3 Broad Street Bullies in the Hockey Hall of Fame

In just their seventh and eighth years of existence, the Philadelphia Flyers established themselves as repeat Stanley Cup champions. The Flyers were the first of the post “Original Six” teams to win the holy grail of the National Hockey League.

While winning the Stanley Cups, the Flyers were well known as the “Broad Street Bullies” due to their somewhat embarrassingly rough style of hockey. Through all the bickering and squabbling, there was also some great hockey to play.

Unlike the Montreal Canadiens dynasty that would go on to sandwich Philadelphia’s two Stanley Cup victories in 1973-74 and 1974-75, only three Flyers would become inductees into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Rather, there are several members of those Montreal teams in the Hall.

Bobby Clarke was the leader of the Flyers during their Stanley Cup years. Clarke was the 17th overall pick in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. He played his entire NHL career with Philadelphia from 1969-70 to 1983-84. During his career, Clarke had three 100-plus-point seasons, culminating in 119 in 1975-76. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player three times and is one of only eight hockey players to win the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s top male athlete.

Bobby remains the Philadelphia Flyers all-time leader in games played, assists, points, +/-, and points behind. His career +/- his is still good for fifth place all-time in the National Hockey League. Clarke was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.

Bernie Parent returned home with the Flyers in 1973-74 after a nearly three-year absence. He did not disappoint, supporting the team in its first Stanley Cup. In both of Philadelphia’s Stanley Cup victories, Parent was chosen as the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy. Bernie remained in the Flyers’ net until an eye injury ended his career during the 1978-79 season. Bernie Parent was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

Bill Barber was selected by the Flyers with the seventh overall pick in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft after a stellar career as a junior with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey Association. In 1972-73, Barber was contending for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie, but he lost to Steve Vickers of the New York Rangers.

Barber played his entire NHL career with the Flyers, retiring with Bobby Clarke at the end of the 1983-84 season. Bill’s highest-producing season came in 1975-76 when he scored fifty goals and totaled 112 points.