24:52I think it was
00:24:53important for our
00:24:53team to become
00:24:54part of the
00:24:55community
00:24:56it really
00:24:57created that
00:24:58bond
00:24:59these guys
00:24:59are our boys
00:25:00they're family
00:25:05the 1973-74
00:25:07Flyers won
00:25:0850 games
00:25:0913 more
00:25:10than the year
00:25:11before
00:25:11losing just
00:25:13two of their
00:25:13final 20
00:25:14the Broad
00:25:15Street Bullies
00:25:15captured the
00:25:16Western Division
00:25:17with 112 points
00:25:18they also
00:25:20finished the
00:25:20regular season
00:25:21with 1750
00:25:23penalty minutes
00:25:24again
00:25:25dwarfing the
00:25:26rest of the
00:25:27league
00:25:27and their
00:25:28103 fights
00:25:29easily eclipsed
00:25:31set-placed
00:25:31Los Angeles
00:25:32who could
00:25:32claim just
00:25:3358
00:25:35in front of
00:25:36them
00:25:37balancing this
00:25:38deadly combination
00:25:39of brutality
00:25:40and skill
00:25:40required an
00:25:43balanced mind
00:25:44and that's just
00:25:46what the Flyers
00:25:46had in a
00:25:47former amateur
00:25:48boxer and
00:25:49philosopher
00:25:49an introverted
00:25:51student of the
00:25:51game
00:25:52who like the
00:25:53team he
00:25:53coached
00:25:54possessed a
00:25:54fitting moniker
00:25:55of his own
00:25:56Freddy the
00:25:57Fog
00:25:58Shiro
00:26:00he was a
00:26:01quiet guy
00:26:01very cerebral
00:26:02and you wouldn't
00:26:03think of him
00:26:03as a purveyor
00:26:04of mayhem
00:26:05but he knew
00:26:06the guys he
00:26:07had on his
00:26:07team and he
00:26:07knew what
00:26:08they could
00:26:08do and he
00:26:08knew how
00:26:09to deploy
00:26:09them
00:26:10I had a
00:26:10team that
00:26:11loved to
00:26:11fight
00:26:12so I let
00:26:13them fight
00:26:13Fred Shiro
00:26:14was an
00:26:15evil genius
00:26:16he had very
00:26:17unusual practices
00:26:19he used
00:26:20tennis balls
00:26:21to help
00:26:22their stick
00:26:22handling
00:26:23he studied
00:26:24videos
00:26:24he was the
00:26:25first to have
00:26:25an assistant
00:26:26coach on
00:26:27the bench
00:26:28Freddy spent
00:26:28so much time
00:26:29at home alone
00:26:30in the bathtub
00:26:30and hiding
00:26:31in his room
00:26:32and just
00:26:32thinking about
00:26:33hockey
00:26:33he said
00:26:34sleeping is
00:26:34overrated
00:26:35we'd go to
00:26:36a city
00:26:37and he'd stay
00:26:37with us for a
00:26:38little while
00:26:38and then off
00:26:39he'd go
00:26:40he'd disappear
00:26:40didn't know
00:26:41where he went
00:26:42and the only
00:26:42time he ever
00:26:43got in trouble
00:26:43was that night
00:26:44in Atlanta
00:26:45and got mugged
00:26:46somebody would
00:26:46give him a black
00:26:47eye and knocked
00:26:48him out in the
00:26:48street
00:26:48now he missed
00:26:49the next game
00:26:50when he showed
00:26:51up his glasses
00:26:52had been broken
00:26:53and we really
00:26:54don't know
00:26:54what exactly
00:26:55happened
00:26:56but we were
00:26:57glad to have
00:26:57him back
00:26:59Freddy was
00:27:00a mystery
00:27:00he basically
00:27:01didn't
00:27:02whoever mugged
00:27:03him
00:27:03they're lucky
00:27:03nobody ever
00:27:05found out
00:27:06who they were
00:27:07talked to the
00:27:07players
00:27:09the way he
00:27:10communicated with
00:27:11them is he
00:27:11left the notes
00:27:12in their locker
00:27:13or he wrote
00:27:14things on the
00:27:15blackboard
00:27:15the person who
00:27:17has it made
00:27:17is only one
00:27:18step from
00:27:19your husband
00:27:20there are no
00:27:21heroic tales
00:27:21without heroic
00:27:23tales
00:27:24satisfaction is
00:27:25death
00:27:26if you do not
00:27:27want to be
00:27:27criticized
00:27:29say nothing
00:27:30do nothing
00:27:31and be nothing
00:27:32and oftentimes
00:27:33he puts something
00:27:34on the board
00:27:35and he's thinking
00:27:36what the hell
00:27:36does he mean
00:27:36by that
00:27:38people usually
00:27:39get what's
00:27:40coming to them
00:27:41unless it has
00:27:42been mailed
00:27:46makes sense
00:27:47to you
00:27:49sometimes they
00:27:50wouldn't
00:27:50he was
00:27:51unusual
00:27:51he was
00:27:52different
00:27:52but he was
00:27:53awfully good
00:27:54the fog's
00:27:56infamous
00:27:57mugging
00:27:57in atlanta
00:27:58came during
00:27:59the team's
00:27:591974 first
00:28:01round playoff
00:28:02with the flames
00:28:02assistant coach
00:28:04mike nikoluk
00:28:05stepped in
00:28:06for the final
00:28:07contest
00:28:07of a fight
00:28:08filled flyer
00:28:09sweep
00:28:15up next
00:28:16a stanley cup
00:28:18semi-final
00:28:18hitting broad
00:28:19street
00:28:20versus broad
00:28:21way
00:28:22it was kind
00:28:22of cool
