Jay Snider speaks on behalf of the Snider family at Ed Snider's public memorial on Thursday (Kevin Durso/Flyerdelphia)
When speaking of his late father, Jay Snider, who was president of the Flyers from 1983 to 1994, told those gathered at Wells Fargo Center the last sentence he heard Ed Snider say.
"I can't thank the Flyers enough for everything they've given to me and my family."
On Thursday, it was the fans and players, both past and present, saying thank you in return.
Several hundred fans and countless players from all eras of Flyers hockey gathered at Wells Fargo Center for Ed Snider's public memorial on Thursday afternoon.
"I’d like to thank all the other speakers who came to honor my father today, and also everybody that’s here. We’re honored," Jay Snider said on behalf of the Snider family. "I’d also like to thank our team for their efforts and for dedicating the season to my dad. Lastly, I would like to thank the Philadelphia media with great appreciation for the circumspection and respecting our father’s privacy during his illness."
"Although he had many interests, the Flyers were Ed’s passion," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "In the course of 83 years, he had considerable business success, but it was the lives in the community he helped touch, to change for the better, to save, through the Ed Snider Foundation, through Flyers Charities. Those were the things that made Ed feel rich. And while he had closets filled with custom-made clothing, usually in tasteful colors – even orange – no garment filled him with greater pleasure and pride than the oversized jersey of orange, black and white that bears the simple winged P for Philadelphia across the chest. And while he had wonderful children, doted on 15 grandchildren, and his other relatives, there was always room in Ed’s enormous heart for every player and every fan in the Flyers family."
"Even though we knew Mr. Snider was passing and had time to prepare ourselves, it really hurt and it's going to hurt us for a long time, losing him," Bobby Clarke said. "Mr. Snider will outlive his own life through his deeds. He will remain part of our lives through the stories we can all tell about him. His legacy is the Philadelphia Flyers and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, which will allow us to never become a faceless corporate team. His image and his passion will always guide us."
Among the other speakers at the memorial were Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, Drew Katz, whose father Lewis was close friends with Snider, former CSN president Jack Williams and Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney. Also speaking were Virlen Reyes, the first student from Snider hockey to graduate from college, on behalf of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation.
Lauren Hart opened the ceremony by singing God Bless America, Lou Nolan served as master of ceremonies and Snider's grandson Jacob playing "Georgia On My Mind" and "What A Wonderful World" on piano while a slideshow of images of Snider through the years played for everyone to see.
As per usual, the Flyers organization put on a world-class display in honoring their founder.
There were some great stories throughout the event. Katz recounted a moment when business mogul and Republican party presidential candidate Donald Trump was a guest of Snider's at a playoff game and was kicked out of Snider's box.
"It had nothing to do with his political views," Katz said. "It had to do with the fact that The Donald would not stop talking to Ed during the game. There's nothing that comes between Ed Snider and his hockey games."
Bettman told a great story about a Flyers-Rangers playoff game he attended during the 1990s, a one-goal loss for the Flyers that featured questionable officiating.
"Ed, as you can imagine, was infuriated as I soon learned," Bettman said. "The game ends and I'm trying to get out of town as quickly as possible. I'm just about to make it out of the parking lot when I see there's a car blocking the exit. It was arena security. The driver gets out, comes over to me and says, 'Mr. Snider wants to see you, now.'"
Bettman continued the story, noting a 20-minute "conversation" with Snider about the officiating, as Snider gestured and confronted the commissioner. Snider asked Bettman, "do you really want the games played like that?" as Bettman's wife and three children watched the exchange through the window.
And then there was Bobby Clarke, the player who so perfectly personified Flyers hockey on the ice, honoring the legacy of the Flyers, Snider's legacy, by introducing many members of the Flyers alumni and every current player on the team, all there to pay tribute to the man that brought hockey to Philadelphia.
"I am one of over 500 players who wore the Orange and Black of the Philadelphia Flyers led by the passion that Mr. Snider had for his team," Clarke said. "When I pass, and when we all pass, we don't know where we're going. But for me, I really hope that when I get there, I get another chance to play one more game in the Orange and Black under Mr. Snider's Philadelphia Flyers."
The memorial also gave the Snider family a chance to express gratitude for the outpouring of love and support in the wake of Snider's passing and carry on his competitive spirit. Jay, speaking to any Capitals fans watching, announced "we're not done," in regards to the Flyers 3-1 deficit in the first-round series.
"This week, our family has observed how you have experienced our father," Snider's daughter Lindy said. "We have felt overcome by the outpouring of love for him and support for our family in the process. We are filled with gratitude for you — all of you. It’s a cold, empty place that’s hard to fill when you lose a parent. But this outpouring and your tributes have warmed us from the light and the love you have shown. You have touched us deeply, and we know Dad would have been humbled. You have thanked him in so many ways, but if Dad were here, he’d say it was you who deserve to be thanked.
"He passed away in California with the six of us beside him, but in the final months, all he wanted was to come home. He was prevented from returning in the end, but his heart was right here, and what he said is Philadelphia’s my home. It’s where I built my life. They’re my people, and they were so good to me. Whatever he gave to the city and community he felt could never match what you all gave to him, and he loved you for it, and so do we."
"Most sports owners bought their team with money they made from another business. But sports, and hockey in particular, ran through my father’s veins," Jay Snider said. "Ed Snider was one of the few men, if not the only one, ever to say they made their money in and because of sports. But the irony is that Dad never, ever looked at the Flyers as a business. The Flyers were his passion, as others have noted. They were the manifestation of his determination, his competitiveness and his will to win."
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
