1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season
The 1972–73 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' sixth season in the National Hockey League. The Flyers earned the nickname "Broad Street Bullies" en route to their first winning season and first playoff series victory, beating the Minnesota North Stars, before losing in the semifinals to the Montreal Canadiens.
Regular season
It was during the 1972–73 season that the Flyers shed the mediocre expansion team label by recording their first winning season and becoming known as the intimidating "Broad Street Bullies", a nickname coined by Jack Chevalier and Pete Cafone of the Philadelphia Bulletin on January 3, 1973 after a 3–1 brawling victory over the Atlanta Flames that led Chevalier to write in his game account, "The image of the fightin' Flyers spreading gradually around the NHL, and people are dreaming up wild nicknames. They're the Mean Machine, the Bullies of Broad Street and Freddy's Philistines." Cafone wrote the accompanying headline, "Broad Street Bullies Muscle Atlanta".That same month Bobby Clarke was the youngest player in NHL history to be named team captain, replacing Ed Van Impe who had stepped aside in favor of Clarke. Rick MacLeish became the first Flyer to score 50 goals in a season.
After the season, Clarke was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player.
Season standings
Playoffs
An overtime goal by Gary Dornhoefer in Game 5 turned the tide of their first round series with the Minnesota North Stars in the Flyers' favor, as the Flyers got their first playoff series win in six games. The goal was later immortalized as a bronze statue on the south side of the Spectrum. They were outmatched in the semifinals by the Montreal Canadiens, however, losing in five games.Schedule and results
Regular season
Playoffs
Player statistics
Scoring
- Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
- = Joined team via a transaction during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
- = Left team via a transaction during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flyers only.
Goaltending
Awards and records
Awards
Records
- Tied for NHL record
Individual
Team
Milestones
Transactions
The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from May 12, 1972, the day after the deciding game of the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals, through May 10, 1973, the day of the deciding game of the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals.Trades
Signings
Free agency
The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency.Date | Player | Previous team | Term | Ref |
September 1972 | Jack McIlhargey | Flin Flon Bombers |
Internal
The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to contracts.Date | Player | Term | Ref |
May 21, 1972 | Dave Schultz | 2-year | |
May 22, 1972 | Rick Foley | 3-year | |
May 22, 1972 | Bob Kelly | 2-year | |
May 22, 1972 | Simon Nolet | multi-year | |
May 24, 1972 | Rick MacLeish | 3-year | |
May 26, 1972 | Bill Clement | 2-year | |
May 26, 1972 | Joe Watson | 2-year | |
May 31, 1972 | Don Saleski | 2-year | |
June 2, 1972 | Michel Belhumeur | 3-year | |
June 2, 1972 | Gary Dornhoefer | 3-year | |
June 2, 1972 | Ross Lonsberry | multi-year | |
June 2, 1972 | Lew Morrison | 2-year | |
June 2, 1972 | Jean Potvin | multi-year | |
June 2, 1972 | Ed Van Impe | multi-year | |
June 5, 1972 | Doug Favell | 3-year | |
June 19, 1972 | Bill Flett | 3-year | |
June 20, 1972 | Bill Barber | 3-year | |
June 20, 1972 | Tom Bladon | 3-year | |
June 20, 1972 | Al MacAdam | 2-year | |
June 20, 1972 | Jimmy Watson | 2-year | |
August 15, 1972 | Barry Ashbee | 3-year | |
August 15, 1972 | Yvon Bilodeau | ||
August 15, 1972 | Willie Brossart | ||
August 15, 1972 | Bob Currier | 2-year | |
August 15, 1972 | Rene Drolet | ||
August 15, 1972 | Andre Gaudette | ||
August 15, 1972 | Wayne Hillman | ||
August 15, 1972 | Orest Kindrachuk | ||
August 15, 1972 | Roger Kosar | ||
August 15, 1972 | Danny Schock | ||
August 15, 1972 | Tom Trevelyan | ||
September 12, 1972 | Brent Hughes |
Drafts
Intra-League
The 1972 NHL Intra-League Draft was held on June 5, 1972. Each NHL team placed 18 players on a protected list from which the other teams could not select. It cost $40,000 to make a claim. The Flyers were not involved in any selections during the draft.Expansion
The 1972 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 6, 1972. It featured two expansion teams, the Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders, selecting players from the 14 existing NHL teams. Each NHL team placed 15 skaters and 2 goaltenders on a protected list from which the two expansion teams could not select. The Flyers were one of four teams exempted from protecting goaltenders since they lost a goaltender in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft.Status | Players |
Protected | Barry Ashbee, Willie Brossart, Bobby Clarke, Bill Clement, Gary Dornhoefer, Bill Flett, Rick Foley, Bob Kelly, Ross Lonsberry, Rick MacLeish, Simon Nolet, Michel Parizeau, Jean Potvin, Don Saleski, Dave Schultz, Ed Van Impe, Joe Watson |
Selections | Atlanta Flames selected Lew Morrison 22nd overall |
Selections | Atlanta Flames selected Larry Hale 36th overall |
Selections | New York Islanders selected Jim Mair 39th overall |
Reverse
The 1972 NHL Reverse Draft was held on June 8, 1972. The Reverse Draft featured American Hockey League and Western Hockey League teams selecting unprotected players from NHL teams. It cost $15,000 to make a claim.Date | Player | Team | Ref |
June 8, 1972 | Andre Gaudette | to Richmond Robins | |
June 8, 1972 | Hank Nowak | to Hershey Bears |
Departures
The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk.Date | Player | New team | Via | Ref |
May 25, 1972 | Dick Sarrazin | New England Whalers | Free agency | |
June 6, 1972 | Eddie Joyal | Alberta Oilers | Free agency | |
June 1972 | Jean-Guy Gendron | Quebec Nordiques | Free agency | |
July 19, 1972 | Ralph MacSweyn | Los Angeles Sharks | Free agency | |
July 1972 | Michel Parizeau | Quebec Nordiques | Free agency | |
August 8, 1972 | Don McLeod | Houston Aeros | Free agency |
Draft picks
Philadelphia's picks at the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, which was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1972. The Flyers traded their tenth round pick, 148th overall, to the Minnesota North Stars for cash during the draft.Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | Team |
1 | 7 | Bill Barber | Left Wing | Canada | Kitchener Rangers |
2 | 23 | Tom Bladon | Defense | Canada | Edmonton Oil Kings |
3 | 39 | Jimmy Watson | Defense | Canada | Calgary Centennials |
4 | 55 | Al MacAdam | Right Wing | Canada | Charlottetown Islanders |
5 | 71 | Daryl Fedorak | Goaltender | Canada | Victoria Cougars |
6 | 87 | Dave Hasting | Goaltender | Canada | Charlottetown Islanders |
7 | 103 | Serge Beaudoin | Defense | Canada | Trois-Rivières Ducs |
8 | 119 | Pat Russell | Right Wing | Canada | Vancouver Nats |
9 | 135 | Ray Boutin | Goaltender | Canada | Sorel Black Hawks |