Philadelphia Flyers History: All Time Top 10 Assist Leaders
A lot of people like to pay attention to the most flashy of players: the enforcers, snipers, and flashy danglers. Today, however, we will look at those that were great at dishing the puck to others, allowing for teammates to put it behind the goalie.
The best players in the NHL today are some that aren’t very good at shooting themselves, they are much better at getting their linemates in the best positions to score.
The Philadelphia Flyers have been graced by some great playmakers, those of which will be listed shortly. We’re going to take a look at where the Flyers’ assist leaders stand in terms of the all-time NHL standings, and also their impacts on the team when they played.
Let’s get started:
Next: #10
#10 Gary Dornhoefer – 316 Assists
#385 NHL All-time
Gary Dornhoefer comes in at #10 for the Philadelphia Flyers in assists. Picked in the expansion 1967 draft after the Boston Bruins decided they would not protect him, he would never play for another team. The bruiser of a right wing would go on to put up a good amount of goals too, as he is only 20 goals behind the tenth best goalscorer.
Dornhoefer would be forever remembered for when he scored the OT winner in the 1973 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Minnesota North Stars on a breakaway. The play is depicted in a statue, which once stood outside the Spectrum before being demolished.
After hockey, Dornhoefer worked with broadcasting legend Gene Hart covering the Flyers for 14 years between 1992 and 2006. He would then leave broadcasting to become one of the Flyers’ Ambassadors of Hockey.
Next: #9
#9 Pelle Eklund – 334 Assists
#371 NHL All-time – 335 Assists
Pelle Eklund comes in at #9 with 335 assists. The Swede was drafted in the 8th round (161st overall) by the Flyers in 1983. In his first year on the Flyers, he made a huge impact leading all rookies in assists, and coming 3rd in scoring.
He would go on to be known as great playmaking center, who almost always put up a decent amount of assists. In the 1986-87 season’s playoffs, put up 27 points in 26 games to lead the Flyers to Stanley Cup Final. Unfortunately, it of-course was against the Edmonton Oilers, and they would lose in 7.
During a really bad year for Eklund in which he only had 18 points in 48 games, he would be traded to Dallas at the trade deadline in 1993-94. He briefly played in Dallas before leaving the NHL permanently as a player to go back to Sweden.
He is an Amateur Scout for the Edmonton Oilers today.
Next: #8
#8 Mark Howe – 342
#110 NHL All-time – 545 Assists
Mark Howe comes in next at #8, and is the first one on this list to come anywhere near the Top-100 All-time for the NHL overall. Howe didn’t begin his career on the Flyers until he we traded off the Hartford Whalers after sustaining a career-threatening injury to his leg.
Luckily for the Flyers, they just received a 27 year-old defenseman that was just getting started. Howe had his career bests as the same time others were setting NHL history, so he would be a finalist for the Norris Trophy 3 times.
In 1985-86, Howe, as a defenseman, put up 82 points and a league-best +85, he would still be behind Paul Coffey who had put up 138 points. You’ll never see anything like that again.
Howe would play a length career on the Flyers, before leaving in free-agency at the age of 37 to try and win a Stanley Cup in Detroit. He would never get the honor, but after retiring in 1995 he would be elected to the Flyers’ Hall of Fame(2001), Hockey Hall of Fame(2011), and have his number retired by the Flyers in 2012.
Next: 7
#7 Rod Brind’Amour – 366 Assists
#46 NHL All-time – 732 Assists
At #7 we have Rod Brind’Amour, who is one of the best assist leaders of all-time in terms of playing in the NHL overall. Traded to the Flyers after the 1990-91 season, he would begin to be known as a shutdown center for the rest of his career.
He would lead the Flyers to a Finals berth as a 3rd seed in 1997, where they would be swept by Detroit, the other 3rd seed. Brind’Amour was known for never getting hurt as well, as he had a streak of 484 consecutive games played, which is still a Flyers franchise record.
Brind’Amour would be traded to the Carolina Huricanes in the 1999-2000 season, where he would stay the rest of his playing career. He is now one of their assistant coaches.
Next: A Tie for #5
Tied #5 Rick Macleish – 369
#242 NHL All-time – 410 Assists
Rick Macleish is tied with Eric Lindros for the Flyers’ fifth best assist-leader, but we’ll use the NHL All-time # as a tie-breaker.
Macleish was drafted 4th overall by the Boston Bruins, then would be traded to the Flyers before even playing a game for them. His first couple seasons with the Flyers were very poor, only putting up 9 points in 43 games in his first two seasons. Then, out of nowhere, Machleish exploded.