00:28:23walking into
00:28:23madison square
00:28:24garden
00:28:24the circus
00:28:25was there
00:28:26so you're
00:28:26walking by
00:28:27all the elephants
00:28:28and the tigers
00:28:28and that
00:28:29getting ready
00:28:29to go play
00:28:30a hockey game
00:28:30so it was
00:28:31fitting that
00:28:31we would
00:28:32walk by
00:28:32that they
00:28:33thought we
00:28:33were part
00:28:34of the zoo
00:28:34anyways
00:28:36in their
00:28:37history
00:28:38the flyers
00:28:39had managed
00:28:39just one
00:28:40win in
00:28:4019 tries
00:28:41at madison
00:28:42square garden
00:28:42no expansion
00:28:44team had
00:28:45ever beaten
00:28:45one of
00:28:46hockey's
00:28:46original six
00:28:47in a playoff
00:28:48series
00:28:48and few
00:28:49believed the
00:28:50bullies would
00:28:50be the first
00:28:52from the time
00:28:53i got here
00:28:53we hated
00:28:54the rangers
00:28:54so that
00:28:56that series
00:28:56was cruel
00:28:57mean
00:28:58dirty
00:28:59grinding
00:29:00it was war
00:29:01unbelievably
00:29:03even
00:29:03they won
00:29:05all their
00:29:05home games
00:29:05we won
00:29:08all our
00:29:08home games
00:29:13and that's
00:29:15when
00:29:15barry ashby
00:29:16had the
00:29:16terrible
00:29:17accident
00:29:17where he
00:29:18was hit
00:29:18in the
00:29:18eye
00:29:19by a
00:29:19puck
00:29:21and hit
00:29:22barry ashby
00:29:28and it
00:29:30was
00:29:31bloody
00:29:32and bitter
00:29:35and it
00:29:36was
00:29:37schultz
00:29:37that
00:29:37waited
00:29:38in our
00:29:38favor
00:29:39early
00:29:39in game
00:29:40seven
00:29:40there was
00:29:40a collision
00:29:41between
00:29:41schultz
00:29:42and dale
00:29:42walf
00:29:43baby just
00:29:44hammered
00:29:45he was
00:30:08pummeling
00:30:09him
00:30:09and
00:30:10not one
00:30:11new york ranger
00:30:12came to his
00:30:13defense
00:30:16now this
00:30:17would have
00:30:17never happened
00:30:17on the flyer
00:30:18team
00:30:18if somebody
00:30:19was getting
00:30:19beat up
00:30:20watch out
00:30:20that kind
00:30:21of showed
00:30:21us that
00:30:22you know
00:30:22wait a minute
00:30:23these guys
00:30:23aren't going to
00:30:24stick together
00:30:25or back one
00:30:25another up
00:30:26i don't think
00:30:27there was a guy
00:30:27on the team
00:30:28that didn't really
00:30:29believe that we
00:30:29were going to
00:30:30beat them
00:30:44once we did that
00:30:45we thought oh my god
00:30:45we're in the
00:30:46stanley cup
00:30:46finals
00:30:48flyers were huge
00:30:49underdogs going
00:30:49this series against
00:30:50boston
00:30:51well we didn't
00:30:51have home ice and
00:30:52we hadn't won
00:30:53there in seven
00:30:53years
00:30:55i think the odds
00:30:56were 50 to 1
00:30:57against us
00:30:58i mean let's
00:30:59face it they
00:31:00had bob
00:31:00bior
00:31:01phil esposito
00:31:02ken hodge
00:31:03wayne cash
00:31:05and the list
00:31:05goes on and
00:31:06on
00:31:06it's not going
00:31:07to be easy but
00:31:09we'll just have
00:31:10to do our best
00:31:11thanks for coming
00:31:12out
00:31:15embracing their
00:31:16underdog status
00:31:17the city was
00:31:19ready for the
00:31:19mighty bruins
00:31:20go flyers
00:31:22go flyers
00:31:25what are the
00:31:26flyers going to
00:31:27do to the
00:31:27bruins in this
00:31:28final series
00:31:28they're going to
00:31:29twist them like
00:31:30they twist these
00:31:31pretzels
00:31:32despite philly
00:31:33his optimism
00:31:34the heavily
00:31:35favored bruins
00:31:36took the series
00:31:37opener three to
00:31:38two on a late
00:31:40goal by superstar
00:31:41bobby orr
00:31:43yeah i knew it
00:31:44i was just about
00:31:45to say his name
00:31:46um
00:31:49foolish
00:31:52downright idiotic
00:31:53to to be so
00:31:55confident against
00:31:56a team with
00:31:56bobby orr
00:31:58you know
00:32:02game two
00:32:03boston led
00:32:04two to one
00:32:04with under a
00:32:05minute to play
00:32:05when philly
00:32:06got an unexpected
00:32:08boost from a
00:32:09moose
00:32:18moose did it
00:32:19moose shuffle
00:32:20dance
00:32:21so then the game
00:32:22went into overtime
00:32:22we're ten minutes
00:32:23into overtime
00:32:24and a fan behind us
00:32:25a boston broom fan
00:32:26yells to fred shiro
00:32:27put schultz out there
00:32:28so we can score
00:32:29i hadn't seen ace
00:32:31for twenty minutes
00:32:32he said park
00:32:34flat
00:32:35and schultz
00:32:36schultz behind the
00:32:37net
00:32:37center
00:32:38flat
00:32:38tries to clear
00:32:39jones
00:32:50it turns out to be
00:32:51the biggest goal
00:32:52of my career
00:32:53but if you don't
00:32:54win the series
00:32:55it's just another
00:32:55goal
00:32:57lifted by game
