Bobby Clarke
Encyclopedia
Robert Earle Clarke, OC
(born August 13, 1949), better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
centre
who played his entire National Hockey League
(NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers
and is currently an executive with the team. During his 15 season playing career, he led the Flyers to two Stanley Cup
s and was awarded the Hart Trophy as league MVP three times. A 1987 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame
, Clarke was rated number 24 on The Hockey News
' list of The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time in 1998.
A talented playmaker, he had three 100-point seasons, twice led the league in assists, and played in eight NHL All-Star Games. He was also a great defensive player, a great checker, and one of the best in the face-off circle. One of the game's great leaders, Clarke was the captain of the notorious Broad Street Bullies during their heyday in the mid-1970s
. The Bullies were a reflection of their captain, who had a tireless work ethic and a strong will to win even if it meant breaking the rules. The latter, some say, is exemplified best by Clarke's infamous slash to the ankle of Valeri Kharlamov during the Summit Series
in 1972, which is still a source of controversy to the present day.
Clarke retired following the 1983–84 season with 358 goals and 852 assists for a total of 1210 points in 1144 games, and immediately became general manager of the Flyers. He spent 19 of the following 23 seasons as a GM of the Flyers, also briefly serving as GM of the Minnesota North Stars
and Florida Panthers
, and reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times with the Flyers and once with Minnesota. His time as an NHL GM had its share of controversy, perhaps none greater than the rift between him and star player Eric Lindros
during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He resigned from the GM position less than a month into the 2006–07 season and is currently the Flyers Senior Vice President.
Born in the small northern Manitoban mining town of Flin Flon, Clarke began playing organized hockey when he was eight years old. Around the time he was 12 or 13 years old, he learned he had diabetes
. Even though he progressed into a highly touted prospect playing for the Flin Flon Bombers
, leading the league in which the Bombers played in scoring in each of his last three years of junior hockey, NHL teams feared Clarke would never be able to play in the NHL because of his diabetes. Bombers coach Pat Ginnell
took Clarke to the Mayo Clinic
in Minnesota
following the 1967–68 season and the doctors concluded that as long as he took care of himself he could play professionally. Ginnell asked the doctors to write that statement down and when NHL scouts came to watch the Bombers play during the 1968–69 season, Ginnell showed them the doctor's verdict.
Even with such assurances Clarke fell to the second round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft
and was finally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers
17th overall. After Gerry Melnyk
, a scout and administrative assistant with the Flyers, tried to convince general manager Bud Poile
to draft Clarke with their first round pick and failed — Poile drafted Bob Currier
instead, a player who retired five years later and, ironically, never played a game in the NHL — Melnyk called a diabetes specialist in Philadelphia who said Clarke would be fine if he looked after his health. Melnyk then successfully convinced Poile to draft Clarke when the Flyers second round pick came around. The Detroit Red Wings
and Montreal Canadiens
immediately offered the Flyers a deal for Clarke, Detroit offering two veteran players and Montreal offering a deal "Flyers management could hardly refuse." The Flyers refused both offers and made it clear Clarke was not for sale.
. He recorded his first point on October 22 against the Toronto Maple Leafs
, an assist on Lew Morrison
's 3rd period goal, and he scored his first goal on October 30 against the New York Rangers
, beating Rangers goaltender Ed Giacomin 16:36 into the 3rd period. Clarke played the entire 76-game schedule his rookie season, recording 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) and earning a trip to the NHL All-Star Game. Clarke led the Flyers in scoring during his sophomore season, 1970–71, with 27 goals and 36 assists for a total of 63 points in 77 games. His efforts helped the Flyers make the playoffs, but Clarke was held scoreless in his first playoff action and the Flyers lost in four games to the Chicago Black Hawks
.
A tooth abscess
was the cause of a slow start to the 1971–72 season; 20 pounds underweight, Clarke only managed 5 goals and 11 assists 31 games into the season. He rebounded over the final 47 games, scoring 30 goals and 35 assists and bringing his totals to 35 goals and 46 assists. His dedication was rewarded when he became the first Flyer to win a major NHL award, the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
, and the Flyers re-signed him to a five-year contract worth $100,000 per season, a raise of $75,000 per season.
A few months following his strong play during the Summit Series
for Team Canada
, Clarke was named the Flyers' captain at age 23, the youngest to ever assume that role in NHL history at the time. As leader of the brawling Broad Street Bullies, Clarke became the first player from an expansion team
to score more than 100 points in a season, 104 points (37 goals, 67 assists) total. Facing the Minnesota North Stars
in the first round, the Flyers and Clarke received a scare, as he was hit in the eye with a stick which broke his contact lens and was rushed to the hospital. After removing parts of his broken contact from under the eye, Clarke returned to the lineup the next game despite having suffered a scratched cornea, and the Flyers won their first playoff series. The Flyers lost to the Montreal Canadiens
during the next round, but Clarke was later awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy
as the league's MVP.
Clarke's production fell to 87 points in 77 games during the 1973–74 regular season, but his leadership and Bernie Parent
's stellar goaltending led the Flyers to the second best record in the league and to the Stanley Cup Finals to play the team with the best record, the Boston Bruins
. After losing Game 1, Clarke scored arguably the biggest goal of his career in overtime of Game 2, putting a rebound shot in over Bruins goaltender Gilles Gilbert
. The Flyers won three of the next four games and became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup
. Clarke was later awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award
as the players MVP. Clarke set the NHL record, at the time, for most assists by a centreman with 89 during the 1974–75 season on his way to a 116 point season. The Flyers returned to the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated the Buffalo Sabres
in six games, repeating as Stanley Cup champions. In addition to the second championship, Clarke was awarded the Hart Trophy for the second time.
