John Garrett Passes Away At 74
In an unfortunate announcement, Sportsnet shared that John Garrett, 74, has passed away. Garrett enjoyed a six-year career in the NHL as a netminder, though most will know him as a color commentator with Sportsnet Pacific.
His professional career began in 1971, when he was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the NHL Draft. Instead of making his way through the Blues’ affiliates to NHL playing time, Garrett signed with the WHA’s Minnesota Fighting Saints ahead of the 1973-74 season. He spent two and a half years with Minnesota, managing a 77-63-6 record in 150 games with a 3.38 GAA. Unfortunately, the franchise folded toward the end of the 1975-76 season, and Garrett finished the season with the Toronto Toros.
The Toros didn’t stay much longer. Garrett remained with the organization even after they relocated to Birmingham despite the team having several difficult seasons. In an act of mercy, Birmingham traded Garrett to the New England Whalers and remained with the team through the 1979 WHA/NHL merger.
Finally, in the NHL, nearly a decade after being drafted by the Blues, Garrett hopped around a few times, playing for the Whalers, Quebec City Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks. Throughout his six-year NHL career, Garrett earned a 68-91-37 record in 207 games with a .866 SV% and 4.28 GAA. Although he didn’t receive credit for years, largely because the NHL didn’t track netminder assists for many decades, Garrett was given an assist to Gordie Howe‘s last goal in his illustrious career.
Garrett retired after the 1984-85 season and was immediately offered the role of Assistant General Manager with the Canucks. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen management changes, the offer was withdrawn relatively quickly. Needing to pivot, Garrett began his broadcasting career with CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada.
During that time, he covered many games for the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames before joining Sportsnet in 1998. Beginning in the 2002-03 season, Garrett became the lead commentator for the Canucks organization, a role he held until his retirement in 2023.
We at PHR offer our condolences to the teammates, colleagues, organizations, and fans who have grown close to Garrett throughout his playing and broadcasting career.
Bill Riley Passes Away At 75
In an unfortunate announcement from the team, the Washington Capitals shared that former player Bill Riley passed away at the age of 75.
In their press release, Washington said,
Bill was a true trailblazer in our game, becoming one of the first Black players to play in the NHL, following pioneers such as Willie O’Ree and playing alongside fellow Capital Mike Marson. His courage, perseverance, and passion for the sport helped pave the way for future generations. During his time with Washington, Bill exemplified leadership, professionalism, and dedication both on and off the ice. He carried himself with integrity and pride, leaving a lasting impact on his teammates, the organization, and the broader hockey community. We honor Bill’s legacy and the important role he played in growing the game. He will always be remembered as a valued member of the Capitals family.
The word perseverance couldn’t ring truer. Riley came from humble beginnings in Amherst, Nova Scotia, with his parents notably making great financial sacrifices to fund his hockey endeavors. Tearing up the Nova Scotia youth leagues, Riley was spotted by Tom McVie, who was scouting talent for his new team at the time, the IHL’s Dayton Gems, and offered Riley a tryout.
During the 1975-76 season with the Gems, Riley scored 35 goals and 66 points in 69 games and was offered a spot on the Capitals for the next season, following a one-game tryout with them the previous season. He stayed in Washington for the next three years, scoring 28 goals and 56 points in 125 games with 313 PIMs.
Taken by the original iteration of the Winnipeg Jets in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft, Riley finished his NHL career during the 1979-80 season, scoring three goals and five points in 14 games before being sent to the minor leagues. That would unfortunately be his last NHL appearance.
Riley continued his professional career in the AHL for several years, playing for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, New Brunswick Hawks, and Moncton Alpines before retiring at the end of the 1983-84 season. Riley won the Calder Cup with New Brunswick in 1982, scoring eight goals and 16 points in 15 postseason contests.
PHR joins the Capitals organization, the Jets organization, and others around the game in sending condolences to his family, friends, loved ones, and former teammates.
Troy Murray Passes Away
Former NHL forward and longtime Blackhawks broadcaster Troy Murray passed away on Saturday at age 63, the team announced. Murray had battled cancer since first publicly sharing his diagnosis in 2021, still serving as the team’s radio color analyst for most of that time up until this season.
