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Philadelphia Flyers Celebrate Their 50th Anniversary

ByRegina Ham|
Dec 10, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Philadelphia Flyers celebrate defeating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; Philadelphia Flyers celebrate defeating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Flyers celebrated a big milestone in the month of February.

It was February 9th, 1966 and the Governors of the National Hockey League were meeting in New York City to discuss expansion. There was a move to expand from six to 12 teams and Philadelphia had made the cut as one of the final choices. It wasn’t a big fanfare event in the city. Philadelphia had a previous NHL team, the Philadelphia Quakers, but they only lasted one season from 1930-1931. It wasn’t a particularly well received in the City of Brotherly Love.  Lou Scheinfeld, who became the Philadelphia Flyers’ first vice president of business operations, spoke to Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia saying “It got little or no coverage. The Daily Newsgave it a few paragraphs and I don’t know if the Inquirer gave it anything at all. It was crazy.”

The expansion of the NHL to Philadelphia was a big move for the 1967-1968 NHL season. It would be part of the new format of two six-team division and the team didn’t even have a name at first. They had to construct a 15,000-seat stadium that would later be known as the Spectrum. It was hard to believe that an NHL team would be able to survive in the city but it was a chance worth taking.  Ed Snider, current Flyers chairmen, and Scheinfeld showed the committee a presentation that was one the NHL could not pass up. Bill Jenning, the head of the NHL Expansion Committee, called Snider and uttered the two magic words: “You’re in”.

It has definitely been a storied 50 years for the Flyers. The team were winners of two back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. Those left an indelible mark on the fan base and the team. Many of the players during the 1970s were part of the era of the Broad Street Bullies and were considered some of the roughest in the NHL at the time. Philadelphia fans are loyal and hardcore, often loving and hating the team all at the same time.

The Philadelphia Flyers made a brilliant addition to the organization
The Philadelphia Flyers made a brilliant addition to the organization

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    • There are going to be a lot of event coming up for the Philadelphia Flyers 50th season in the NHL. Alumni games are planned with Metropolitan Division rival Pittsburgh Penguins. New jerseys have been planned with a special patch designed for the occasion. There are big plans in the works for “Heritage Nights” that will honor former Bullies, team captains and heroes of the Flyers. It’s going to be a a season-long celebration for the team but it’s going to be one well deserved.

    Next: 10 Best Philadelphia Flyers Games in Franchise History

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