The final game for the Flyers before the All-Star break will be more than just a game between the Orange and Black and the Boston Bruins. It will be a celebration of a deserving player joining the immortals in the team’s Hall of Fame, and a beloved team in Philadelphia sports history recognizing a historical anniversary.
First, the Flyers are adding to their Hall of Fame, with the induction of Mark Recchi set for Saturday afternoon prior to the opening face-off of Flyers-Bruins. Additionally, the opponent for Saturday is fitting for the 50th anniversary celebration of the 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers, who claimed the first of back-to-back Stanley Cups for the Orange and Black.
Both will be celebrated as part of an alumni game being held at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night. Recchi will play in the game on the eve of his induction ceremony. Representing the 1974 Stanley Cup champion Flyers will be 80-year-old Joe Watson, who will once again skate in an alumni game. The majority of Watson’s teammates from that Cup team will also be on hand for the celebration, including other legends like Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, and more.
It is once again a reminder of how the history of the Flyers serves as its foundation. As the Flyers publicly entered into a rebuild and are trying to rebuild all aspects of the organization, including the culture, bringing together numerous Flyers of years past helps show that foundation is still strong.
It was already on display earlier in January, when the Flyers celebrated the birthday of their founder Ed Snider. That afternoon served as a reminder of what Snider helped bring to Philadelphia. Alumni games such as Friday’s always serve as a reminder of the franchise’s longevity.
Recchi was a member of the Flyers for two different periods, first from 1992 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2004. The 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee spent the majority of his career, 10 of his 22 seasons, in Philadelphia with numerous other stops along the way. His final stop was in Boston, where he won his third and final Stanley Cup in 2011.
If the weekend is about one individual, it’s Recchi, as he takes his place among the list of names in the rafters. But the weekend is also about a team that continues to live by the famous words of their head coach. Before winning the Stanley Cup in 1974, the late Hall-of-Fame head coach Fred Shero wrote on the blackboard: “win today and we walk together forever.” That team continues to do so.
The Flyers Alumni always put on a good show for the fans in these games. On many occasions, this is a meeting of two Flyers alumni teams. On this occasion, there will be a different opponent. The Bruins alumni will also be there to participate, thus creating a rematch of the 1974 Stanley Cup Final and a preview of the two current teams set to take the ice on Saturday.
The Flyers roster for the Alumni Game is as follows:
Forwards
- 8 Mark Recchi
- 9 Patrick Sharp
- 10 John LeClair
- 18 Mike Richards
- 19 Scott Hartnell
- 21 Dave Brown
- 22 Mike Knuble
- 26 Brian Propp
- 29 Todd Fedoruk
- 32 Riley Cote
- 87 Donald Brashear
- 88 Eric Lindros
Defensemen
- 2 Mark Howe
- 6 Chris Therien
- 8 Brad Marsh
- 14 Joe Watson
- 29 Daryl Stanley
- 36 Dennis Seidenberg
- 44 Kimmo Timonen
Goalies
- 33 Brian Boucher
- 49 Michael Leighton
The Bruins roster for the Alumni Game is as follows:
Forwards
- 1 Reggie Lemelin
- 10 Ken Hodge
- 11 Joe Mullen
- 12 Dmitri Khristich
- 13 Ken Linseman
- 18 Mark Mowers
- 18 John Wensink
- 20 Al Secord
- 20 Bryan Smolinski
- 20 Bob Sweeney
- 23 Chris Kelly
- 25 Mike Krushelnyski
- 48 Graeme Townshend
Defensemen
- 21 Frank Simonetti
- 27 Mike Mottau
- 34 Bob Beers
- 34 Dave Shaw
- 70 Patrick Mullen
- 77 Ray Bourque
Goalies
- 30 TJ Lesky
- 35 Matt Truninger
The Flyers will also have alumni behind the bench. Craig Berube will serve as head coach and Robert Esche will serve as an assistant coach. Comcast Spectacor CEO and Flyers Governor Dan Hilferty, President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones, and GM Danny Briere will be honorary coaches during the first period.
The Alumni Game begins at 7 p.m.