1975–76 was a record breaking season for Clarke. Playing on the LCB line with Reggie Leach
and Bill Barber
, the trio set a record for most goals by a line with 141. He also tied his mark of the previous season with 89 assists and set a personal best and franchise record for most points in a single season with 119 (later broken by Mark Recchi
in 1992–93). The Flyers, without Parent and Rick MacLeish
, returned to the Finals, but were swept by Montreal. Clarke was awarded the Hart Trophy one final time as the league's MVP. Clarke's production would drop off over the next few seasons; in fact, his point total fell six seasons in a row. But the Flyers remained contenders, reaching the semifinals and losing to Boston in 1976–77 and 1977–78.
After a quarterfinal loss to the Rangers in 1978–79, Clarke was named an assistant coach. In order to become an assistant he had to give up the captaincy due to NHL rules, so Mel Bridgman
was named the 4th captain in Flyers history. His first season as a playing assistant coach, 1979–80, saw the Flyers go on an undefeated streak of 35 games, not only the longest in NHL history, but the longest in North American professional sports history. The Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the New York Islanders
in six games. During the playoffs, Clarke scored 8 goals and assisted on 12 others in 19 games, all 8 goals coming on the power play. Following the playoffs, Clarke was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy
along with Flyers owner Ed Snider
and former Flyers coach Fred Shero
.
Clarke wore the number 16 throughout his entire NHL career except for two games during the season. Prior to a road game on February 27, 1981, Clarke's jersey was stolen. Clarke wore the only other jersey available, number 36, in the next two games. A month later, Clarke hit a personal milestone in memorable fashion. On March 19 during a game against the Boston Bruins
, a Reggie Leach slapshot struck Clarke. After leaving the ice, he re-appeared moments later stitched up and with his jersey covered in blood. 31 seconds into the third period Clarke beat Bruins goalie Marco Baron
for his 19th goal of the season and his 1000th career point.
Despite his diabetes and hard-nosed play, Clarke proved to be remarkably durable. A broken foot suffered during the 1981–82 season limited him to 62 games, the only time in his career he played fewer than 70 games in a season. No longer an assistant coach, Clarke reassumed the captaincy from Bill Barber during . He skated in his 1000th career game on October 23, 1982 against the Pittsburgh Penguins
. Clarke had his best season since 1977–78, scoring 85 points in 80 games. He also won the Frank J. Selke Trophy
, given annually to the league's best defensive forward. After the Flyers were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the third straight season in and the general manager position opened up after Bob McCammon
resigned, Clarke retired on May 15, 1984 to become the General Manager of the Flyers.
in 1972, captained the Canadian team to gold at the 1976 Canada Cup
, and won a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championships. In addition, he led the Flyers to the only outright victory over the Soviet Union's best team, Soviet Red Army, during the 1976 Super Series
, and took part in the 1979 Challenge Cup
with the NHL All-Stars. After his playing career, he served as one of Canada's four general managers during the 1987
and 1991 Canada Cup
s and served as Canada's lone GM during the 1998 Winter Olympics
.
and Paul Henderson
turned out to be Canada's best during the series, Clarke tallying two goals and four assists in the eight game series won by Canada as well as being awarded Team Canada MVP in game one of the series. Clarke's play earned the respect of many during the series, Henderson saying, "The best thing that could have happened to Ronnie (Ellis) and me was to get this young kid making plays for us. He was terrific!" Wayne Cashman
would add, "There were guys on Team Canada who took their game to new heights in that series. A perfect example would be Bobby Clarke." The Soviet team's assistant coach, Boris Kulagin, thought Clarke was Canada's best player. Clarke's strong play was largely attributed to the fact that, unlike many of the Canadian players, Clarke reported to training camp in top physical condition, as he had always followed a strict off-season training regimen. Though he earned much praise due to his play, he was also criticized for an incident during the sixth game which is often referred to as, "The Slash."
Clarke's line played against the line of the Soviet's top player, Valeri Kharlamov, during the entire series. After being on the receiving end of some stick work from Kharlamov while going for the puck, Clarke caught up with Kharlamov and laid a two-handed slash across his already sore ankle. The slash broke Kharlamov's ankle and, though he finished the game, he missed the seventh game and was largely ineffective in the eighth. When asked about the slash years later, Clarke said, "If I hadn't learned to lay on a two-hander once in a while, I'd never have left Flin Flon." 30 years after the series, Henderson criticized Clarke, calling the slash, "the low point of the series." Clarke responded saying that he thought it was "improper to criticize a teammate thirty years later," and that he did not "understand why he would bring it up now." Henderson has since retracted his criticism. Kharlamov, prior to his death in 1981, said he thought Clarke was tasked with "taking me out of the game." John Ferguson, Sr.
, an assistant coach with Team Canada in 1972, said, "I called Clarke over to the bench, looked over at Kharlamov and said, 'I think he needs a tap on the ankle.' I didn't think twice about it. It was Us versus Them. And Kharlamov was killing us. I mean, somebody had to do it. And I sure wasn't going to ask Henderson." Clarke, however, does not recall Ferguson telling him this.
in Nagano, the first time NHLers would compete in the Olympics. A few of Clarke's choices were the source of some consternation, in particular omitting Mark Messier
in favour of surprise selection Rob Zamuner
and choosing 24-year-old Eric Lindros
as the team's captain over the likes of Wayne Gretzky
, Ray Bourque
, and Steve Yzerman
. Ranked number one going into the tournament, Team Canada played strongly until being stymied by Czech goaltender Dominik Hašek
in the semifinals, losing in a shootout. They then lost 3–2 to Finland in the bronze medal match.
and 1987
. After making the playoffs in each of his first five seasons in the front office, the Flyers fell off during the 1989–90 season and missed the playoffs. Flyers President Jay Snider fired Clarke following the season and Clarke moved on to the Minnesota North Stars
and spent two seasons as the North Stars GM, one of which saw a surprise run to the Finals in 1991
. Leaving Minnesota, Clarke returned to Philadelphia to assume the role of Senior Vice President during the 1992–93 season, and served as a mentor for young phenom Eric Lindros during his first season. Clarke moved on shortly after and took the general manager position with the expansion Florida Panthers
, a team which set the expansion team record for wins and points during a season in 1993–94. He returned to the role of Flyers GM prior to the 1994–95 season (Florida was compensated with cash and Philadelphia's second-round draft pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft
), and he rebuilt the team into a Cup contender. Though the Flyers only reached the Finals once (1997
) during his second tenure as Flyers GM, the Flyers made the playoffs 11 seasons in a row. Following a poor start to the 2006–07 season, Clarke resigned citing a possible burnout and a lack of desire. Clarke returned to the franchise on December 4, 2006 and was named Senior Vice President.
