Who Could Be The Flyers Next Retired Number?

Since the Philadelphia Flyers were created in 1967, they have had thirteen players enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. A few of these, such as Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Bernie Parent, and Eric Lindros, have spent all or most of their careers donning the Orange and Black. Some, like Peter Forsberg and Dale Hawerchuk, were only here briefly.

The Flyers have only six players with their jerseys retired: Bernie Parent (1), Mark Howe (2), Barry Ashbee (4), Bill Barber (7), Bobby Clarke (16), and Eric Lindros (88). What other players could and should the Flyers enshrine in the rafters at the Wells Fargo Center?

Pelle Lindbergh (31)

In practice, this number is already retired. Nobody has worn it since he passed away. Still, it would be a nice gesture considering the tragic circumstances surrounding his death. There is also team precedence in doing this too. Barry Ashbee wasn’t the best player on the team, but the team honored him in 1977 after his short career when he lost his life to leukemia. Putting 31 in the rafters would be a great way to honor his memory.

Mark Recchi (8)

Mark Recchi seems to be the great Flyer that everyone somehow forgets. He played 22 years in the NHL,10 of those seasons with Philly in two different stints. He is 9th all-time in team points with 627. He is 13th all-time in points in the NHL and is a Hall of Famer. Yet, why is his number not retired?

Claude Giroux (28)

He isn’t retired yet. Hopefully, that won’t come for a few years. Still, Giroux is rafter worthy. He is second all-time in points and games played. He is the longest-serving captain in team history. There is no doubt that one day, Giroux will be honored by the team.

John LeClair (10)

He is the last Flyer to score 50 goals in a season, doing it back to back in 95-97. He was the left wing of the vaunted Legion of Doom. He was one of the best left-wingers during the 90s. He is a borderline hall of famer. LeClair is an all-time great Flyer and should be recognized as such.

Brian Propp (26)

Brian Propp was one of the most fun players ever to don the Orange and Black. He is 4th all-time in points for the Flyers. He played with Clarke and Barber and he played with Tocchet and Kerr. He entertained fans with his guffaw wave. He is another borderline hall of famer whose stats are overshadowed by the fact he played in the same era as Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux during their crazy stat years. Still, he was a hugely popular player with the fans. This would be a great gift for the fans.

Rick MacLeish (19)

Rick MacLeish was a devastating winger for the Flyers during the Broad Street Bully Era. The all-star forward was one of the top forwards during the late 70s and early 80s. Sadly, he lost his life to meningitis in 2016.

Reggie Leach (27)

Leach is one of two great players to wear 27 that the Flyers could honor. And if they honor one, they should combine it with the other. He is the only non-goalie who has taken home the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. He is a member of the Ojibwa Nation and one of the top-scoring First Nation players in NHL history. He is also the only member of the B-C-L line not to have their number retired. He retired at 32 when he still had some good years left in him. Perhaps this is why he is overlooked in the hockey hall of fame. But there is no doubt he was one of the best scoring forwards of the 1970s.

Ron Hextall (27)

Hextall is definitely an enigma. He is someone that Flyers fans love or hate. He is the all-time winningest goalie in Flyers history (241) and a Conn Smythe Trophy winner in a losing effort against the mighty Oilers. He scored two goals as a goalie. He was feisty and temperamental. Sometimes he could come up big. He was a Flyer through and through. He is also the best goalie between Lindbergh and Hart hands down.

Tim Kerr (12)

Kerr was one of the young guns of the Flyers in the 1980s. He was one of the best players of his era in power-play goals and scored 50 goals four times in his career. The Masterton Trophy winner had his career cut short by injuries and retired at age 33, with those injuries robbing him of at least four seasons. Still, he is an all-time great Flyer.

Rick  Tocchet (22)

Tocchet was the epitome of being a Flyer in the 80s. Between the Bully Era and the Lindros Era, Tocchet was one of several young players (most of them mentioned above) who were talented and played at a crazy insane level beyond their abilities in an age dominated by the dynasties of the Edmonton Oilers and NY Islanders. Tocchet scored 232 goals and over 500 career points with 1,815 penalty minutes as a Flyer. He is one of the greatest Flyers and one of the fan favorites.

Jeremy Roenick (97)

Roenick has scored 1,216 points in the NHL. He is one of the highest-scoring Americans in NHL history. All of the players ahead of him on the all-time scoring list have made the hockey hall of fame, with the exception of active players and Pierre Turgeon. His stay in Philly was short; only three years. But he was the heir to the Lindros era and was signed with the intent to finally bring the team to the Cup. The Flyers were on the verge a few times, but the lockout closed the door on this era. If Roenick ever makes the hall of fame, the Flyers should honor him

Chris Pronger (20)

A lot of Hall of Famers spent brief times here in Philly: Adam Oates, Paul Coffey, and Dale Hawerchuk are some of the best examples. Another one is Chris Pronger. He spent three years here…well, two and a half when you count the half a season he missed because of a massive concussion that ended his career. Still, what separates Pronger from the others is what he did here. He helped guide the team on their Stanley Cup run. He played an almost unfathomable 29 minutes on average during that run. His courage and leadership were critical to that season’s success. The Flyers have been looking for his replacement ever since his retirement. His stay was short, but it was impactful in all the right ways.

Dave Schultz (8)

He’s not a hall of famer. He never will be. He was never the greatest skater on the ice nor the best Flyer.  He doesn’t even stand in the same class of players as the players up above. However, he is a mega fan favorite and an icon of the Broad Street Bully teams. He led the league in penalty minutes three times as a Flyer and was a lethal enforcer. More than that, he even has a cheesy disco-era song about him!