Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Retired Jerseys, Firebirds, Sunday Fan Poll

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Retired Jerseys, Firebirds, Sunday Fan Poll
- bmeltzer

I like the Flyers policy of, except for Ashbee who was a special case, only retiring the numbers of Hall of Famers. I do think that Big E will eventually get into the Hall and when that day comes, I expect #88 will head up into the rafters.

As per JMatchett’s suggestion, here is the Top 10 powerplay performers in Flyers history.

1. Tim Kerr RW – Quickest release on a wrist shot I have ever seen. Combine that with the brute strength of an ox and a nose for the net and you have a powerplay goal scoring machine! Kerr still holds the NHL record for pp goals in one season with 34 in 85-86. Kerr was constantly hacked and held as he was just about impossible to stop legally, yet he still seemed to score at will. Had injuries not cost him hundreds of games, Kerr would have easily eclipsed 500 goals.

2. Mark Howe D – The ultimate pp quarterback from the point, Howe was dangerous not only for his excellent playmaking ability, but also for his lethal and extremely accurate wrist shot. Howe was as good as anyone I have ever seen at getting his shot on net through traffic. The combo of Kerr down low and Howe at the point was nearly impossible to defend in the mid 80s.

3. Bobby Clarke C – Clarke was the ultimate playmaker and had the uncanny knack of always finding the open man in the offensive zone. He still holds the Flyers record for assists in one season with 89 in both 74-75 and 75-76. Clarke’s ability to always find Barber, Leach or Macleish with perfect passes fueled the Flyer’s pp in the mid 70s.

4. Eric Lindros C – Lindros was an offensive machine both on the pp and at even strength. His physical strength was legendary and he was an excellent playmaker. He possessed a wicked wrist shot, excellent slap shot and a flat out scary backhand. Once he took possession of the puck down low in the zone, it was basically impossible to knock him off of it.

5. John LeClair LW – LeClair’s game was very similar to Kerrs, though I don’t think he was quite as strong as the powerful Kerr. LeClair also had a great release and ability to always find an opening and bury the puck in the net. The 1-2 combo of he and Lindros down low, gave opposing dmen fits.

6. Reggie Leach RW – Leach had one of the most overpowering shots I ever witnessed, it was so hard that you could actually see opposing goalies flinch when he went into his windup. Leach had a great knack for finding an open spot in the offensive zone and he knew it was only a matter of time that Clarke would set him up for that wicked shot. His incredible 19 goals in the 76 playoffs is still a Flyers record and was a performance for the ages.

7. Chris Pronger D – Pronger wasn’t here long, but when he was he was the engine that drove the Flyers pp. Pronger was just so damned smart with puck, he seemed to always know the right time to shoot and the right time to pass. Much like Howe, his shots were rarely blocked and he almost always hit the net.

8. Bill Barber LW – The best 2 way winger in Flyers history, Barber was the QB on the point on the Flyers pp in the 70s. Barber was a excellent passer and extremely adept at sliding down low for a quick shot from just inside the top of the circle. A phenomenal all around player, Barber was vital on the pp and as a penalty killer.

9. Pelle Eklund LW/C – Eklund was the man who assisted on nearly all of Kerr’s 34 pp goals in 85-86. Next to Clarke and Peter Forsberg, he was as good a set-up man as anyone who ever wore the orange and black.

10. Rick Macleish C/LW – Macleish combined with Clarke, Leach, Barber and Tom Bladon to form an absolutely scary pp in the mid 70s. A streaky player, when Macleish was on his game, he was as good as any player in the league. His wrist shot was incredibly accurate and heavy and he had the uncanny ability to fire a shot right off the faceoff and into the net. He was also a very good and underrated playmaker.

Just missed the cut:
Claude Giroux C – Give him a couple more years, and he will be on this list. His skills are awesome.
Kimmo Timonen D – Excellent pp QB, never makes a bad decision with the puck
Peter Forsberg C – If he had played more than 1 season, he would have made the top 10.
Bob Dailey D – The “Count’s” shot from the point was a cannon.

If only Lindros didnt have all of his off-ice problems, and had a lengthy, healthy flyers' career

The boys are back in town


Welcome to the jungle

I know he didn't put up superstar numbers but I think for his leadership and display of heart which is second to none in a flyers uniform, Dave Poulin should be considered.
Yes lindros should be retired despite all the negatives, he gave us about 5 years of amazing hockey. The most all around talented and dominate player to put on the orange and black.

88 will be retired eventually. It's only a matter of time.

If Gagne's 2nd run as a Flyer lasts long enough I think #12 could be retired someday too.

