Established in 1988, the Flyers Hall of Fame honors players, coaches, executives, and builders who have contributed to the franchise's success. The current list of inductees is as follows:
Bobby Clarke (1988) Bernie Parent (1988) Keith Allen (1989) Bill Barber (1989) Ed Snider (1989) Rick MacLeish(1990) Fred Shero (1990) Barry Ashbee (1991) Gary Dornhoefer (1991) Gene Hart (1992) Reggie Leach (1992) Joe Scott (1993) Ed Van Impe (1993) Tim Kerr (1994) Joe Watson (1996) Brian Propp (1999) Mark Howe (2001) Dave Poulin (2004) Ron Hextall (2008) Dave Schultz (2009) John LeClair (2014) Eric Lindros (2014) Eric Desjardins (2015) Rod Brind'Amour (2015) Jim Watson (2016)
Among current Flyers players, Claude Giroux is a shoo-in for eventual selection to the Flyers Hall of Fame. He stands a good chance of finishing second in franchise history in total points and is already the longest-reigning captian in franchise history (Bob Clarke had two separate stints, interrupted by the period where he was an assistant coach in addition to being an active player). Jakub Voracek, Sean Couturier, and Ivan Provorov might also be in the discussion at some future point.
Yesterday, NBC Sports Philadelphia discussed the candidacy of Simon Gagne for induction. Gagne is virtually a no-brainer as a candidate.
He had back-to-back seasons with more than 40 goals (47 in 2005-06 and 41 in 2006-07), four seasons with 33 or more goals, was a two-time winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy as Flyers team MVP, and participated in two NHL All-Star Games and the Olympics during his Flyers career. Gagne was part of the 2009-10 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final and two teams (1999-2000 and 2003-04) that came within a single win of trips to the Cup Final.
Gagne also scored three of the most important playoff goals in the last 20 years of team history. It was Gagne who scored the OT goal in Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Final that forced a deciding 7th game in Tampa Bay. In 2010, returning from injury at far less than 100 percent, Gagne scored the OT goal against Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals that prevented a sweep and, in Game 7, scored the game winning power play goal that completed Philly's historic comeback from 3-0 deficits both in the series and in the final game.
Overall, Gagne is 12th in Flyers franchise history in points (535 in 691 games), ninth in goals (264, with all eight players above him already in the team HOF), 13th in power play points (171), ninth in shorthanded points (23), and tied for 17th in cumulative plus-minus (+140). He is 11th in regular season games played. Primarily a left winger during his NHL career, Gagne was drafted as a center and played center early in his rookie season (1999-2000) before being moved to wing.
Apart from Gagne, the top end of the candidate pool would include all of the following:
Mark Recchi (W): The Hockey Hall of Fame forward played more games over his two stints with the Flyers (602) than he did with any of his other teams, including Pittsburgh (389) or Montreal (346). Recchi still holds the franchise single-season point record (123 in 1992-93), had back-to-back 100-point seasons (1992-93 and 1993-94), three Flyers seasons with 90-plus points and five with 75-plus points.
Along with Rick MacLeish and Bill Barber, he's one of three members of the dual 50-goal, 100-point club in a season. All-time, Recchi in 9th in franchise history in points (627 in 602 games), tied with Rick Tocchet for 12th in goals (232), ninth in total points and sixth in power play points (230). Recchi played either wing with equal comfort (although more right wing than left) and even had stints at center as needed. He was chosen to the NHL All-Star 2nd Team at RW in 1992-93, was a three-time Bobby Clarke Trophy winner (1992-93, 1999-2000, 2003-04) and played in three NHL All-Star Games as a Flyer.
