I almost selected Ron Hextall for this as he was known for being fairly aggressive in his younger years… just ask Chris Chelios. Still, it is hard to deny Bernie’s spot here. He is still one of the best goaltenders in NHL history.
While leading the Flyers in the 1970s, he was the scariest thing in a goalie mask not named Jason Voorhees. You knew that when you faced him, it was going to be a challenge. His coach once said that only ‘God saved more than Bernie’. Flyers fans knew that wasn’t an exaggeration. He was a brick wall in the net.
How good was Bernie? Think about all of the good goalies the Flyers have had since Parent. Every single one of them, fairly or unfairly, have been judged against the golden standard that Parent was. None of them has ever matched up. We were spoiled with a great goalie 50 years ago. We’ve been trying to find his real replacement ever since.
Honorable Mentions: (Ron Hextall, Ray Emery, Brian Boucher)