00:32:58two's stolen
00:32:59victory
00:32:59clark and company
00:33:01returned home
00:33:01before a rocking
00:33:03spectrum crowd
00:33:04won games three
00:33:05and four
00:33:06to take a three
00:33:06to one series
00:33:07lead
00:33:09up to the
00:33:11boston
00:33:11but it wasn't
00:33:13enough to hold
00:33:13off a five
00:33:14to one
00:33:14bruin onslaught
00:33:15sensing their
00:33:17opponent had
00:33:17regained its
00:33:18home swagger
00:33:18the flyers
00:33:20faced a do or
00:33:20die
00:33:30if we won
00:33:32that game
00:33:32there's no way
00:33:34ever
00:33:35would they
00:33:36ever beat us
00:33:37in the seventh
00:33:38game in boston
00:33:38we knew if we
00:33:39had to go back
00:33:40to boston
00:33:40for game
00:33:40seven
00:33:41we were toast
00:33:43fortunately for the
00:33:44flyers
00:33:44lady luck
00:33:45was on their
00:33:46side
00:33:53singer kate smith
00:33:54a radio star
00:33:55of the 30s
00:33:56and 40s
00:33:57made an unlikely
00:33:58charm for this
00:33:59band of thugs
00:34:00but for five
00:34:01years
00:34:02smith's voice
00:34:03provided a winning
00:34:04soundtrack
00:34:04to the flourishing
00:34:06love affair
00:34:06between philly
00:34:07and its flyers
00:34:09i had noticed
00:34:10that because of
00:34:11the vietnam war
00:34:12and a lot of
00:34:13apathy in america
00:34:14and anti-american
00:34:16spirit that at
00:34:17hockey games
00:34:18people were talking
00:34:19and walking around
00:34:19during the national
00:34:20anthem
00:34:21and it bothered me
00:34:23and i came across
00:34:25this recording
00:34:25of kate smith
00:34:26that she made
00:34:28on armistice day
00:34:29november 11th
00:34:29of 1938
00:34:33and i thought
00:34:34wow what a great
00:34:35song
00:34:38so one night
00:34:39i told the
00:34:39sound booth
00:34:40i said i've got
00:34:41a tape for you
00:34:42of god bless america
00:34:43we're going to
00:34:43play this tonight
00:34:43instead of the
00:34:44national anthem
00:34:45and he said
00:34:46are you kidding
00:34:46i said no
00:34:47we're going to
00:34:47play this
00:34:53and little by little
00:34:53they started to
00:34:54get into the song
00:34:55and we wound up
00:34:56beating toronto
00:34:58i don't know
00:34:58six to three
00:34:59that game
00:35:00so i then got
00:35:01it into my head
00:35:02that maybe we
00:35:03should use this
00:35:04again but only
00:35:04when we need it
00:35:06i don't even think
00:35:08they have enough
00:35:08american players
00:35:10to be playing
00:35:11american themed
00:35:12stuff
00:35:14why would it
00:35:16why would that be
00:35:16of any importance
00:35:17to canadians
00:35:23over five seasons
00:35:24the founding
00:35:2535 miss recorded
00:35:26blessed america
00:35:27proceeded again
00:35:29smith herself
00:35:30was making just
00:35:31her second live
00:35:32appearance
00:35:33as the flyers
00:35:34and bruins
00:35:34faced off
00:35:35for game six
00:35:36i thought the roof
00:35:44would come down
00:35:45it was so powerful
00:35:46it wasn't just
00:35:46the singing
00:35:47it was that
00:35:48charisma she carried
00:35:49with her
00:35:53kate smith
00:35:54nice
00:35:55not tonight
00:35:56sweetheart
00:35:57what i really
00:35:58wanted to say
00:35:59was not tonight
00:35:59fat lady
00:36:00not tonight
00:36:02after kate smith
00:36:04blessed america
00:36:05and the flyers
00:36:06a first period
00:36:07goal by winger
00:36:08rick mcleish
00:36:09who filly up
00:36:10one to nothing
00:36:13it was the only
00:36:14goal the flyers
00:36:15would score
00:36:15that day
00:36:18fortunately
00:36:19they had more
00:36:20than a lucky
00:36:21song to hold
00:36:21off the ruins
00:36:27he shut us
00:36:28down the whole
00:36:28stinking game
00:36:31bernie was
00:36:33stupendous
00:36:33oh man
00:36:37we're gonna win
00:36:38this thing
00:36:38they're not gonna
00:36:39score on bernie
00:36:43coming down
00:36:44to the end
00:36:44and looking
00:36:45at that clock
00:36:45and realizing
00:36:46wait a minute
00:36:46we're gonna win
00:36:47the cup
00:36:47we are gonna win
00:36:49the cup
00:36:50ladies and gentlemen
00:36:52the flyers
00:36:53are going to
00:36:54win the
00:36:55victory
00:36:55the flyers win
00:36:58the victory
00:36:58the victory
00:37:00the victory
00:37:00the victory
00:37:01the victory
00:37:01the victory
00:37:02the victory
00:37:07gene hart's
00:37:08enraptured victory
00:37:09call spoke to
00:37:11the improbability
00:37:12of the moment
00:37:14in just their
00:37:15seventh season
00:37:16the philadelphia
00:37:17flyers
00:37:18captured hockey's
00:37:20holy grail
00:37:28among the bullies
00:37:30and gray
00:37:31uh yeah
00:37:32apparently
00:37:33not only were
