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Snider on Kadlec's Retirement |
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• ON VACATION *
(MY story follows ... this is the Flyers release:
JOE KADLEC RETIRES AFTER 40 SEASONS WITH THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS;
WILL BECOME AMBASSADOR OF HOCKEY FOR FRANCHISE
(PHILADELPHIA, PA - July 27, 2007) After 40 seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Joe Kadlec, the team's first publicity director, is retiring. Kadlec, who joined the club in its initial season in August of 1967, had been serving the team as Director of Fan Services since 1997. He will remain a member of the organization as an Ambassador of Hockey for the Flyers.
"Over the 40-year history of this hockey club, Joe has been an integral part of the team," said Flyers Chairman Ed Snider. "While we will miss all of Joe's charm, energy, enthusiasm and knowledge of our franchise, it is comforting to me to know that he will continue to spread Flyers hockey throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region as one of our Ambassadors."
"I'd like to personally thank Ed Snider for providing me the opportunity to be a part of the greatest organization in professional sports," said Kadlec in making the announcement. "Winning the two Stanley cups (1974 and 1975) and later a Canada Cup (1991) were some of the greatest moments of my life. I will cherish the many friendships I have made with every player who has ever donned the 'orange and black' and worked for the team."
During his 40-year tenure with the Flyers, Kadlec also served as the team's (and the National Hockey League's) first Director of Team Services, under then Head Coach Fred Shero. He completed 30 years of traveling with the Flyers, handling travel, ticket requests and accommodations. He also served as the liaison between the Flyers and the Soviet Red Army team in 1976. With his experience and knowledge of the game on a national level, the NHL utilized Kadlec's expertise with the Challenge Cup in New York, NY, in 1979, and again for Rendezvous '87 in Quebec City, Quebec.
Kadlec's love for hockey began when he was a stick boy for the Philadelphia Ramblers of the Eastern Hockey League (1956-1964). Kadlec later joined the Philadelphia Daily News to work on the sports desk. When he heard a professional hockey franchise had been granted to Snider and the City of Philadelphia, he immediately applied and became the team's first Press Relations Director.
The Professional Hockey Writers' Association on two different occasions recognized Kadlec. He was voted the Red Burnett Memorial Award winner in 1982, for having the most outstanding press box. He captured the Outstanding Press Guide Award in 1983.
He and his wife, Joan, reside in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Joe has two children, Kim and Joe, III.
HILTON HEAD _ Joe Kadlec was an original. Literally. He was the very first employee of the Flyers way back in August of 1967.
His duties: Flyers’ public relations director and traveling secretary. Only one person preceded him in team longevity • chairman Ed Snider.
This afternoon, Kadlec, who will turn 64 next season, plans to announce his retirement as the team’s director of fan services to become a Flyers’ ambassador of hockey, thus ending 40 years of service with the club.
His wife, Joan, is a receptionist at the Wachovia Center.
Couple things you might not know about one of the good guys in the PR industry and someone, who to this day, remains adored by NHL front office people. Joe was a 1962 grad of North Catholic in Philly. He’s even in the school’s Hall of Fame.
As a teenager, he wrote his own column on harness racing at the Philadelphia Daily News, where he began working after high school. Joe also wrote a lot of odds ‘n ends sports pieces for Daily News.
In 1967, when the Flyers were awarded an NHL expansion franchise, Daily News sports editor Ben Callaway assigned Kadlec to cover the birth of the team. The Flyers weren’t a daily beat yet. They rated occasional stories and press release re-writes.
At the time, there was the Inquirer, Bulletin and Daily News. Joe was the only “assigned” reporter to the Flyers, who technically didn’t exist as a team.
Kadlec wrote a series of stories advancing the club’s arrival for the Daily News leading into August when Snider began looking for a PR man.
Callaway recommended Kadlec simply because he was the only “reporter” that had been around during the months when the team and staff were being assembled.
Thus began a long career with the Flyers in which he saw his job go from typing press releases, plus keepings stats, plus booking hotels, flights, meals on the road …
Joe did it all.
Kadlec stopped traveling after 1997 when Mark Piazza succeeded him in all duties. “Pizza,” as we called him, soon went to the Rangers in an executive capacity.
I am still amazed at how many NHL cities I go into where I meet someone who remembers Joe Kadlec. And remembers some funny stories, as well.
Believe it or not, the most frequently asked question I get on the beat from NHL club personnel in other cities is, ‘How’s Joe Kadlec doing?’
I found Kadlec to be the easiest PR guy imaginable to work with. He would go to great lengths to help you, in any situation. A lot of times, it didn’t involve covering the team, but maybe arranging dinner reservations, directions, seeing a show or an attraction in a particular town, etc.
Joe was the last of a dying breed of PR man who floated effortlessly between public relations and being one of the guys, on the road, hanging out with the media. You don’t see that anymore, anywhere.
Guys like Joe are considered dinosaurs in sports journalism. They went extinct in the news division decades ago, after the Kennedy/Johnson Administrations.
Congratulations on your retirement, Joe. Salute!
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
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