Before Recchi's first Flyers stint ended with an historic trade to Montreal that brought John LeClair, Eric Desjardins and Gilbert Dionne to Philadelphia, he was one-third of the "Crazy Eights" line with Eric Lindros and Brent Fedyk. The line's accomplishments, during the five-year dark period when the Flyers did not reach the playoffs, were overshadowed by the subsequent emergence of the Legion of Doom (Leclair, Lindros and Mikael Renberg) but was very potent in its own right. Ditto the frequent line of a rookie Renberg (often on left wing) with Lindros and Recchi in 1993-94.
Rick Tocchet (RW): The hard-working, pugnacious power forward started out as a third-line and fourth-line player and worked his way up in the lineup. A three-time NHL All-Star Game participant as a Flyer, "Tocch" won the Bobby Clarke Trophy in 1989-90. He had four straight seasons with 30-plus goals including 45-goal (1988-89) and 40-goal (1990-91) campaigns. Tocchet had a pair of four-goal games as a Flyers among eight hat tricks. He even led the team in assists during the 1989-90 season (59). He's the Flyers all-time penalty minute leader (1,815) and also tied with Recchi for 12th in goals (232) along with being 15th in points (508).
Tocchet was part of Flyers teams that reached two Stanley Cup Finals (1984-85 as a rookie and 1986-87), a Wales Conference Final (1988-89) and, during his second stint, an Eastern Conference Final (1999-2000).
Kimmo Timonen (D): The five-time Barry Ashbee Trophy winner was a universally respected team leader during his seven-plus seasons with the Flyers. Timonen was a vital part of the team's instant turn-around from the franchise-worst 2006-07 season, and was a key player on an Eastern Conference finalist in 2007-08 and Stanley Cup Finalist in 2009-10. Small in height but fearless and deceptively strong with a thick frame and low center of gravity, Timonen's level of stoic pain tolerance was legendary even by hockey standards. His 519 games played rank 10th among Flyers defensemen and his 270 points rank third.
Danny Briere (C/W): Briere's playoff heroics are the key to his candidacy. He is fourth in playoff points-per-game (1.06) in franchise history and sixth in total points (72) in the postseason. Additionally, he produced a pair of 30-goal regular seasons and played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2010-11. Off the ice, he is one of the most beloved players in recent franchise history and universally respected among former teammates.
Scott Hartnell (LW): Hartnell was the left winger on three highly successful Flyers line combos with notably different forms of chemistry: first with Jeff Carter and Joffrey Lupul, then with Briere and Ville Leino and finally with Giroux and Jaromir Jagr. Hartnell had a pair of 30-goal seasons as a Flyer and five with 20 or more goals. An NHL All-Star in 2011-12, Hartnell brought pugnacity on the ice and a laid-back sense of humor off the ice. Along with Briere and Timonen, his acquisition was a vital part of the Flyers' instant turnaround from being the NHL's worst team the year before their arrival to a team that played in an Eastern Conference Final and a Stanley Cup Final in addition to posting 106-point (2010-11) and 103-point (2011-12) seasons and took out the favored Penguins in the first round of the 2012 playoffs.
Paul Holmgren: The fact that Holmgren is the only person in franchise history to serve the organization as a player, assistant coach, head coach, scout, assistant general manager, general manager, and team president makes him a prime candidate for induction. "Homer" was too modest to ever include himself as a candidate for the Flyers Hall of Fame during his years as general manager and team president, but now that he's semi-retired and works in an advisory capacity to Chuck Fletcher, the time has come to recognize Holmgren among the most important contributors to organization history. His credentials include:
* As a player: 30-goal season and Stanley Cup Final hat trick (first American player in NHL history to do so) in 1979-80 as a member of the Rat Patrol line with Brian Propp and Ken Linseman; 2nd in franchise history with 1,600 penalty minutes; 35th in games played (500). He played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1980-81.
* As head coach: Holmgren was the head coach during the Flyers' surprise run to Game 6 of the 1989 Wales Conference Final, including an upset of Pittsburgh. Previously, Holmgren served as an assistant coach under Mike Keenan, and part of the 1986-87 staff on a team than fell just one win shy of the Stanley Cup championship.
