By Rob Riches, Sports Talk Philly contributor
Marcel Pelletier, one of the original architects who helped build the Flyers, passed away at the age of 89, the team announced Monday.
After a lengthy career as a goalie in the NHL and the minor leagues, Pelletier joined the Flyers' front office upon their expansion in 1967. As the then-director of player personnel, he worked alongside GM Bud Poile and coach Keith Allen (who later went on to become general manager in 1969).
Pelletier was tasked with scouting players across North America, and played an unsung, yet critical, role in building the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup championship teams. His duties entailed much more, according to the team's release:
Initially, the position involved "scouting, promotion, and just about everything else for the Flyers." As the years went by, Pelletier's role evolved into that of player personnel director, continuing to work closely with Allen after he took over as general manager. As the Flyers' primary pro-league scout, traveling what was estimated in the 1971-72 Flyers Yearbook as 75,000 miles a year, Pelletier had encyclopedic knowledge of various leagues and players. In that role, Pelletier carried influence on the evolution of what became a championship team.
After spending much of the 1970s with the Orange and Black, Pelletier headed up north to Boston, and worked with the Bruins' front office. He retired back to South Jersey, and made sporadic appearances at Flyers games as well as practices.
