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For Additional Information, contact:
John Weber (267) 408-7500 ( JWeber@premiereradio.com )
The 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers, the first-ever NHL expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, will be honored by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association on the 40th anniversary of their first championship, it was announced by Philadelphia Sports Writers Association President Ron Corbin. The team will be celebrated at the PSWA’s 110th annual dinner, Monday January 27th, 2014, at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, NJ.
The hard-fighting “Broad Street Bullies,” the ’73-74 Flyers could do more than drop the gloves. The team finished atop the West Division, winning 50 games and led by team captain Bobby Clarke, goalie Bernie Parent, Rick MacLeish, Bill Barber and Dave “The Hammer” Schultz. Clarke led the team in scoring with 35 goals and 52 assists for 87 points while Parent set a record for goaltenders with 47 wins, a record that stood for 33 years, sharing the Vezina Trophy with Chicago’s Tony Esposito. MacLeish and Barber put together stellar seasons, with MacLeish compiling 32 goals and 77 points, while Barber added another 34 goals and 69 points. Schultz was on his way to becoming one of hockey’s greatest enforcers with 348 penalty minutes that season, but he contributed with the stick, too, netting 20 goals.
The Flyers swept the Atlanta Flames in the opening round of the playoffs and then defeated the New York Rangers in a hard-fought series that went the full seven games. Next were the finals where Bobby Orr and the Boston Bruins awaited. A memorable series followed where the Flyers bested Boston in six games. Game six was one of the greatest games in Flyers history, a white-knuckle 1-0 triumph at the Spectrum that brought the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia, a feat the team would repeat the following season. Parent claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and coach Fred Shero was voted the inaugural Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
The 1973-74 Flyers will join a distinguished list of honorees to be revealed in the coming weeks, including the Outstanding Pro Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year, the Living Legend award, the Good Guy Award and the Most Courageous award. Tickets are available now at $95 by visiting www.pswa.org.
The PSWA has partnered with the Philadelphia branch of Coaches vs. Cancer, who will have a presence at this year’s dinner. Other ventures between the two organizations will be announced over the next few months. Coaches vs. Cancer of Philadelphia is part of the national Coaches vs. Cancer program that was created in 1993 by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). The program exists to leverage the strength, community leadership, and popularity of our country’s college basketball coaches to fight cancer. Since its inception, the Coaches vs. Cancer program has raised more than $87 million nationwide to support the Society’s lifesaving cancer research, education, advocacy, and community service efforts.
To learn more about Coaches vs. Cancer, visit http://www.cancer.org/involved/participate/coachesvscancer
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