Murray had two separate stints in Chicago as a player, totaling nearly 700 games over 12 seasons. The first started when they drafted him in the third round in 1980, preceding a highly successful two-year stint at the University of North Dakota – including captaining Canada to a gold medal at the 1982 World Juniors – before turning pro in 1982 and immediately becoming a fixture in the Hawks’ lineup. He spent the remainder of the decade as one of the league’s top defensive centers, winning the Selke Trophy in 1985-86 while routinely putting up 50-plus points. He had five consecutive 20-goal seasons from 1984-89.
The second half of Murray’s career was as more of a journeyman, but a highly valuable one. He was traded to the Jets in the 1991 offseason for rugged defender Bryan Marchment and was immediately named Winnipeg’s captain. A year and a half later, they shipped him back to the Hawks at the 1993 deadline for a hopefully long playoff run after they reached the Cup Final the year before, but they were swept out in the first round in a significant upset by the Blues. Murray was traded twice in each of the next two seasons – first to the Senators in 1994 and then to the Penguins in 1995 – before signing on with the first-year Avalanche for 1995-96 after their relocation from Quebec. That was the last NHL season of his 15-year career, but he ended it with a Stanley Cup win, suiting up eight times in the Avs’ march to their first Cup.
Murray played one more pro season, captaining the Chicago Wolves (then of the now-defunct IHL) in 1996-97, before officially retiring. He immediately began his second act as a broadcaster and called Hawks games on WGN Radio for over two decades. While doing so, he was the president of the Blackhawks’ alumni association.
Blackhawks chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz’s statement was as follows:
The Chicago Blackhawks are deeply heartbroken today as we mourn the loss of Troy Murray, our beloved “Muzz,” and our love and support go out to his family.
Troy was the epitome of a Blackhawk, so far beyond his incredible playing career with a presence felt in every corner of our organization over the last 45 years. He was admired by his teammates and our players, and was so proud to connect generations of Blackhawks through his work with the Blackhawks Alumni Association. He jumped at every call to support our local community with our Foundation. He never missed a chance to say ‘hello’ in our press box and always knew the perfect time for a joke just when someone around the office needed it most. And he absolutely loved bringing Blackhawks hockey to you, our fans, night after night with a dedication to his craft that never wavered to the very end.
During his long and hard battle with cancer, it was often said that Troy didn’t have any ‘give up’ in him. While our front office simply won’t be the same without him, we will carry that spirit forward every day in his honor. We’ll miss you, Muzz.
Murray had 230 goals, 354 assists, and 584 points with a +53 rating in 915 career NHL games, including 488 points in 688 games as a Hawk. He’s 23rd in franchise history in appearances by a skater, 18th in assists, and 19th in points. PHR joins others around the game in sending condolences to his family, friends, loved ones, coworkers, and former teammates.
Longtime Canucks Broadcaster Jim Robson Passes Away
Retired Vancouver Canucks play-by-play announcer Jim Robson has passed away at the age of 91, the news shared by Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK. He was an original part of the team, joining as they entered the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1970, making his mark in the booth all the way until 1999 in a legendary career across both radio and television.
Known as the Voice of the Canucks for 29 years, Robson earned the opportunity to work for Hockey Night in Canada, as well as assignments for the Stanley Cup Finals four times. In 1982, he covered the Finals as his Canucks took on the eventual champion New York Islanders.
The Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native is also well intertwined with New York’s history, as his call of Bob Nystrom’s Stanley Cup-winning overtime goal in 1980 proved to be a highlight of an impressive career.
As for his own team, Robson’s narration of Greg Adams’ overtime winner sending Vancouver to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1994 was another unforgettable moment. In a post shared by Dallas Stars broadcaster Daryl Reaugh, Robson reflected on the Canucks’ 1994 run with Vancouver News six years ago.
Robson moved fully to television after the 1993-94 season, his last game on the radio airwaves proving to be a memorable one, game seven of the Finals between the Canucks and the Rangers.
In 1998-99, Robson’s final year, he shared duty with John Shorthouse who remains Vancouver’s current voice on television to this day, as the torch was passed on. Rogers Arena’s broadcast booth is named after Robson, as he will be remembered for years to come as a pillar of the Canucks.
A recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 1992, honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame as a distinguished broadcaster, Robson is also a member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.
We at Pro Hockey Rumors send our condolences to Robson’s family, friends, and peers.
Phil Goyette Passes Away
Long-time NHL forward Phil Goyette has passed away at the age of 92, per an announcement from the Canadiens, one of his former teams.