00:37:34the flyers
00:37:35not canadian
00:37:36not american
00:37:37they were
00:37:38the last
00:37:40stanley cup
00:37:40champions
00:37:41to be entirely
00:37:42made up of
00:37:43canadian players
00:37:46and they had
00:37:48somebody sing
00:37:49god bless
00:37:50america
00:38:13who could've thought
00:38:15that a hockey team
00:38:16would draw over two million people to a parade
00:38:18it was unreal
00:38:20you looked up
00:38:20it was just a wall of people
00:38:26all through broad street
00:38:27it was so hard to get through
00:38:29the fans were so excited
00:38:32it was a holiday
00:38:41it was mind-boggling
00:38:42i mean it was scary
00:38:43because we were sitting on top of cars
00:38:45and people right there
00:38:46grabbing your arms
00:38:49the sleeve from the coat that i had on
00:38:52was ripped right off
00:38:53it was gone
00:38:57the flyers set the standard
00:38:59for people hanging out windows
00:39:04people hanging on the light posts
00:39:06and people hanging out of trees
00:39:07there were young old black white
00:39:11boy oh boy everywhere you look
00:39:13there were happy faces
00:39:16the celebration of the flyers championship
00:39:18was the largest public gathering
00:39:21the city had ever seen
00:39:23we were loved
00:39:25in philadelphia
00:39:26and we were equally as hated
00:39:29in every
00:39:30every other city
00:39:32the flyers hung in effigy
00:39:34people hated us
00:39:38and i remember
00:39:40going on the road
00:39:41and you see big headlines
00:39:42and papers
00:39:43keep your wives and children
00:39:44inside
00:39:45the flyers are in town
00:39:46hide the woman or children
00:39:47here come the animals
00:40:00i had a friend tell me one time
00:40:02he wanted to drain his toilet
00:40:04and dry the enamel
00:40:07and paint a flyer logo
00:40:08in the bowl
00:40:10huh
00:40:10we had police escorts here and there
00:40:14windows in our bus being busted
00:40:17incredible
00:40:18they'd chase us
00:40:19for four or five blocks
00:40:20running from one traffic light
00:40:21to the next
00:40:22and at each one
00:40:24every time they caught up
00:40:25at the bus
00:40:25they'd give us the old signal
00:40:27here
00:40:27woo
00:40:29you get the usual
00:40:31death threats
00:40:32and it was good
00:40:33i love that
00:40:34they're supposed to hate you right
00:40:36if you don't do anything
00:40:37for them to dislike you
00:40:39then you're not much of an opponent
00:40:42in that case
00:40:43bobby clark may have been
00:40:44the league's top adversary
00:40:45no player better fit the team's
00:40:48polarizing persona
00:40:50than number 16
00:40:51a ruthless
00:40:52toothless rink rat
00:40:54whose on-ice antics were semi-legal
00:40:57but fully effective
00:40:58i could see him with the toothless smile
00:41:01it was a real smile
00:41:03that connoted happiness and victory
00:41:06congratulations on a super season
00:41:08thank you very much
00:41:11bobby clark
00:41:12two words
00:41:15ferocious
00:41:15and relentless
00:41:24cut and bleeding
00:41:26getting stitches between periods
00:41:27and coming right back
00:41:28and feeding somebody
00:41:29right in front of the slot
00:41:32an ultimate warrior
00:41:33he would leave it all out there
00:41:36every minute of every game
00:41:39his will bordered on the supernatural
00:41:44from a very young age i was taught
00:41:47that you work when you play
00:41:52i didn't know any other ways
00:41:56and if you couldn't be inspired
00:41:58there's something wrong with you
00:42:01bobby clark was one of the most
00:42:02inspirational players ever
00:42:04he's also one of the filthiest players ever
00:42:11we hated his guts
00:42:14he would chop you on the ankles
00:42:16he would chop you on the hands
00:42:20he unquestionably took liberties
00:42:22because he knew he'd be protected
00:42:26if anybody looked at him cock-eyed
00:42:27kelly or schultz or celeski
00:42:29or van inp
00:42:30or somebody would beat the hell out of him
00:42:31vaneri really wanted clark
00:42:33but his teammates protected him in a hurry
00:42:36the flyers had a rookie named steve short
00:42:38he took a run at clarky
00:42:39the first day of training camp
00:42:41and he went to the hospital
00:42:42every day for a week after that
00:42:43you didn't mess with the boss
00:42:45you don't mess with the don
00:42:47and bobby was the don of the flyers
00:42:51an eight-time all-star
00:42:52and three-time league mvp
00:42:54the cold-blooded capo
00:42:56of the flyer family
00:42:57was joined in the club's title defense
00:43:00by a player naturally nicknamed
00:43:02the rifle
00:43:05reggie leach
00:43:06had been languishing in the league