winners between the pipes (Pelle Lindbergh
and Ron Hextall
), only Hextall in 1995, a combination of Hextall and Garth Snow
in 1997, Brian Boucher
in 2000, and Robert Esche
in 2004 got the Flyers past the second round of the playoffs during his second stint. To make matters worse the New Jersey Devils
, their Atlantic Division
rivals, were stable in net with Martin Brodeur
and beat the Flyers twice on the way to that franchise's first two Stanley Cups in 1995 and 2000.
Clarke received his harshest criticism after first round playoff exits, including a string of four in five years from 1998 to 2002, and several coaching changes. After Terry Murray
was fired following the team's disappointing showing in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997, five more coaching changes were made in the next five years. Some suggested his handling of Roger Neilson
in 2000, who took a medical leave to undergo cancer treatment and was replaced by Craig Ramsay
, was disrespectful. Clarke explained "The Neilson situation - Roger got cancer - that wasn't our fault. We didn't tell him to go get cancer. It's too bad that he did. We feel sorry for him, but then he went goofy on us." The firing of Bill Barber following a first round exit in 2002 led to calls for Clarke's dismissal. Clarke hired Ken Hitchcock
shortly after and Hitchcock remained the head coach until Clarke's resignation four years later.
Following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Clarke signed 6'5" defensemen Derian Hatcher
and Mike Rathje
to four-year and five-year contracts respectively. While the moves were initially praised and even led some to label the Flyers Cup favorites in 2005–06, some suggested Clarke could not compete in the new NHL after the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Buffalo, a smaller, quicker team that proved to be effective against such slower defensemen as Hatcher and Rathje. Such criticisms became louder after a poor start to the following season which led to his resignation.
and his parents, particularly his father Carl who was Eric's agent. The trouble started following the 1997–98 season while negotiating a new contract for Lindros. Clarke threatened to trade him, saying, "If you want to be the highest-paid player in the game or close to it, you've got to play that way." While Lindros was not traded and he played well during the 1998–99 season, his season was cut short after sustaining a collapsed lung during a game on April 1 against the Nashville Predators
. Lindros' parents criticized team trainer John Worley and claimed Clarke tried to kill their son by trying to put him on a plane back to Philadelphia, which would have been fatal given his condition.
After Lindros criticized Worley in March 2000 for failing to diagnose a concussion (his second of the season), Clarke stripped Lindros of the role of team captain. A few weeks after suffering a third concussion during practice, Lindros returned to the Flyers lineup for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals and sustained his fourth concussion of the season (his sixth in 27 months) during Game 7. Afterwards, Clarke said he did not dislike Eric, but he had a problem with his parents, saying, "If he's going to come back, he can't have his dad calling us and telling us who to trade for and who he wants to play with Eric and who can't play with Eric." Lindros never played for the Flyers again. He rejected the Flyers qualifying offer in the off-season and sat out the 2000–01 season. Clarke finally traded Lindros to the New York Rangers in August 2001. Following the trade, Clarke said, "I don't give a crap whether he ever plays again or if I ever see him again. All he ever did was cause aggravation to our team."
Upon Lindros' retirement in November 2007, Clarke opined that Lindros belonged in the Hockey Hall of Fame. "Yes, based on his ability to play the game and based on his contributions as a player, I think you have to separate all the crap that went on. Particularly when he played for the Flyers, it was just outstanding, dominant hockey — the first of the huge, big men with small man's skill."
.
. The Flyers created a team Hall of Fame in 1988, and the first two inductees were Clarke and Bernie Parent.
In addition to his NHL honors, Clarke was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
(O.C.). The trophy he won in 1968 and 1969 with the Bombers, given annually to the Western Hockey League
's top scorer, was re-named the Bob Clarke Trophy
. He was inducted into three more halls of fame, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
in 2003 as a charter member, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
in 2005, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
.
, including:
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born August 13, 1949), better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
who played his entire National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and is currently an executive with the team. During his 15 season playing career, he led the Flyers to two Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s and was awarded the Hart Trophy as league MVP three times. A 1987 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
, Clarke was rated number 24 on The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
' list of The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time in 1998.
A talented playmaker, he had three 100-point seasons, twice led the league in assists, and played in eight NHL All-Star Games. He was also a great defensive player, a great checker, and one of the best in the face-off circle. One of the game's great leaders, Clarke was the captain of the notorious Broad Street Bullies during their heyday in the mid-1970s
1970s in sports
-Major events:The 1970s will be forever associated in terms of sport with the great Pittsburgh Steelers teams of that decade.The 1970s was known for three renegade sports leagues that challenged older, established organizations in need of an energy boost and fresh perspective on their respective...
. The Bullies were a reflection of their captain, who had a tireless work ethic and a strong will to win even if it meant breaking the rules. The latter, some say, is exemplified best by Clarke's infamous slash to the ankle of Valeri Kharlamov during the Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
in 1972, which is still a source of controversy to the present day.
Clarke retired following the 1983–84 season with 358 goals and 852 assists for a total of 1210 points in 1144 games, and immediately became general manager of the Flyers. He spent 19 of the following 23 seasons as a GM of the Flyers, also briefly serving as GM of the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
and Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, and reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times with the Flyers and once with Minnesota. His time as an NHL GM had its share of controversy, perhaps none greater than the rift between him and star player Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He resigned from the GM position less than a month into the 2006–07 season and is currently the Flyers Senior Vice President.