He would have a 100 point year in 1972-73, putting up 50 goals and 50 assists. He would continue to be a great play points-getter for the rest of his time on the Flyers, putting up atleast 60 points ever year with the exception of two seasons.
Even though he is one of the Flyers’ top assist-getters, he is known for being the Flyers’ first pure goal scorer. He would bounce around on a few teams after leaving the Flyers, even making a brief appearance back on the orange and black, but would never put up the numbers like he did in the bulk of his career in Philadelphia.
Next: The Other #5
Tied #5 Eric Lindros – 369
#139 NHL All-time – 493
The Big E comes in at #5 for the Flyers. The dominating center pummeled opponents into submission with his rough play and high level of skill.
Lindros’ career would be marred by disappointment, as he could put up points but could not lead the team to a Stanley Cup. Yet, he still is known for being one of the best players they ever had.
Injuries riddled the dominant Lindros’ career as well, which included a close-call with death when Lindros had a collapsed lung and internal bleeding from a hit.
The Big E was inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame just last year in 2014.
Next: 4
Mar 6, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Former Boston Bruins Mark Recchi high-fives defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) prior to the game against the Washington Capitals at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
#4 Mark Recchi – 395
#14 NHL All-time – 956
#4 has Mark Recchi, with 395 Assists. The 22 year career of Recchi, in which he played for many teams, also allowed him to accumulate a lot of assists in his career. This led to him being #14 All-time in assists, which is a heck of a feat.
Originally playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Recchi was traded to the Flyers in 1992. On the Flyers he would be a part of the “Crazy Eights”, which included Eric Lindros and Brent Fedyk, and even put up 123 points in his first full season with the Flyers.
Recchi’s career with the Flyers was split up in 1995 when he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, but was brought back in 1998 where he would play for 6 seasons.
Known as one of the best scorers on the Flyers while playing for them, he always had a good year with them.
Recchi retired after the 2010-11 season after a 3-year stint in Boston, and is now a development coach on the Penguins.
Next: 3
#3 Bill Barber – 463
#170 NHL All-time
One the best Flyers of all-time comes in at #3, Bill Barber. Barber was one of the most well-rounded players the Flyers have ever had, since he was useful in almost every situation that could come up in a game.
Barber was the left-wing for one of the best lines in hockey, a line that included Reggie Leach and Bobby Clarke. With this line, he would help lead the Flyers to their two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. He is not only just one of the top players in assists for the Flyers, but also #1 in goals for the Flyers! That leaves him at #2 all-time in points for Philadelphia.
After his playing career, he would go on to coach the Flyers in 2000-01 and 2001-02, winning Jack Adams Award in 01. He would be fired after the 2002 playoffs.
He is now a scouting consultant for the Flyers.
Next: 2
#2 Brian Propp – 480
#88 NHL All-time – 579
The Flyers’ second-best in assists is Brian Propp. He played for 14 years in the NHL, with most of his years here in Philadelphia.
With multiple years of 90+ point seasons, and many other seasons of at least 70 points, its no wonder he comes in at #2 for the Flyers. Drafted 14 overall by the Flyers in 1979, Propp would make the team right away.
He would get play on a line with legends Reggie Leach and Bobby Clarke, which probably contributed to how quickly he became successful. It would be 11 seasons before he would score less than 65 points in a season, and that would be his last season in Philadelphia.
After hockey, Propp was a broadcaster for the Flyers for 8 years, before leaving to be closer to his family.
Next: Who Could Be #1...?
#1 Bobby Clarke – 852
#25 NHL All-time
Who else but the greatest Flyer in history? Bobby Clarke, who is almost #1 in every scoring category for the Flyers, and even games played, should be no surprise to be the player with the most assists in Flyers history.
The only Hall of Famer to come out of his draft class, and definitely the best 17th overall pick ever spent, the Flyers only have Clarke’s diabetes to thank for his dropping in the draft- even if GM Bud Poile still had to be convinced over and over that Clarke should be picked!
Nonetheless, the rest was history as Clarke would eventually become, at the time, the youngest captain in NHL history at the age of 23. He would then become a repeat champion, bringing and keep the cup in Philadelphia in ’74 and ’75.
After hockey, Clarke immediately became the Flyers’ GM and was their GM for 19 of the next 23 seasons. The most memorable time of Clarke as GM is his rift with star player Eric Lindros, which was a pretty public affair.
Bobby Clarke stepped down early in the 2006-07 season, and is now Senior Vice President of the Flyers.
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