00:43:07before being placed alongside bobby clark
00:43:10and future hall of famer bill barber
00:43:15forming one of the most prolific trios
00:43:17in league history
00:43:18the lcb line
00:43:20combined for over 100 goals
00:43:22in the 74-75 season
00:43:24as the flyers won a league best
00:43:2651 games
00:43:29after a first round playoff bye
00:43:31and a second round sweep of toronto
00:43:33the flyers run at another title
00:43:35began to take a curious turn
00:43:37now the flyers and islanders come together
00:43:40for a semi-finals
00:43:42the flyers win the first three
00:43:44and darn if the islanders don't come back
00:43:47and win the next two
00:43:48and the night that the islanders tied the series
00:43:51rexies burned down
00:43:53holy smokes is this an omen
00:43:55when it burnt down and everybody wore black armbands
00:43:59out on the practice rate
00:44:00because our bar burnt down
00:44:04the flyers extinguished the islanders in game seven
00:44:07to set up a stanley cup final with the buffalo sabers
00:44:10this time
00:44:11it was the first time two expansion teams would battle for the cup
00:44:15philadelphia took games one and two with the spectrum
00:44:18as the series shifted to buffalo
00:44:20the flyers began to play in a fog
00:44:22literally
00:44:24they didn't have air conditioning in the auditorium in buffalo
00:44:27it was 75 degrees
00:44:31and
00:44:31all the ice
00:44:33we couldn't see anything on the ice
00:44:36how are the ice not
00:44:40that was just another chapter
00:44:42it was the flyers what do you expect
00:44:44it was a bat too
00:44:49there was a face-off
00:44:50in the buffalo end
00:44:52this bat comes right down out of the ceiling
00:44:56so jimmy lorenz takes a stick
00:44:58and knocks the bat out of the air
00:44:59and clunks him
00:45:01killed the bat
00:45:02poor jimmy
00:45:03he got hate mail from animal lovers for years
00:45:05the next bit of drama was
00:45:07nobody was going to pick it up
00:45:11rick and mcleish takes his glove off
00:45:12and picks the god darn thing up
00:45:14i said hawk don't pick the damn thing up
00:45:16he might get ravies
00:45:17and ricky says to me
00:45:18what are ravies
00:45:23befuddled by the bat
00:45:24and dazed from the haze
00:45:25the flyers dropped games three and four in buffalo
00:45:31but when the series returned to philadelphia
00:45:33so did the flyers focus
00:45:36ernie perron stopped all but one shot in a lopsided game five victory
00:45:40and two nights later posted yet another cup-clinching shutout
00:45:44his heroics were to be expected
00:45:47but the winning score came from an unlikely source
00:46:08the broad street bullies
00:46:11back-to-back chaps
00:46:13proof they were no fluke
00:46:15and while both titles galvanized the entire delaware valley
00:46:23something else the broad street camps
00:46:27the club's second crown became a family affair
00:46:30mr snyder had the vision to bring the fathers in
00:46:35we're holding the cup
00:46:36he's got a cigarette going
00:46:38he says uh you want a cigarette
00:46:40i said yeah sure i'll have one
00:46:41you know he was thrilled to death
00:46:45it was just a special time
00:46:47for my father and all the fathers that were there
00:46:50and they got treated so royally
00:46:57it's 95 degrees and dad shows up
00:46:59woolen socks on
00:47:01he had cow shit all over his boots
00:47:04because he was a butcher
00:47:05oh my god it was kind of embarrassing but that's the way dad was
00:47:11they enjoyed the celebrations with us
00:47:13and they enjoyed drinking a beer just as much as we did
00:47:23how long will you keep me in the penalty box
00:47:28baby i'm wrong
00:47:29but it's lonely in the penalty box
00:47:32some guy came to me and said you want to do a record
00:47:34i said i can't sing
00:47:35which i can't
00:47:36sometimes it can be rough
00:47:38he wasn't
00:47:39he wasn't exactly the beatles or bruce springsteen
00:47:43i'm gonna tell you that
00:47:44i never never get enough
00:47:45that was the worst record i've ever heard
00:47:47that was like
00:47:48he looked like one of the bgs
00:47:49he was not one of the bgs
00:47:52ridiculous
00:47:53but it was pretty funny when you think about it
00:47:55i'd like to hear that
00:47:56i haven't heard it for over 30 years
00:48:02it was played every 15 minutes
00:48:05i mean it was on number one
00:48:06instead of elton john's freedom song
00:48:09in the penalty box
00:48:10he lived in the penalty box
00:48:12i'm surprised they didn't put a cot down there
00:48:14they didn't have dinner served for him
00:48:16he lived in the penalty box
00:48:19did i get caught up in it
00:48:20no question