Early life
Diabetes mellitus type 1
Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose...
. Even though he progressed into a highly touted prospect playing for the Flin Flon Bombers
Flin Flon Bombers
The Flin Flon Bombers are a junior ice hockey team and current member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , and are based in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The team moved and became the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1978, but the Flin Flon Bomber name was retained...
, leading the league in which the Bombers played in scoring in each of his last three years of junior hockey, NHL teams feared Clarke would never be able to play in the NHL because of his diabetes. Bombers coach Pat Ginnell
Pat Ginnell
Patrick "Patty" Ginnell was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and junior league coach. He played a total of ten seasons professionally in the Western Hockey League and International Hockey League...
took Clarke to the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
following the 1967–68 season and the doctors concluded that as long as he took care of himself he could play professionally. Ginnell asked the doctors to write that statement down and when NHL scouts came to watch the Bombers play during the 1968–69 season, Ginnell showed them the doctor's verdict.
Even with such assurances Clarke fell to the second round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft
1969 NHL Amateur Draft
The 1969 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This draft is notable for being the first NHL draft to be conducted after the league ended direct sponsorship of junior hockey.-Selections by round:...
and was finally selected by the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
17th overall. After Gerry Melnyk
Gerry Melnyk
Gerald Melnyk was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played six seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks and St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...
, a scout and administrative assistant with the Flyers, tried to convince general manager Bud Poile
Bud Poile
Norman Robert "Bud" Poile was a professional ice hockey player, coach, general manager, and league executive.-Overview:Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers...
to draft Clarke with their first round pick and failed — Poile drafted Bob Currier
Bob Currier
Bob Currier is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Though drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, he never played a game in the National Hockey League.-Career statistics:...
instead, a player who retired five years later and, ironically, never played a game in the NHL — Melnyk called a diabetes specialist in Philadelphia who said Clarke would be fine if he looked after his health. Melnyk then successfully convinced Poile to draft Clarke when the Flyers second round pick came around. The Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
and Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
immediately offered the Flyers a deal for Clarke, Detroit offering two veteran players and Montreal offering a deal "Flyers management could hardly refuse." The Flyers refused both offers and made it clear Clarke was not for sale.
NHL career
Wearing #16, Clarke made his NHL debut on October 11, 1969 against the Minnesota North StarsMinnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
. He recorded his first point on October 22 against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, an assist on Lew Morrison
Lew Morrison
Henry Lewis Morrison is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 563 National Hockey League games for the Philadelphia Flyers, Atlanta Flames, Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins.-External links:...
's 3rd period goal, and he scored his first goal on October 30 against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, beating Rangers goaltender Ed Giacomin 16:36 into the 3rd period. Clarke played the entire 76-game schedule his rookie season, recording 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) and earning a trip to the NHL All-Star Game. Clarke led the Flyers in scoring during his sophomore season, 1970–71, with 27 goals and 36 assists for a total of 63 points in 77 games. His efforts helped the Flyers make the playoffs, but Clarke was held scoreless in his first playoff action and the Flyers lost in four games to the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
.
A tooth abscess
Tooth abscess
A tooth abscess or root abscess is pus enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the apex of an infected tooth's root. Usually the abscess originates from a bacterial infection that has accumulated in the soft, often dead, pulp of the tooth. This can be caused by untreated tooth decay, cracked...
was the cause of a slow start to the 1971–72 season; 20 pounds underweight, Clarke only managed 5 goals and 11 assists 31 games into the season. He rebounded over the final 47 games, scoring 30 goals and 35 assists and bringing his totals to 35 goals and 46 assists. His dedication was rewarded when he became the first Flyer to win a major NHL award, the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
, and the Flyers re-signed him to a five-year contract worth $100,000 per season, a raise of $75,000 per season.
A few months following his strong play during the Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
for Team Canada
Canadian national men's hockey team
The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
, Clarke was named the Flyers' captain at age 23, the youngest to ever assume that role in NHL history at the time. As leader of the brawling Broad Street Bullies, Clarke became the first player from an expansion team
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
to score more than 100 points in a season, 104 points (37 goals, 67 assists) total. Facing the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in the first round, the Flyers and Clarke received a scare, as he was hit in the eye with a stick which broke his contact lens and was rushed to the hospital. After removing parts of his broken contact from under the eye, Clarke returned to the lineup the next game despite having suffered a scratched cornea, and the Flyers won their first playoff series. The Flyers lost to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
during the next round, but Clarke was later awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
as the league's MVP.
Clarke's production fell to 87 points in 77 games during the 1973–74 regular season, but his leadership and Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
's stellar goaltending led the Flyers to the second best record in the league and to the Stanley Cup Finals to play the team with the best record, the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
. After losing Game 1, Clarke scored arguably the biggest goal of his career in overtime of Game 2, putting a rebound shot in over Bruins goaltender Gilles Gilbert
Gilles Gilbert
Gilles Gilbert is a retired former ice hockey goaltender who was drafted in the third round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft from the London Knights...
. The Flyers won three of the next four games and became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. Clarke was later awarded the Lester B. Pearson Award
Lester B. Pearson Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
as the players MVP. Clarke set the NHL record, at the time, for most assists by a centreman with 89 during the 1974–75 season on his way to a 116 point season. The Flyers returned to the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in six games, repeating as Stanley Cup champions. In addition to the second championship, Clarke was awarded the Hart Trophy for the second time.
1975–76 was a record breaking season for Clarke. Playing on the LCB line with Reggie Leach
Reggie Leach
Reginald Joseph Leach is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, California Golden Seals, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. He is best known for his time in Philadelphia, winning a Stanley Cup with...
and Bill Barber
Bill Barber
William Charles Barber is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played twelve seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League . As part of the famed LCB line, Barber helped lead the Flyers to the franchise's two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975...