88 will be retired eventually. It's only a matter of time.

If Gagne's 2nd run as a Flyer lasts long enough I think #12 could be retired someday too.
- Coburns_Nose

Doubtful. Gagne's not likely to make the Hal of Fame, and that's the primary criteria-Howe was certainly deserving before enshrinement in the HHOF, as was Bill Barber, but both had to wait until they got enshrined in the HHOF before having their numbers retired. Gagne's probably not going to join them.

As per JMatchett’s suggestion, here is the Top 10 powerplay performers in Flyers history.

1. Tim Kerr RW – Quickest release on a wrist shot I have ever seen. Combine that with the brute strength of an ox and a nose for the net and you have a powerplay goal scoring machine! Kerr still holds the NHL record for pp goals in one season with 34 in 85-86. Kerr was constantly hacked and held as he was just about impossible to stop legally, yet he still seemed to score at will. Had injuries not cost him hundreds of games, Kerr would have easily eclipsed 500 goals.

2. Mark Howe D – The ultimate pp quarterback from the point, Howe was dangerous not only for his excellent playmaking ability, but also for his lethal and extremely accurate wrist shot. Howe was as good as anyone I have ever seen at getting his shot on net through traffic. The combo of Kerr down low and Howe at the point was nearly impossible to defend in the mid 80s.

3. Bobby Clarke C – Clarke was the ultimate playmaker and had the uncanny knack of always finding the open man in the offensive zone. He still holds the Flyers record for assists in one season with 89 in both 74-75 and 75-76. Clarke’s ability to always find Barber, Leach or Macleish with perfect passes fueled the Flyer’s pp in the mid 70s.

4. Eric Lindros C – Lindros was an offensive machine both on the pp and at even strength. His physical strength was legendary and he was an excellent playmaker. He possessed a wicked wrist shot, excellent slap shot and a flat out scary backhand. Once he took possession of the puck down low in the zone, it was basically impossible to knock him off of it.

5. John LeClair LW – LeClair’s game was very similar to Kerrs, though I don’t think he was quite as strong as the powerful Kerr. LeClair also had a great release and ability to always find an opening and bury the puck in the net. The 1-2 combo of he and Lindros down low, gave opposing dmen fits.

6. Reggie Leach RW – Leach had one of the most overpowering shots I ever witnessed, it was so hard that you could actually see opposing goalies flinch when he went into his windup. Leach had a great knack for finding an open spot in the offensive zone and he knew it was only a matter of time that Clarke would set him up for that wicked shot. His incredible 19 goals in the 76 playoffs is still a Flyers record and was a performance for the ages.

7. Chris Pronger D – Pronger wasn’t here long, but when he was he was the engine that drove the Flyers pp. Pronger was just so damned smart with puck, he seemed to always know the right time to shoot and the right time to pass. Much like Howe, his shots were rarely blocked and he almost always hit the net.

8. Bill Barber LW – The best 2 way winger in Flyers history, Barber was the QB on the point on the Flyers pp in the 70s. Barber was a excellent passer and extremely adept at sliding down low for a quick shot from just inside the top of the circle. A phenomenal all around player, Barber was vital on the pp and as a penalty killer.

9. Pelle Eklund LW/C – Eklund was the man who assisted on nearly all of Kerr’s 34 pp goals in 85-86. Next to Clarke and Peter Forsberg, he was as good a set-up man as anyone who ever wore the orange and black.

10. Rick Macleish C/LW – Macleish combined with Clarke, Leach, Barber and Tom Bladon to form an absolutely scary pp in the mid 70s. A streaky player, when Macleish was on his game, he was as good as any player in the league. His wrist shot was incredibly accurate and heavy and he had the uncanny ability to fire a shot right off the faceoff and into the net. He was also a very good and underrated playmaker.

Just missed the cut:
Claude Giroux C – Give him a couple more years, and he will be on this list. His skills are awesome.
Kimmo Timonen D – Excellent pp QB, never makes a bad decision with the puck
Peter Forsberg C – If he had played more than 1 season, he would have made the top 10.
Bob Dailey D – The “Count’s” shot from the point was a cannon.
- BiggE

unstoppable when healthy...would dominate in today's game

Tocchet?

Just so everyone knows, resident favorite Travis Yost has been attacked across all media platforms of the web by Euge Melnyk and associates, you can't comment on his blogs without someone removing comments, now they're locked, and his twitter and every blog he ever wrote dating back to May 2010 was deleted from hockeybuzz in an attack.

This, shortly following a set of weird phishing attempts trying to get his IP address.

