Where does Claude Giroux rank among Flyers captains?
By Colin Newby
Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke is unquestionably the best captain and most successful player in the storied history of the franchise. Clarke is the all-time leader in points, assists, games played, and plus/minus (just to name a few). Clarke’s status as the quintessential Flyers captain and the face of the Broad Street Bullies is defined by back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1973-74 and 1974-75.
Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros held the Flyers captaincy for parts of 6 seasons, some of which were marred by injuries. Lindros is potentially the most dominant Flyer in history, but his legacy in the lineage of team captains will forever be defined by disappointing playoff exits and off-ice drama surrounding his recurring injuries.
The respective Flyers captaincies of Claude Giroux and Eric Lindros share some common themes. Both G and Big E have endured intense criticism from the fanbase at times, largely due to the fact that they’ve fallen short of the ultimate goal of a Stanley Cup.
However, Lindros still ranks ahead of Giroux having captained the team to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1996-97 coupled with his status as an elite NHL player during this time frame.
Mike Richards
Mike Richards served as Flyers captain for three seasons. The legacy of Richards is not agreed upon within the team’s fanbase. Some remember the hard-nosed two way forward who played a gritty style representative to the franchise’s identity.
However, others point to legitimate off-ice concerns that ultimately factored heavily in the end of Richards’ tenure after a stunning trade following the 2010-11 season. The highest mark of Richards’ captaincy is the Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2009-10, but I rank Giroux narrowly ahead of Richards in the pecking order due to the longevity factor and maturity as a team leader.