, the trio set a record for most goals by a line with 141. He also tied his mark of the previous season with 89 assists and set a personal best and franchise record for most points in a single season with 119 (later broken by Mark Recchi
Mark Recchi
Mark Louis Recchi is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 22 years in the National Hockey League , most notably for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens...
in 1992–93). The Flyers, without Parent and Rick MacLeish
Rick MacLeish
Richard George MacLeish is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings...
, returned to the Finals, but were swept by Montreal. Clarke was awarded the Hart Trophy one final time as the league's MVP. Clarke's production would drop off over the next few seasons; in fact, his point total fell six seasons in a row. But the Flyers remained contenders, reaching the semifinals and losing to Boston in 1976–77 and 1977–78.
After a quarterfinal loss to the Rangers in 1978–79, Clarke was named an assistant coach. In order to become an assistant he had to give up the captaincy due to NHL rules, so Mel Bridgman
Mel Bridgman
Melvin John Bridgman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1975–76 until 1988–89....
was named the 4th captain in Flyers history. His first season as a playing assistant coach, 1979–80, saw the Flyers go on an undefeated streak of 35 games, not only the longest in NHL history, but the longest in North American professional sports history. The Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in six games. During the playoffs, Clarke scored 8 goals and assisted on 12 others in 19 games, all 8 goals coming on the power play. Following the playoffs, Clarke was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy
Lester Patrick Trophy
The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL...
along with Flyers owner Ed Snider
Ed Snider
Edward M. Snider is the American Chairman of Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company that owns the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, the Wells Fargo Center, the Spectrum, the regional sports network Comcast SportsNet and Global Spectrum, an international facilities...
and former Flyers coach Fred Shero
Fred Shero
Frederick Alexander "The Fog" Shero was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager. He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . However, he spent most of his playing career in the minor leagues...
.
Clarke wore the number 16 throughout his entire NHL career except for two games during the season. Prior to a road game on February 27, 1981, Clarke's jersey was stolen. Clarke wore the only other jersey available, number 36, in the next two games. A month later, Clarke hit a personal milestone in memorable fashion. On March 19 during a game against the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, a Reggie Leach slapshot struck Clarke. After leaving the ice, he re-appeared moments later stitched up and with his jersey covered in blood. 31 seconds into the third period Clarke beat Bruins goalie Marco Baron
Marco Baron
Marco Joseph Baron is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers. He left the NHL to play in Switzerland for HC Ambri-Piotta. He relocated to Switzerland after his retirement.-External links:...
for his 19th goal of the season and his 1000th career point.
Despite his diabetes and hard-nosed play, Clarke proved to be remarkably durable. A broken foot suffered during the 1981–82 season limited him to 62 games, the only time in his career he played fewer than 70 games in a season. No longer an assistant coach, Clarke reassumed the captaincy from Bill Barber during . He skated in his 1000th career game on October 23, 1982 against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. Clarke had his best season since 1977–78, scoring 85 points in 80 games. He also won the Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
, given annually to the league's best defensive forward. After the Flyers were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round for the third straight season in and the general manager position opened up after Bob McCammon
Bob McCammon
Robert "Bob" McCammon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre and a former National Hockey League and American Hockey League head coach and general manager. He was a pro scout with the Detroit Red Wings....
resigned, Clarke retired on May 15, 1984 to become the General Manager of the Flyers.
International play
Clarke played for Team Canada three times during his career. He played a major role in defeating the Soviet Union during the Summit SeriesSummit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
in 1972, captained the Canadian team to gold at the 1976 Canada Cup
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
, and won a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championships. In addition, he led the Flyers to the only outright victory over the Soviet Union's best team, Soviet Red Army, during the 1976 Super Series
Super Series
The Super Series were exhibition games between Soviet teams and NHL teams that took place on each NHL opponents' home ice in North America from 1976 to 1991. The Soviet teams were usually club teams from the Soviet hockey league. The exception was in 1983, when the Soviet National Team represented...
, and took part in the 1979 Challenge Cup
1979 Challenge Cup
The 1979 Challenge Cup was an international ice hockey series of games between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of all-stars from the National Hockey League, held in New York City. It replaced the NHL's all-star festivities for the 1978–79 NHL season.The Challenge Cup, unlike its...
with the NHL All-Stars. After his playing career, he served as one of Canada's four general managers during the 1987
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
and 1991 Canada Cup
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
s and served as Canada's lone GM during the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
.
Summit Series
Coming off his third NHL season, Clarke was the last player Team Canada selected to play in the Summit Series. His line with Ron EllisRon Ellis
Ronald John Edward Ellis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs.-Playing career:...
and Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames...
turned out to be Canada's best during the series, Clarke tallying two goals and four assists in the eight game series won by Canada as well as being awarded Team Canada MVP in game one of the series. Clarke's play earned the respect of many during the series, Henderson saying, "The best thing that could have happened to Ronnie (Ellis) and me was to get this young kid making plays for us. He was terrific!" Wayne Cashman
Wayne Cashman
Wayne Cashman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and a former NHL head coach.-Playing career:Cashman played his junior hockey as a teammate of Bobby Orr's on the Oshawa Generals of the OHA...
would add, "There were guys on Team Canada who took their game to new heights in that series. A perfect example would be Bobby Clarke." The Soviet team's assistant coach, Boris Kulagin, thought Clarke was Canada's best player. Clarke's strong play was largely attributed to the fact that, unlike many of the Canadian players, Clarke reported to training camp in top physical condition, as he had always followed a strict off-season training regimen. Though he earned much praise due to his play, he was also criticized for an incident during the sixth game which is often referred to as, "The Slash."
Clarke's line played against the line of the Soviet's top player, Valeri Kharlamov, during the entire series. After being on the receiving end of some stick work from Kharlamov while going for the puck, Clarke caught up with Kharlamov and laid a two-handed slash across his already sore ankle. The slash broke Kharlamov's ankle and, though he finished the game, he missed the seventh game and was largely ineffective in the eighth. When asked about the slash years later, Clarke said, "If I hadn't learned to lay on a two-hander once in a while, I'd never have left Flin Flon." 30 years after the series, Henderson criticized Clarke, calling the slash, "the low point of the series." Clarke responded saying that he thought it was "improper to criticize a teammate thirty years later," and that he did not "understand why he would bring it up now." Henderson has since retracted his criticism. Kharlamov, prior to his death in 1981, said he thought Clarke was tasked with "taking me out of the game." John Ferguson, Sr.
