In 1967, the Philadelphia Flyers began playing as an expansion team in the National Hockey League. They were the first team that was not part of the Original six to win a Stanley Cup, and have to their credit two Stanley Cup wins total. The Flyers also have fifteen Division Championships and eight conference Championships. As of 2010, the team had the second best winning average in the league and playoff appearances of all of the expansion teams.
The Philadelphia Flyers play their home games at the Wells Fargo Center which seats 19,537 fans for hockey games. The arena was built at a cost of more than 200 million dollars and has also been known in the past as the CoreStates Center, First Union Center, and the Wachovia Center before becoming the Wells Fargo Center in 2010 after the two corporations merged.
The Flyers are one of few teams that have no mascot. They did employ one briefly, however the mascot only lasted for one season and the team got rid of him. They occasionally had appearances by their minor league affiliate team’s mascot but since the team has moved they have not found a replacement.
Off the ice, the Philadelphia Flyers are active in their community, participating in and running a number of hockey themed programs to improve the lives of area youth and the underserved. They help raise funds and awareness in the fight against cancer and make hospital visits as well as helping underprivileged families through the holiday season.
The team has several different programs for fans of all ages, giving everyone a chance to play hockey by providing camps for youngsters and older children as well. The Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival is a popular yearly event that is organized and put on by player’s wives. The event has raised almost 22 million dollars since its inception 32 years ago.
The Philadelphia Flyers are also known for being one of only two teams to try wearing the Cooperalls as part of their uniforms. Unlike regular hockey uniforms, the Cooperalls were pants that extended all the way from the waist to the ankle. They wore the uniforms for two seasons before returning to the traditional style used by the rest of the league.
The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the most successful teams in the league, making it to the post season more often than not. They amaze, entertain, and delight their fans year after year during their electrifying games and off the ice as they help out by giving back to the community that supports them so loyally.
2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers
After losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008-09 NHL in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Flyers have regrouped. They went out and signed troubled goalie Ray Emery to a 1-year deal and traded for former Hart and Norris Trophy winner Chris Pronger. The Flyers had the privilege of playing in the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park against the Boston Bruins although the Bruins won the game 2-1.
The Flyers have gotten off to a strong start as with both Jeff Carter and Mike Richards leading the team with 22 goals apiece. The team is currently sitting in 7th place in the Eastern Conference with a 29-25-3 record. It was recently announced that Hockey Canada has invited Chris Pronger, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter to compete for a spot on Canada’s National Hockey Team.
Previous Seasons
It seems like the Flyers want to shake things up a bit this season. They have sacked Older GM Bobby Clarke, and have improved on a slow defense. More than that, they have taken steps to improve their sub-par goaltending, all adding up to what will be an exciting ’08. They were quite quick during the draft, nabbing free agents Timonen and Scott Hartnell, but the most interesting is goaltender Martin Biron, who is expected to sort things out on the ice. Philadelphia has also signed former Sabre Daniel Briere to an eight-year deal. Fans will definitely want to check out the results to all the changes the Flyers are doing.
Philadelphia Flyers tickets came within a heartbeat of delivering a Stanley Cup Finals appearance to Philadelphia hockey fans in the Flyers last campaign. Did the Flyers rest on their laurels and sit pat, thinking they were good enough. No way. Flyers GM Bob Clarke bit the bullet, tossing aside veterans like John LeClair and Tony Amante, and banking on the future with Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, two promising draft choices that played key roles in helping the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Flyers farm team, win the Calder Trophy. The result? Buying Flyers tickets may be the first step to getting your hands on Stanley Cup Finals tickets.
The Philadelphia Flyers came to town in 1967, ending a long drought for hockey fans. The City of Brotherly Love was part of a six team expansion that saw the NHL double in size, an ambitious program to bring hockey to the masses. Competing in the Western Division, the Flyers finished on top the all-expansion grouping with a 31-32-11 record. Tough as nails, that first Flyers team pushed the St. Louis Blues to the limit, losing their first NHL Playoff series after seven games.
It didn't take the Flyers long to establish themselves in the NHL. By the 1973-74 season the Flyers were a brawling beast, earning the nickname of "The Broad Street Bullies" with their tough and aggressive style of play. The regular season was a combat zone as the Flyers finished 50-16-12 behind the play of Bernie Parent, the NHL's top goalie. Heading into the NHL Playoffs, the Flyers first victim was the Atlanta Flames, snuffed out in a four game sweep. The New York Rangers were a lot tougher though, and it took seven games for the Flyers to prevail, punching their Stanley Cup Finals tickets with a home win on the ice of The Spectrum. A 1-1 split with the Boston Bruins to open the Stanley Cup Finals broke wide open as the Flyers took advantage of the home crowd to lead the series 3-1. Though the Bruins fought back to win Game 5, the Flyers first Stanley Cup came home with a win at The Spectrum in Game 6.
The Flyers pounded their way through the NHL to another Stanley Cup in 1975. A 51 win campaign in the new Patrick Division gave the Flyers a first round bye in the NHL Playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs fell in four games. Philadelphia ran out to 3-0 lead in their series against the New York Islanders, only to watch in dismay as the boys from the Big Apple rallied for wins in the next three to force Game 7. Rebounding with a 4-1 win, the Flyers headed for their second straight Stanley Cup Finals pitted against the Buffalo Sabres. Though Buffalo would even the series at 2-2, the Flyers won their second Stanley Cup with a win in Game 6.
Philadelphia Flyers tickets, already one of the NHL's best ticket buys, hit the stratosphere when the Flyers went on a signing spree, landing Derian Hatcher of the Detroit Red Wings, Mike Rathje of the San Antonio Sharks, and brought Chris Therien home from Dallas. NHL hockey pundits are now pointing to the Wachovia Center as the road to the Stanley Cup. Can the Flyers live up to the hype? Get your Philadelphia Flyers tickets now and find out.