00:48:22and magnus at all
00:48:23a tremendous right
00:48:24magnus is getting
00:48:25fumbled
00:48:26he's getting beaten to a pulp
00:48:29once you develop a reputation
00:48:30it becomes expected
00:48:31i mean when i'm sitting in the spectrum
00:48:33and fans are yelling
00:48:33we want schultz
00:48:34they were looking for a goal
00:48:37five fighting for schultz
00:48:39tim and a misconduct
00:48:40and a game misconduct
00:48:44the hammer's pugnaciousness
00:48:46may have found parody in song
00:48:47but his behavior was no laughing matter
00:48:50during the flyers second stanley cup season
00:48:53schultz racked up 472 penalty minutes
00:48:58nearly eight full games
00:49:00to set a record that remains unchallenged
00:49:03over three decades later
00:49:08in an era when violence and circus-like chaos
00:49:11began to reign over the nhl
00:49:13once our teams got on the map
00:49:15they went holy shit
00:49:16we better try to keep up with these guys
00:49:20every team would go out and try to find
00:49:23a couple of guys
00:49:24who would stand up for their team
00:49:26against the flyers
00:49:29so this arms race
00:49:30began
00:49:38there weren't rules against bench clearing
00:49:40third man in
00:49:41the instigator
00:49:42all those rules did not exist yet
00:49:44so it was a very much of a free for all type of hockey
00:49:48now they got the hand free
00:49:49now they got it free
00:49:514.8 is close to the ice
00:49:534.8 is close to the ice
00:49:55there weren't enough cops
00:49:58for the lawlessness on the ice at that stage
00:50:01this is becoming a ridiculous situation
00:50:03We were just ultimate fighters without the cage around us.
00:50:09I felt that the game was being desecrated.
00:50:13And now a fan gets involved and Ted Heron decked a fan.
00:50:16The fans should stay away and let the players settle their own squabble.
00:50:20What are they going to wake up and realize it?
00:50:22That guy should be gone.
00:50:24It wasn't really hockey anymore.
00:50:26This was a common lament directed at the Broad Street Bullies,
00:50:29whose conduct on the way to capturing their two Stanley Cups
00:50:32gave the league a black eye.
00:50:35They were the ugly villains in one of its darkest chapters.
00:50:39I thought he was going to go to the penalty box.
00:50:41They turned hockey into a roller derby, world wrestling, a bar fight.
00:50:49They're in the penalty box for me as a fan.
00:50:54Because they brawled their way to the cup in common parlance.
00:50:58To the purists, they represented everything evil.
00:51:02But the game was a disgrace.
00:51:06The league never expected to see that kind of thing happen.
00:51:09It did not sit very well with the hierarchy.
00:51:11I'm very upset with their styling.
00:51:14Florence Campbell had presided over the NHL since 1946.
00:51:18And in guiding the league through the expansion era,
00:51:21tripled its size and stature.
00:51:23But what was he to do about his punch-happy champions?
00:51:27To Campbell, the Flyers were both a burden and a blessing.
00:51:31I don't think he ever penalized the Flyers in any way that anybody thought was outrageous.
00:51:37Television audiences liked them.
00:51:39They were filling buildings.
00:51:41You go to L.A., you go to Oldham, they might have 8,000, 9,000 people in the Flyers
00:51:44show up.
00:51:44The building is sold out.
00:51:45They'd be sold out for weeks.
00:51:46There'd be lines around the block to get in to see us.
00:51:49They were big box office.
00:51:50The NHL smelled money with the Flyers.
00:51:54If they never won a championship, they wouldn't care.
00:51:57They would have just been angry at him.
00:51:58But that's what really pissed off the NHL office.
00:52:02Not only did they beat people up, they won a stinking Stanley Cup.
00:52:05Not one, but two.
00:52:07Yep.
00:52:10You think when Clarence Campbell, Mr. Clarence Campbell,
00:52:12had to hand that Stanley Cup to us, he was happy?
00:52:17Mr. Campbell certainly would not have been very happy about handing over the Stanley Cup
00:52:22to the Philadelphia Flyers in those two years.
00:52:24Absolutely not.
00:52:26I'm sure if he could, he would have handed it with one hand.
00:52:35They wanted us to win this game badly.
00:52:41That game was held January 11, 1976.
00:52:44As the nation prepared to celebrate its bicentennial,
00:52:48the two-time Stanley Cup champs played host to the powerful Soviet Red Army Club.
00:52:55The Cold War had been building between Eastern and Western powers for 30 years,
00:53:01a conflict expressed through military and economic competition.
00:53:05The battle for supremacy on the world stage also extended to athletics.