John Ferguson, Sr.
John Bowie "Fergy" Ferguson Sr. was a professional ice hockey player. Ferguson played as a left-winger for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1971.-Early years:...
, an assistant coach with Team Canada in 1972, said, "I called Clarke over to the bench, looked over at Kharlamov and said, 'I think he needs a tap on the ankle.' I didn't think twice about it. It was Us versus Them. And Kharlamov was killing us. I mean, somebody had to do it. And I sure wasn't going to ask Henderson." Clarke, however, does not recall Ferguson telling him this.
Nagano Olympics
Named general manager of Team Canada on January 30, 1997, Clarke was tasked with picking which NHLers would compete for Canada at the 1998 Winter OlympicsIce hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to...
in Nagano, the first time NHLers would compete in the Olympics. A few of Clarke's choices were the source of some consternation, in particular omitting Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
in favour of surprise selection Rob Zamuner
Rob Zamuner
Robert F. Zamuner is a retired ice hockey forward, playing thirteen seasons in the NHL, most recently with the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
and choosing 24-year-old Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
as the team's captain over the likes of Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
, and Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
. Ranked number one going into the tournament, Team Canada played strongly until being stymied by Czech goaltender Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
in the semifinals, losing in a shootout. They then lost 3–2 to Finland in the bronze medal match.
NHL management
Following his retirement, Clarke's first stint as Flyers general manager lasted six seasons and included two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals in 19851985 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1985 Stanley Cup Finals was played between the defending champion Edmonton Oilers in their third-straight Finals appearance and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their second Stanley Cup. It was also the sixth straight Finals of...
and 1987
1987 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1987 Stanley Cup Final was played between the Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Oilers would win the series 4–3, for their third Stanley Cup victory.-Paths to the Final:...
. After making the playoffs in each of his first five seasons in the front office, the Flyers fell off during the 1989–90 season and missed the playoffs. Flyers President Jay Snider fired Clarke following the season and Clarke moved on to the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
and spent two seasons as the North Stars GM, one of which saw a surprise run to the Finals in 1991
1991 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1991 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota North Stars. It was the Penguins' first Final series appearance and their first Stanley Cup victory. As of 2011, this is the first and only Stanley Cup Final to feature two teams from the...
. Leaving Minnesota, Clarke returned to Philadelphia to assume the role of Senior Vice President during the 1992–93 season, and served as a mentor for young phenom Eric Lindros during his first season. Clarke moved on shortly after and took the general manager position with the expansion Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, a team which set the expansion team record for wins and points during a season in 1993–94. He returned to the role of Flyers GM prior to the 1994–95 season (Florida was compensated with cash and Philadelphia's second-round draft pick in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft
1994 NHL Entry Draft
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
), and he rebuilt the team into a Cup contender. Though the Flyers only reached the Finals once (1997
1997 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1997 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the Philadelphia Flyers. Detroit was in the Final for the second time in three years while the Flyers were making their first appearance since the 1987 Final...
) during his second tenure as Flyers GM, the Flyers made the playoffs 11 seasons in a row. Following a poor start to the 2006–07 season, Clarke resigned citing a possible burnout and a lack of desire. Clarke returned to the franchise on December 4, 2006 and was named Senior Vice President.
Controversy and criticism
Clarke failed to win a Stanley Cup over the 22 seasons he was a general manager. During his 19 seasons as Flyers GM, the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup finals three times and amassed a regular season record of 714–443–199, but for one reason or another always came up short of a Cup title. While goaltending was a strength during his first stint with two Vezina TrophyVezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
winners between the pipes (Pelle Lindbergh
Pelle Lindbergh
Per-Eric Göran "Pelle" Lindbergh was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
and Ron Hextall
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
), only Hextall in 1995, a combination of Hextall and Garth Snow
Garth Snow
Garth E. Snow is an American retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
in 1997, Brian Boucher
Brian Boucher
Brian "Boosh" Boucher is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
in 2000, and Robert Esche
Robert Esche
Robert L. Esche is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for SCL Tigers of National League A.-Playing career:...
in 2004 got the Flyers past the second round of the playoffs during his second stint. To make matters worse the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, their Atlantic Division
Atlantic Division (NHL)
The NHL's Atlantic Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Patrick Division. It is the only division in the NHL where all of its current members have won the Stanley Cup at least twice, though only three teams have won...
rivals, were stable in net with Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
and beat the Flyers twice on the way to that franchise's first two Stanley Cups in 1995 and 2000.
Clarke received his harshest criticism after first round playoff exits, including a string of four in five years from 1998 to 2002, and several coaching changes. After Terry Murray
Terry Murray
Terry Rodney Murray is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and current head coach of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings...
was fired following the team's disappointing showing in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1997, five more coaching changes were made in the next five years. Some suggested his handling of Roger Neilson
Roger Neilson
Roger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
in 2000, who took a medical leave to undergo cancer treatment and was replaced by Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
, was disrespectful. Clarke explained "The Neilson situation - Roger got cancer - that wasn't our fault. We didn't tell him to go get cancer. It's too bad that he did. We feel sorry for him, but then he went goofy on us." The firing of Bill Barber following a first round exit in 2002 led to calls for Clarke's dismissal. Clarke hired Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock
Ken Hitchcock also known as "Hitch" is an NHL hockey coach and pro scout, currently coaching the St. Louis Blues.-Early Years:...
shortly after and Hitchcock remained the head coach until Clarke's resignation four years later.