* As Director of Player Personnel and then Asssistant GM: General manager Bob Clarke delegated oversight of scouting and drafting operations to Holmgren, who also served as the de facto general manager of the Philadelphia Phantoms. Holmgren was an important figure in building the two Phantoms Calder Cup championship winning rosters (1997-98, 2004-05). He was also deeply involved in the decision process for the drafting of Justin Williams in 2000, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in 2003 and Claude Giroux in 2006.
* As general manager: Holmgren took over from Clarke as general manager during the worst season in franchise history (2006-07). One season later, the team reached the Eastern Conference Final. After a 99-point season in 2008-09, the Flyers reached an overtime Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2009-10. In 2010-11, the Flyers posted 106 points (their highest output of the 2000s). In 2011-12, the team had 103 points in the regular season and then upset the favored Penguins in the first round. The team had a bad year in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season and then, after an awful start, rebounded to reach the playoffs and take the New York Rangers to a 2-1 Game 7 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Thereafter, he turned over the GM reigns to Ron Hextall, as the franchise embarked on a farm system restock.
* Behind the scenes: Homer neither seeks nor wants any publicity for the many ways through the years that he's helped people (including but hardly limited to players and Alumni) who need opportunities or second-chances in their professional and personal lives. It's his way of paying forward what he received in his own life. Apart from Ed Snider himself, there has been no person who has quietly helped more people behind the scenes -- and fought harder to preserve the "family" identity of the organization -- than Paul Holmgren.
Lou Nolan: There is a "microphone" banner for legendary 76ers PA man Dave Zinkoff at the Wells Fargo Center. Lou Nolan, who has worked for the organization for the duration of franchise history and been the PA announcer since the Stanley Cup years, deserves similar recognition.
Simon Nolet: A sleeper candidate but worthy of consideration. Nolet played for the Flyers from 1967-68 through the first Stanley Cup season (1973-74). He was an NHL All-Star in 1971-72, From 1990 until his retirement in 2018, Nolet was a mainstay on the Flyers' scouting staff under Russ Farwell, Clarke, Holmgren and Hextall. As a Flyers Quebec-based scout, Nolet had the most viewings of Simon Gagne leading up the 1998 Draft and Claude Giroux leading up to 2005-06. He was also the scout who pushed for the selection of University of Vermont forward Patrick Sharp in the third round of the 2001 Draft.
In total, Nolet proudly served the Flyers organization for roughly 35 years between his playing and scouting careers.
Little known fact: Leading up to the 2003 Draft, very few scouting sources had Acadie-Bathurst Titan center Patrice Bergeron ranked in the top 50. Many had him ranked beyond their Top 100, including The Hockey News. Nolet felt differently -- and vehemently so. He stepped up to internally push for his selection. According to Jay Greenberg's Flyers at 50, the Flyers had Bergeron targeted as their next pick (69th overall) after the selections of Carter and Richards. Unfortunately for the Flyers, they did not have a second-round pick and the Boston Bruins were also on Bergeron's trail. Boston selected the future perennial Selke candidate with the 45th overall pick.
Other candidates Players : Andre "Moose" Dupont, Brad McCrimmon, Bob Kelly (Stanley Cup winning goal, two 20-goal seasons, long post-career tenure as "Ambassador of Hockey" in the Delaware Valley community), Pelle Eklund, Ilkka Sinisalo, Mikael Renberg and, more recently, the still-active Wayne Simmondssometimes get mentioned as Flyers HOF candidates in fan-generated debates. I'd add Andre Lacroix (the pre-Clarke era Flyers top offensive player) to the longshot list.
Among coaches, Mike Keenan is probably the lead candidate among those who have not been inducted, but the late Pat Quinn and Terry Murray also get mentions, while Peter Laviolette is 3rd in franchise regular season coaching wins with 145 and had a trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final and 23 overall postseason wins on his resume as well.