00:53:20The Red Army Club was unbeaten against three of the NHL's premier teams
00:53:24during a two-week North American tour.
00:53:31In the tension-filled finale, the Outlaw Flyers were suddenly asked to defend the honor of the National Hockey League.
00:53:41We were hated prior to that, but all of Canada suddenly was rooting for us.
00:53:46All of a sudden, we had Clarence Campbell in our locker room prior to the game.
00:53:51He said, listen, boys, our reputation is riding.
00:53:55You've got to win this game.
00:53:57We weren't too crazy that they were in our locker room.
00:53:59Being honest, we felt like saying, get out.
00:54:01We know what we've got to do.
00:54:03Some of the guys that I played against in 72 and hated were still on the team then,
00:54:07and I still hated them.
00:54:08So, for me, it was another chance to get after them.
00:54:12If we win, I'm going to be sky high,
00:54:14and if we lose, I think it'll be worse than dying.
00:54:17Flyers coach Fred Shiro had spent years studying the Soviet system
00:54:21and knew exactly how to counterattack the enemy.
00:54:25Rather than chasing the puck carrier,
00:54:28the Fogg instructed his players to throw up their own iron curtain at center ice.
00:54:32They can't seem to figure this out at all.
00:54:37And once they had stifled the Russians,
00:54:39it was time to dismantle them.
00:54:42The Russians have heard about us.
00:54:44They expect an aggressive game.
00:54:46Well, let's not send them home disappointed.
00:54:48Let's give it to them.
00:54:50Oh, my.
00:55:02But you didn't play us.
00:55:07They wanted to experience playing in the spectrum,
00:55:11and so we fulfilled their wishes for them.
00:55:17Ed Van Imp came out of the penalty box.
00:55:20All the way across the ice.
00:55:22And nailed Valerie Harlamov.
00:55:24And I'm all right, get him!
00:55:26Harlamov is reading the fuck with my band in!
00:55:29He ran into my elbow with his chin.
00:55:33And down he went.
00:55:35The Clavians are all standing up.
00:55:37They let him go.
00:55:38I ran into his elbow with his chin.
00:55:43Yo.
00:55:44Is his elbow okay or not?
00:55:48And there's no penalty.
00:55:50And that was it.
00:55:51Konstantin Lochtsev just got up and he says,
00:55:53oh, guys, we're going home.
00:55:55That's it.
00:55:55We're not going to finish this game.
00:55:56The Russian coach called Steve off the ice.
00:55:59They're leaving the ice.
00:56:00They're going home.
00:56:01The Scudians are leaving.
00:56:03They're going home.
00:56:04They're going home.
00:56:06Yeah.
00:56:07They're going home.
00:56:08You quit.
00:56:09You walk off.
00:56:12It took just a little more than half the first period
00:56:14for the Russians to retreat.
00:56:17We don't need this kind of hockey.
00:56:19This is anti-hockey.
00:56:20Hey, we're not going to put up with this.
00:56:22This is not hockey.
00:56:23This is warfare.
00:56:24I remember running for the press box down there
00:56:26and Ed Snyder went up to their coach
00:56:27and threw an interpreter.
00:56:28He said to him,
00:56:29tell them they're not going to get paid.
00:56:31You want to leave?
00:56:32Go ahead.
00:56:33You're not getting any money.
00:56:34And 15 minutes later,
00:56:35the Russian team appeared back on the ice.
00:56:38So the communists were a little bit more capitalistic
00:56:40than people thought.
00:56:44If they came back,
00:56:46we'd be more careful
00:56:47or we wouldn't play flyer hockey.
00:56:49But they were sadly mistaken.
00:56:53Just 17 seconds after returning to the ice,
00:56:56the Soviets were greeted by the rifle.
00:56:59Go, Kelly!
00:57:00The Broad Street Bullies,
00:57:03pride of the hockey-free world,
00:57:05outshot the Red Army Club 49-13
00:57:08on the way to a 4-1 victory.
00:57:14I don't drink vodka,
00:57:16but I did that night.
00:57:18There was a cartoon in the Pravda
00:57:21in the Russian paper
00:57:21of the flyers with huge clubs,
00:57:24how we beat their poor little Russian players.
00:57:26We loved it.
00:57:27We just loved it.
00:57:28We think we saved America,
00:57:29we saved Canada,
00:57:30we saved the hockey world,
00:57:32and all from the most unlikely
00:57:34bunch of guys you've ever met in their life.
00:57:37Wow.
00:57:40In a few years' span,
00:57:42they got their schools kicked in
00:57:47by Canadians and Americans.
00:57:50Way to go.
00:57:57Pages in length.
00:58:01They can't give Philadelphia Flyers
00:58:02the total credit for making this book
00:58:04be this thick versus what it used to be,
00:58:07but I can say this and guarantee it,
00:58:10they definitely played a part of some of it.
00:58:11By the late 1970s,
00:58:13the NHL rulebook was amended
00:58:16with language designed to clean up the game.
00:58:19The new laws surely robbed the Flyers of some punch,
00:58:23but then,
00:58:23so did the wear and tear
00:58:26of playing Flyer hockey.
00:58:28Still,
00:58:29no rule or injury could...