Following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Clarke signed 6'5" defensemen Derian Hatcher
Derian Hatcher
Derian Hatcher is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers...
and Mike Rathje
Mike Rathje
Michael Steven Rathje is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
to four-year and five-year contracts respectively. While the moves were initially praised and even led some to label the Flyers Cup favorites in 2005–06, some suggested Clarke could not compete in the new NHL after the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Buffalo, a smaller, quicker team that proved to be effective against such slower defensemen as Hatcher and Rathje. Such criticisms became louder after a poor start to the following season which led to his resignation.
Eric Lindros
Nothing was more controversial during Clarke's time as a general manager than his dispute with Eric LindrosEric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
and his parents, particularly his father Carl who was Eric's agent. The trouble started following the 1997–98 season while negotiating a new contract for Lindros. Clarke threatened to trade him, saying, "If you want to be the highest-paid player in the game or close to it, you've got to play that way." While Lindros was not traded and he played well during the 1998–99 season, his season was cut short after sustaining a collapsed lung during a game on April 1 against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Lindros' parents criticized team trainer John Worley and claimed Clarke tried to kill their son by trying to put him on a plane back to Philadelphia, which would have been fatal given his condition.
After Lindros criticized Worley in March 2000 for failing to diagnose a concussion (his second of the season), Clarke stripped Lindros of the role of team captain. A few weeks after suffering a third concussion during practice, Lindros returned to the Flyers lineup for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals and sustained his fourth concussion of the season (his sixth in 27 months) during Game 7. Afterwards, Clarke said he did not dislike Eric, but he had a problem with his parents, saying, "If he's going to come back, he can't have his dad calling us and telling us who to trade for and who he wants to play with Eric and who can't play with Eric." Lindros never played for the Flyers again. He rejected the Flyers qualifying offer in the off-season and sat out the 2000–01 season. Clarke finally traded Lindros to the New York Rangers in August 2001. Following the trade, Clarke said, "I don't give a crap whether he ever plays again or if I ever see him again. All he ever did was cause aggravation to our team."
Upon Lindros' retirement in November 2007, Clarke opined that Lindros belonged in the Hockey Hall of Fame. "Yes, based on his ability to play the game and based on his contributions as a player, I think you have to separate all the crap that went on. Particularly when he played for the Flyers, it was just outstanding, dominant hockey — the first of the huge, big men with small man's skill."
Personal life
Clarke and his wife, Sandy, have four children sons Wade and Lucas and daughters Jody and Jakki. They have resided in Moorestown Township, New JerseyMoorestown Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 19,017 people, 6,971 households, and 5,270 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,287.3 per square mile . There were 7,211 housing units at an average density of 488.1 per square mile...
.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
+/– | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1965–66 | Flin Flon Bombers Flin Flon Bombers The Flin Flon Bombers are a junior ice hockey team and current member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League , and are based in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The team moved and became the Edmonton Oil Kings in 1978, but the Flin Flon Bomber name was retained... |
SJHL Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in two divisions: the Bauer and Sherwood conferences... |
4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | — | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 1966–67 MJHL season -Champion:On April 7 in Flin Flon, the Bombers won the MJHL championship and were presented with the Turnbull Memorial Trophy.-League Notes:Brandon Wheat Kings and Flin Flon Bombers transfer from the SJHL, after league folds.... |
Flin Flon Bombers | MJHL Manitoba Junior Hockey League The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League .... |
45 | 71 | 112 | 183 | — | 123 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 51 | ||
| 1966–67 | Flin Flon Bombers | M-Cup 1967 Memorial Cup The 1967 Memorial Cup final was the 49th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Port Arthur Marrs of... |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 49 | ||
| 1967–68 | Flin Flon Bombers | WCHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
59 | 51 | 117 | 168 | — | 148 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 1968–69 | Flin Flon Bombers | WCHL | 58 | 51 | 86 | 137 | — | 123 | 18 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 1969–70 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
76 | 15 | 31 | 46 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1970–71 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 27 | 36 | 63 | 78 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||
| 1971–72 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 78 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1972–73 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 78 | 37 | 67 | 104 | 80 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | |||
| 1973–74 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 35 | 52 | 87 | 113 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 42 | |||
| 1974–75 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 27 | 89 | 116 | 125 | 17 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 16 | |||
| 1975–76 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 76 | 30 | 89 | 119 | 136 | 16 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 28 | |||
| 1976–77 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 27 | 63 | 90 | 71 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | |||
| 1977–78 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 71 | 21 | 68 | 89 | 83 | 12 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 8 | |||
| 1978–79 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 16 | 57 | 73 | 68 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |||
| 1979–80 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 76 | 12 | 57 | 69 | 65 | 19 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 16 | |||
| 1980–81 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 19 | 46 | 65 | 140 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | |||
| 1981–82 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 62 | 17 | 46 | 63 | 154 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | |||
| 1982–83 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 23 | 62 | 85 | 115 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 1983–84 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 73 | 17 | 43 | 60 | 70 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |||
| NHL totals | 1144 | 358 | 852 | 1210 | +506 | 1453 | 136 | 42 | 77 | 119 | 152 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 Summit Series The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972... |
Canada | Summit-72 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 18 | |
| 1976 1976 Canada Cup The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991... |
Canada | Can-Cup Canada Cup The Canada Cup refers to several types of professional sporting events held in Canada: It is also the previous name of the World Cup of Golf and the World Cup of Hockey.* Canada Cup for men's professional ice hockey* Canada Cup... |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1979 1979 Challenge Cup The 1979 Challenge Cup was an international ice hockey series of games between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of all-stars from the National Hockey League, held in New York City. It replaced the NHL's all-star festivities for the 1978–79 NHL season.The Challenge Cup, unlike its... |
NHL All-Stars | Ch-Cup | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1982 1982 World Ice Hockey Championships The 1982 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Finland from the 15 April to the 29 April. The games were played in Helsinki and Tampere. Eight teams took part, and each played each other once. The four best teams then played each other once more. This was the 48th World Championships, and... |
Canada | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 26 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 24 | |||
All-Star Games
