Flyers Christmas Hockey Through the Years

Best wishes for a safe and joyous Christmas to all readers who celebrate the holiday. To those who do not, please enjoy the annual Chinese-food-takeout-and-movie night (or whatever your particular ritual is on this day).

Even if there had not been an NHL lockout this year, today would have been an open date on the schedule. However, it was not always that way.

Until the 1970s, it was common for NHL teams to play on Christmas Day. According to the Flyers History web site, the Flyers played on Christmas in four of their first five seasons of the team's existence. The team posted a 1-2-1 record in those games. The lone victory was a 3-1 triumph over the woeful Oakland Seals in 1969.

There is one currently locked-out Flyer who is playing today. In the KHL, Ruslan Fedotenko and Donbass Donetsk are in action, hosting Vityaz Chekhov. Game time is at noon eastern U.S. and Canada time. A free webcast will be available here.

There have been two players in Flyers' franchise history with Christmas birthdays: the late Dmitri Tertyshny (born 1975) and former checking line center Jim Dowd (1969).

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Holiday Treat


As a special holiday treat, here are some Flyers great moments to relive:


ORIGINAL 1974 STANLEY CUP HIGHLIGHT VIDEO




1975 STANLEY CUP HIGHLIGHT VIDEO




FLYERS VS. CSKA 1976 (FULL GAME)




BROAD STREET BULLIES DOCUMENTARY




35-GAME UNBEATEN STREAK 1979-80




DAVE POULIN SHORTHANDED GOAL: 1985 STANLEY CUP SEMIFINAL GAME 6




1987 STANLEY CUP FINALS: GAME 6 HIGHLIGHTS




ERIC LINDROS FIRST HOME GOAL: 1992-93




FLYERS COMPLETE PLAYOFF SWEEP OF DEFENDING CHAMPION RANGERS: 1995




FLYERS FINISH OFF RANGERS TO ADVANCE TO 1997 CUP FINALS




KEITH PRIMEAU PLAYOFF MONTAGE: 2004




PETER FORSBERG SKATES AROUND FIVE SABRES: 2006 PLAYOFFS




FLYERS FINISH OFF HABS TO ADVANCE TO 2010 CUP FINALS




CLAUDE GIROUX: 'THE SHIFT' VS. PENGUINS IN 2012 PLAYOFFS



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