Bernie Parent, ‘74 Flyers to be honored at PSWA banquet
The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association will hold its annual banquet on Wednesday, January 17. The event will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cherry Hilly, NJ. The PSWA hosts the event year in which they honor athletes, writers, broadcasters, etc, for extraordinary feats in their chosen fields or for various charitable reasons.
This will be the PSWA's 119th year hosting the event. Honorees this year include Bernie Parent and other members of the 1974 Stanley Cup-winning Flyers. Those attending include Parent, Dave Schultz, Don Saleski, Bob Kelly, Orest Kindrachuk, Joe Watson, and Jimmy Watson. This year will be the 50th anniversary of Philadelphia's first-ever Stanley Cup.
Parent was an integral part of the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup teams. He would win the Conn Smythe Trophy both years, the first player to win it in consecutive years. Only Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby have achieved that feat. It wasn't just the playoffs where Parent shined. He put together some of the best years a goaltender ever had during the regular season between 1973 and 1975.
Parent went 47-13-12 with a 1.89 and .932 SV% during the 1973-74 season. He also had a career-high 12 shutouts. He would win the Vezina, was named the first-team All-Star goaltender, and finished second in Hart voting. In 1974-75, Parent numbers dipped slightly. However, he still went 44-14-9 and posted a 2.04 GAA and a .918 SV%. He did post 12 shutouts again, as well. Parent would again take home the Vezina and was named a first-team All-Star for the second consecutive.
Schultz showed he could be more than a fighter during the regular season. He scored 20 for the Flyers in 1973-74. He would go on to score the series-winning goal in overtime to clinch the first round series against the Atlanta Flames. Saleski had 40 points in the regular season and added nine points in the playoffs. While Kelly didn't put up any points to help the Flyers win the first Stanley Cup, he scored 11 seconds into the deciding game in 1975 to bring home their second consecutive cup.
The Watson brothers were more known for their solid play on defense. Kindrachuk was in his rookie season the year the Flyers won the cup. He had 41 points in the regular season and chipped in another nine points in the playoffs.
The PSWA will honor other worthy people, including current Flyers center Sean Couturier. Tim Saunders and Steve Coates will accept the Bill Campbell Broadcasting Award, presented for broadcasting excellence. Coates retired after last season. Aaron Nola will also take home the Humanitarian of the Year award.
Tickets can be purchased through the PSWA's website.