| Year | Location | G | A | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 23rd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 23rd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, home of the St. Louis Blues, on January 20, 1970. It was the first time the All-Star Game was held at the St. Louis Arena. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 4–1... |
St. Louis St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1971 24th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 24th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Boston Garden in Boston, home of the Boston Bruins. This was the first time that the all-star game was held in Boston. The West Division All-Stars defeated the East Division All-Stars 2–1... |
Boston Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1972 25th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 25th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Met Center in Bloomington, MN, home of the Minnesota North Stars, on January 25, 1972. It was the first and only time the All-Star Game was held at the Met Center. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 3–2... |
Minnesota Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1973 26th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 26th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Madison Square Garden in New York City, home of the New York Rangers, on January 30, 1973. It was the first time that the All-Star Game was held in New York. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 5–4... |
New York New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1974 27th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 27th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, home of the Chicago Black Hawks, on January 29, 1974. It was the second time that the All-Star Game was held in Chicago. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 5–4... |
Chicago Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1975 28th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 28st National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Montreal Forum in Montreal, home to the Montreal Canadiens, on January 21, 1975. The NHL expansion changed the format of the NHL All-Star game into a battle of conferences. The Wales Conference All-Star team easily won the initial... |
Montreal Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1976 29th National Hockey League All-Star Game The Wales Conference All-Star team defeated the Campbell Conference 7-5 after opening up a 6-1 lead in the second period.Peter Mahovlich was voted most valuable player of the game after scoringa goal and three assists.- Wales Conference All-Stars :... |
Philadelphia Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
— | — | — | |
| 1977 30th National Hockey League All-Star Game The Wales Conference All-Star team defeated the Campbell Conference for the third consecutive year. Rick Martin scored two goals in the third period including the game winning goal with under two minutes to play, and was voted most valuable player.... |
Vancouver Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1978 31st National Hockey League All-Star Game The Wales Conference All-Star team defeated the Campbell Conference for the fourth consecutive year. Gilbert Perreault scored at 3:35 of sudden death overtime for the winning goal... |
Buffalo Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
0 | 1 | 1 | |
| All-Star totals | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
Legacy
On November 15, 1984, Bobby Clarke Night was held at the Spectrum. The Flyers retired Clarke's #16 jersey and unveiled the Bobby Clarke Trophy which is awarded annually to the Flyers' Most Valuable Player. Three years later Clarke was a first ballot inductee into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
. The Flyers created a team Hall of Fame in 1988, and the first two inductees were Clarke and Bernie Parent.
In addition to his NHL honors, Clarke was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(O.C.). The trophy he won in 1968 and 1969 with the Bombers, given annually to the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
's top scorer, was re-named the Bob Clarke Trophy
Bob Clarke Trophy
The Bob Clarke Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Western Hockey League.It is named after National Hockey League Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke who was one of the WHL's early stars...
. He was inducted into three more halls of fame, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame
The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., that was established in May 2002, to honor individuals and groups who are either area natives who became prominent in the field of sports or who became prominent in the field of sports in the...
in 2003 as a charter member, Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
in 2005, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
.
Records
Clarke finished his career 4th all-time in assists and 11th all-time in points, but he has since fallen to 24th all-time in assists and 42nd all-time in points . His career plus-minus of +506 is 5th all-time. His back-to-back 89 assist seasons in 1974–75 and 1975–76 is still the Flyers team record and he also owns several other Philadelphia Flyers recordsPhiladelphia Flyers records
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the National Hockey League's Eastern Conference. The Flyers were founded in 1967 as one of six expansion teams, increasing the size of the NHL at that time...
, including:
Awards
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one... |
1972 |
| Brownridge Trophy Bob Clarke Trophy The Bob Clarke Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Western Hockey League.It is named after National Hockey League Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke who was one of the WHL's early stars... |
1968, 1969 |
| Class Guy Award (Philadelphia Flyers team award) | 1982 |
| Frank J. Selke Trophy Frank J. Selke Trophy The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to... |
1983 |
| Hart Memorial Trophy Hart Memorial Trophy The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different... |
1973, 1975, 1976 |
| Lester B. Pearson Award Lester B. Pearson Award The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings... |
1974 |
| Lester Patrick Trophy Lester Patrick Trophy The Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL... |
1980 |
| Lionel Conacher Award Lionel Conacher Award The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning... |
1975 |
| Lou Marsh Trophy Lou Marsh Trophy The Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936... |
1975 |
| NHL All-Star Game | 1970 23rd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 23rd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the St. Louis Arena in St. Louis, home of the St. Louis Blues, on January 20, 1970. It was the first time the All-Star Game was held at the St. Louis Arena. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 4–1... , 1971 24th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 24th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Boston Garden in Boston, home of the Boston Bruins. This was the first time that the all-star game was held in Boston. The West Division All-Stars defeated the East Division All-Stars 2–1... , 1972 25th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 25th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Met Center in Bloomington, MN, home of the Minnesota North Stars, on January 25, 1972. It was the first and only time the All-Star Game was held at the Met Center. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 3–2... , 1973 26th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 26th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Madison Square Garden in New York City, home of the New York Rangers, on January 30, 1973. It was the first time that the All-Star Game was held in New York. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 5–4... , 1974 27th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 27th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Chicago Stadium in Chicago, home of the Chicago Black Hawks, on January 29, 1974. It was the second time that the All-Star Game was held in Chicago. The East Division All-Stars defeated the West Division All-Stars 5–4... , 1975, 1977, 1978 |
| NHL First All-Star Team | 1975, 1976 |
| NHL Second All-Star Team | 1973, 1974 |
| Stanley Cup Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug... champion |
1974, 1975 1975 Stanley Cup Finals The 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since... |
| WCHL MVP Four Broncos Memorial Trophy The Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the Western Hockey League's Player of the Year.The trophy is named in honour of four members of the Swift Current Broncos who were killed on December 30, 1986 in the Swift Current Broncos bus crash, an accident that occurred when the team bus... |
1969 |
| WCJHL/WCHL First Team All-Star | 1968, 1969 |
See also
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played