00:58:31that's the wear and tear
00:58:32of alcohol or drugs.
00:58:37Stopped the bullies
00:58:38from battling their way
00:58:39to a third straight Stanley Cup final
00:58:41in 1976.
00:58:43Waiting for them
00:58:44were the Montreal Canadiens.
00:58:46Original six royalty
00:58:48still holding claim
00:58:49to a more dignified game.
00:58:52The Canadians were the ones
00:58:53that were going to heaven
00:58:54and the Flyers were the ones
00:58:56that were going to hell.
00:58:57They were on a mission.
00:58:58They had to retake the Holy Grail
00:59:00from the heathens.
00:59:01There was no question
00:59:01that they had that kind of pressure on earth.
00:59:04Every decent hockey fan
00:59:06wanted these guys
00:59:07to be taught a lesson.
00:59:10And it took the Montreal Canadiens,
00:59:12Larry Robinson in particular,
00:59:15to take these guys to the woodshed.
00:59:18Going to school
00:59:19and this big bully keeps coming up
00:59:20and bothering you.
00:59:21How do you counteract that?
00:59:22You fight fire with fire.
00:59:24So we stood up to them.
00:59:26As they dispatched these thugs
00:59:29and it was a beautiful thing.
00:59:32Playing without injured stars
00:59:34Bernie Perrant and Rick McLeish,
00:59:37the Flyers were beaten
00:59:37in four straight.
00:59:39The series was closer
00:59:41than the sweep would suggest
00:59:42as three games were decided
00:59:44by just a goalie.
00:59:46Reggie Leach
00:59:47became the first non-goaltender
00:59:48on a losing team
00:59:49to be named playoff MVP.
00:59:52The Rifle's 19 postseason goals
00:59:54is a record that stands to this day.
00:59:58But the final bell
00:59:59had rung on the Flyers.
01:00:01The Canadians would go on
01:00:03to win four straight Stanley Cups,
01:00:05the establishing order
01:00:06in the NHL.
01:00:08As purists rejoiced
01:00:10in Philly's demise.
01:00:11Hey, hey, the Yankees,
01:00:13the Yankees of hockey.
01:00:17No shame in losing
01:00:18to the Canadians.
01:00:1917,007 strong
01:00:21stood in appreciation
01:00:23of their beloved bullies.
01:00:29The team hadn't yet left the Yankees.
01:00:31What an unoriginal name also.
01:00:34A team from Montreal
01:00:36is named the Canadians.
01:00:39There's a bunch of Canadians
01:00:40in hockey.
01:00:43Why are they the Canadians?
01:00:47They don't...
01:00:48There's no city
01:00:49called the Chicago Americans.
01:00:56...for its lasting impact
01:00:58had been felt.
01:01:01Our legacy now
01:01:03is exactly what it was then.
01:01:05Loved in one part of the world
01:01:07and hated everywhere else.
01:01:11And there isn't
01:01:12an apologetic bone
01:01:13in my body
01:01:14or anybody else's body
01:01:15on our team.
01:01:19I don't think we care.
01:01:20They can say
01:01:21whatever they want.
01:01:25We don't have to apologize.
01:01:34I wouldn't change
01:01:35the way we play
01:01:36for anything
01:01:36and I don't really care
01:01:37what people think.
01:01:38I mean, I'm proud
01:01:39of our history.
01:01:39I'm proud of what
01:01:40we accomplished.
01:01:42They weren't inside
01:01:44that black and orange uniform.
01:01:50And when you put that on,
01:01:51you didn't let that sweater
01:01:52touch the floor.
01:01:58In the late 1960s,
01:02:01a group of small-town Canucks
01:02:03cursed their misfortune
01:02:04as they were exiled
01:02:05to a hopeless Yankee city.
01:02:08Four decades
01:02:09and two championships later,
01:02:11they not only remained
01:02:12Philly's favored sons,
01:02:14but more than a dozen
01:02:15still call Broad Street
01:02:17home.
01:02:26The bullies may have
01:02:28bent a rule or two
01:02:29on their climb to the top,
01:02:31but the one that the team
01:02:33and its city
01:02:33have abided by
01:02:34is the chalky
01:02:35their route
01:02:37to their first cup.
01:02:44Together forever.
01:02:54The amazing thing is
01:02:57it's been a lot of years
01:02:59since we won that last cup.
01:03:03The people in the area
01:03:05still grasp us
01:03:08still hold us.
01:03:14Hey, they're the bullies.
01:03:17And they
01:03:18literally walk on water.
01:03:27that team was passed down
01:03:30from generation
01:03:32to generation
01:03:34in Philadelphia.
01:03:42my niece knows
01:03:44knows about
01:03:44Bob Clark
01:03:45and the Watson brothers.
01:03:48And she's 10.
01:03:50They're indelible
01:03:50in people's minds.
01:03:51surprised.
01:03:52They're not
01:03:55I don't know.
01:04:25I don't know.
01:04:32I don't know.
01:04:33There's a lot to be grateful for.
01:04:37The memories will stay with us forever.
01:05:08The memories will stay with us forever.
01:05:18The memories will stay with us forever.
01:05:18The memories will stay with us forever.
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