#7: Rick MacLeish, C, Flyers: 1971-1981
"“Skilled center who played a major role in the Flyers’ championship victories in the 1970s.” – ChatGPT"
Rick MacLeish was one of the Flyers’ first true dominant centers, and routinely found himself amongst the team’s leading scorers. The 5’11” forward was originally drafted by the Bruins in 1970, but was acquired by the Flyers in a three-way trade involving the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and goaltender Bernie Parent. Ironically, Parent would return to the Flyers in 1973 and play some of the best hockey of his career, winning two Stanley Cups alongside MacLeish.
MacLeish became an NHL regular for the first time in his career in the 1972-73 season, where he became the first Flyers player to score 50 goals in a single season. The center also had exactly 50 assists, joining Bobby Clarke as the second Flyer in team history to score 100 points, five days after Clarke had achieved 100 himself.
MacLeish has been regarded as one of the team’s first elite goal-scorers, and his numbers show it. Across nine full years with the Flyers, MacLeish scored 30 or more goals seven times. He ranks sixth all-time amongst Flyers in goals (328), seventh all-time in assists (369), and fifth all-time in points (697). MacLeish tragically passed away in 2016 after fighting meningitis and suffering damage to his organs.