Broad Street Buzz
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Twelve Potential Flyers Hall of Famers: Part One

By Jacob Modugno

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 24: Hall of Fame banners hang at Wells Fargo Center in a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers on February 24, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 24: Hall of Fame banners hang at Wells Fargo Center in a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers on February 24, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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BOB KELLY

Kelly, a third-round pick of the Flyers in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft, was a huge part of the Broad Street Bullies in the mid-1970s. The Oakville, Ontario native was one of a few enforcers the Flyers had as they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975.

In his 741 games played as a Flyer, which is tied for 7th in team history with Flyers Hall of Famer Rick MacLeish, Kelly amassed a staggering 1,442 penalty minutes in Philadelphia to accompany his 128 goals and 168 assists. Kelly immediately became a fan favorite with his physical play and his frequency to drop the gloves.

The man they call “The Hound” cemented his legacy with the franchise by scoring the game-winning goal in Game 6 of the 1975 Stanley Cup Final against the Buffalo Sabres. The Flyers’ victory in that game sealed their second consecutive Stanley Cup and Kelly’s goal on Roger Crozier stood as the clinching tally in a decisive 2-0 victory at the old Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.

Kelly’s best season with Philadelphia came in 1976-77 when he recorded 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points in 73 games, both career highs at the time. Of course, he also racked up 117 penalty minutes that season in true Bob Kelly fashion.

After 10 years in Orange and Black, Kelly was traded by Flyers to the Washington Capitals after the 1979-80 season and played 96 more games with the Capitals before requesting his release and retiring during the 1981-82 season after a schism with Washington management.

In retirement, Kelly has been a fantastic ambassador for the Flyers as he is almost always at Wells Fargo Center for home games to greet fans and hand out military appreciation awards. Kelly is not only still very active with the Flyers organization, but he is also a prominent member of the Philadelphia community in general as he often appears at Flyers Alumni events and continues to promote hockey in the Delaware Valley to this very day.

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