Point being, the idiotic old man has paid some ukranians he works with in a charity to attempt to wipe anything Yost has to say about his shady practices and his leveraging of the Sens to support his failing businesses from the internet.

See full details on this blog on scribd:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/162935061/Hacker

I'll be posting this in every thread so as many people are aware as possible.

I know he didn't put up superstar numbers but I think for his leadership and display of heart which is second to none in a flyers uniform, Dave Poulin should be considered.
Yes lindros should be retired despite all the negatives, he gave us about 5 years of amazing hockey. The most all around talented and dominate player to put on the orange and black.
- JoeRussomanno

Agree about Poulin. I wish he was in our organization.

Just so everyone knows, resident favorite Travis Yost has been attacked across all media platforms of the web by Euge Melnyk and associates, you can't comment on his blogs without someone removing comments, now they're locked, and his twitter and every blog he ever wrote dating back to May 2010 was deleted from hockeybuzz in an attack.

This, shortly following a set of weird phishing attempts trying to get his IP address.

Point being, the idiotic old man has paid some ukranians he works with in a charity to attempt to wipe anything Yost has to say about his shady practices and his leveraging of the Sens to support his failing businesses from the internet.

See full details on this blog on scribd:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/162935061/Hacker

I'll be posting this in every thread so as many people are aware as possible.
- TommyDeVito

That's asinine. Sounds like Peter Pocklington and Howard Hughes had a kid and he owns the Senators

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Retired Jerseys, Firebirds, Sunday Fan Poll
- bmeltzer

5 & 21


but seriously i voted for 88. It would just be too weird to see someone else wear it.

Just so everyone knows, resident favorite Travis Yost has been attacked across all media platforms of the web by Euge Melnyk and associates, you can't comment on his blogs without someone removing comments, now they're locked, and his twitter and every blog he ever wrote dating back to May 2010 was deleted from hockeybuzz in an attack.

This, shortly following a set of weird phishing attempts trying to get his IP address.

Point being, the idiotic old man has paid some ukranians he works with in a charity to attempt to wipe anything Yost has to say about his shady practices and his leveraging of the Sens to support his failing businesses from the internet.

See full details on this blog on scribd:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/162935061/Hacker

I'll be posting this in every thread so as many people are aware as possible.
- TommyDeVito

YES!!!!!!
Hockeybuzz, home of the International Conspiracy

I think the Flyers should sign Lindros to a one day contract so he can officially retire as a Flyer and when he goes into the HOF his number will be raised.

Regardless of which teams are playing, Gary Glitter's Rock & Roll, Part 2 immediately evokes an image of Don Cherry drawing a mustache, beard and devil's horns on Ray Miron on my team photo when he autographed it.

Imo Eric lindros is the best player to ever play for the flyers.His number should be up in the rafters.

Imo Eric lindros is the best player to ever play for the flyers.His number should be up in the rafters.
- richiewinthecup

I agree he is the best player to ever play for the Flyers. But until he is in the HHOF, his number isn't going up anywhere...and that is the way it should be.

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Retired Jerseys, Firebirds, Sunday Fan Poll
- bmeltzer

I'd lean towards none or they should be in the HOF to have it retired.

Just so everyone knows, resident favorite Travis Yost has been attacked across all media platforms of the web by Euge Melnyk and associates, you can't comment on his blogs without someone removing comments, now they're locked, and his twitter and every blog he ever wrote dating back to May 2010 was deleted from hockeybuzz in an attack.

This, shortly following a set of weird phishing attempts trying to get his IP address.

Point being, the idiotic old man has paid some ukranians he works with in a charity to attempt to wipe anything Yost has to say about his shady practices and his leveraging of the Sens to support his failing businesses from the internet.

See full details on this blog on scribd:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/162935061/Hacker

I'll be posting this in every thread so as many people are aware as possible.
- TommyDeVito

Wow, that's terrible. Yost's a daily must read for me. Has Eklund said anything?

I'd lean towards none or they should be in the HOF to have it retired.
- ob18

This.

I'd be fine if they followed only this criteria. Eric will have his day when he gets into the HHOF someday.

In the spirit of answering the question, however, I voted for #12, just by virtue of the contributions on and off the ice of Dorny (the guy that had the statue at the Spectrum), Timmy Kerr (probably the most underrated great athlete in Philadelphia sports history, IMO), and Simon Gagne (scored some huge, memorable goals in Flyers history).

Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: Retired Jerseys, Firebirds, Sunday Fan Poll
- bmeltzer

lindbergh is of course my sentimental choice, but i don't think his number will ever be officially retired. lindros and macleish/hextall could and probably should be next. i'm not a big fan of retiring jersey numbers, but they're worthy for different reasons.

had no idea eruzione played minor pro hockey before joining the Olympic squad. i see he also played for the toledo goaldiggers - and he presumably got paid. confused, because i mistakenly believed that the olympics were purely amateur players at that time.

as for the music - right back where we started from is the only song that comes to mind that makes me immediately and specifically think of hockey. i'm a big fan of youngblood, despite it's slight cheese and bad hockey sequences, yet i can't think of single song from the film. i wish all music would go the way of the dodo at the arena with the exception of the anthems and whatever the organ player plays. now that i thinking about it, i suppose god bless america and the rocky theme song also makes me think of hockey, specifically when the flyers are trailing late in the game on home ice. it rarely helps.

As per JMatchett’s suggestion, here is the Top 10 powerplay performers in Flyers history.

1. Tim Kerr RW – Quickest release on a wrist shot I have ever seen. Combine that with the brute strength of an ox and a nose for the net and you have a powerplay goal scoring machine! Kerr still holds the NHL record for pp goals in one season with 34 in 85-86. Kerr was constantly hacked and held as he was just about impossible to stop legally, yet he still seemed to score at will. Had injuries not cost him hundreds of games, Kerr would have easily eclipsed 500 goals.

2. Mark Howe D – The ultimate pp quarterback from the point, Howe was dangerous not only for his excellent playmaking ability, but also for his lethal and extremely accurate wrist shot. Howe was as good as anyone I have ever seen at getting his shot on net through traffic. The combo of Kerr down low and Howe at the point was nearly impossible to defend in the mid 80s.

3. Bobby Clarke C – Clarke was the ultimate playmaker and had the uncanny knack of always finding the open man in the offensive zone. He still holds the Flyers record for assists in one season with 89 in both 74-75 and 75-76. Clarke’s ability to always find Barber, Leach or Macleish with perfect passes fueled the Flyer’s pp in the mid 70s.

4. Eric Lindros C – Lindros was an offensive machine both on the pp and at even strength. His physical strength was legendary and he was an excellent playmaker. He possessed a wicked wrist shot, excellent slap shot and a flat out scary backhand. Once he took possession of the puck down low in the zone, it was basically impossible to knock him off of it.

5. John LeClair LW – LeClair’s game was very similar to Kerrs, though I don’t think he was quite as strong as the powerful Kerr. LeClair also had a great release and ability to always find an opening and bury the puck in the net. The 1-2 combo of he and Lindros down low, gave opposing dmen fits.

6. Reggie Leach RW – Leach had one of the most overpowering shots I ever witnessed, it was so hard that you could actually see opposing goalies flinch when he went into his windup. Leach had a great knack for finding an open spot in the offensive zone and he knew it was only a matter of time that Clarke would set him up for that wicked shot. His incredible 19 goals in the 76 playoffs is still a Flyers record and was a performance for the ages.

7. Chris Pronger D – Pronger wasn’t here long, but when he was he was the engine that drove the Flyers pp. Pronger was just so damned smart with puck, he seemed to always know the right time to shoot and the right time to pass. Much like Howe, his shots were rarely blocked and he almost always hit the net.

8. Bill Barber LW – The best 2 way winger in Flyers history, Barber was the QB on the point on the Flyers pp in the 70s. Barber was a excellent passer and extremely adept at sliding down low for a quick shot from just inside the top of the circle. A phenomenal all around player, Barber was vital on the pp and as a penalty killer.

9. Pelle Eklund LW/C – Eklund was the man who assisted on nearly all of Kerr’s 34 pp goals in 85-86. Next to Clarke and Peter Forsberg, he was as good a set-up man as anyone who ever wore the orange and black.

10. Rick Macleish C/LW – Macleish combined with Clarke, Leach, Barber and Tom Bladon to form an absolutely scary pp in the mid 70s. A streaky player, when Macleish was on his game, he was as good as any player in the league. His wrist shot was incredibly accurate and heavy and he had the uncanny ability to fire a shot right off the faceoff and into the net. He was also a very good and underrated playmaker.

Just missed the cut:
Claude Giroux C – Give him a couple more years, and he will be on this list. His skills are awesome.
Kimmo Timonen D – Excellent pp QB, never makes a bad decision with the puck
Peter Forsberg C – If he had played more than 1 season, he would have made the top 10.
Bob Dailey D – The “Count’s” shot from the point was a cannon.
- BiggE

Lindros had that unbelievable one-timer that he would unfurl that was pretty much a goal if it was on net.

what do you do when all the numbers are retired?