Goyette made his NHL debut for Montreal in 1957, playing 14 regular-season games before becoming a regular in the playoffs to help lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup. That turned out to be his first of four straight Cup victories through the 1959-60 season. Goyette spent three more years with Montreal after that before joining the Rangers for the 1963-64 campaign.
Goyette spent another seven seasons in New York, putting up three seasons of more than 60 points, his best production by far to that point in his career.
He found another level offensively upon joining St. Louis in 1969. In his first season with the Blues, Goyette finished fourth in league scoring, picking up 78 points in 72 games, his first of two straight seasons of recording more than a point per game. He also won the Lady Byng Trophy that season as the league’s Most Gentlemanly Player. However, that was his only season in St. Louis as Buffalo selected him in the 1970 Expansion Draft.
Goyette went on to play parts of two seasons with the Sabres before wrapping up his playing career back with the Rangers. Overall, he played in 940 career regular season games, recording 674 points while chipping in with 46 points in 94 playoff contests with those four Stanley Cup titles.
Upon retiring as a player, Goyette decided to give coaching a chance as he was named the inaugural head coach for the Islanders in 1972, spending a partial season with them.
Blackhawks Legend Glenn Hall Passes Away At Age 94
Tragic news has come through the hockey world. Legendary goaltender Glenn Hall has passed away at the age of 94, per an NHL press release. Hall played four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, four seasons with the St. Louis Blues, and 10 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He won two Stanley Cups and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.
Few hockey careers were as prolific as Hall’s. He earned the monichre ‘Mr. Goalie’ by the end of his career, in part thanks to how consistent of a presence he was in net. Hall rarely missed a game, setting an NHL record for 502 consecutive starts (552 including playoffs) between the start of his career in 1955 and his eighth season in 1962. That stretch spanned a move from the Red Wings to the Black Hawks and saw Hall play more than 30,000 minutes of hockey.
Even more impressive, Hall acheived the record without wearing a mask, which wasn’t popularized until Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender Jacques Plante took up the protective gear in 1959. Hall wouldn’t wear a mask until November 1968, at the age of 37. He allowed a goal on one of the first shifts of the game and earned an ejection on the very next shift. Ironically, Plante was the one to replace Hall. The duo of Hall-of-Fame goaltenders would go on to combine for 13 shutouts and collectively win the Vezina Trophy that year.
Hall earned attention for much more than his propensity for playing every game, and not wearing a mask. His career began with the Humboldt Indians and Windsor Spitfires of Ontario’s early junior leagues. He signed with the Red Wings in 1949, while in juniors, and spent his first pro year in 1951 assigned to the AHL’s Indianapolis Capitals. Hall played 68 games for the Capitals and earned a call-up to fill Detroit’s backup position behind Terry Sawchukin the 1952 playoffs. He didn’t appear in a single game but still had his name placed on the Cup by the Red Wings.
Hall, already decorated a champion, finally usurped Sawchuk in 1955, when the latter was traded to the Boston Bruins. His rookie season was when Hall’s run of consecutive games kicked off. He recorded 30 wins and a .925 save in 70 games that season – enough to take home the 1955 Calder Trophy. Those numbers grew to 38 wins and a .928 save percentage, both league-bests, in his second season. He was named a first-team all-star – then, a way of being named the top goalie.
Despite that status, the Red Wings aimed to find a way to bring back Sawchuk, prompting one of the NHL’s great blockbusters. Detroit sent Hall and forward Ted Lindsay – a veteran of 14 seasons in Detroit – to the Black Hawks in exchange for Bill Preston, Forbes Kennedy, Johnny Wilson, and Hank Bassen.
Hall’s status as one of the league’s best goaltenders continued through his days in Chicago, though his stat line took an initial hit on a club near the bottom of the standings. Hall recorded the most losses in the league in 1957-58, with 39, but still finished the season fifth in Hart Trophy voting. He reduced that to 29 losses in 1958-59, though did lead the league with 208 goals allowed that year. Despite a rocky first two seasons, Hall climbed back to a save percentage north of .915 in his third year, sparking a run of all-star bids that would stretch through the next 11 seasons, save for one year.
Hall became the core piece of a true turnover in Chicago. He began with the club as a proven 26-year-old playing next to a rookie Bobby Hull and bruisers like Eric Nesterenko. 10 seasons later, he was backing the likes of Stan Mikita, Phil Esposito, and Dennis Hull (and, still, Nesterenko). That run came to a close in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, when Chicago protected 28-year-old Denis DeJordy over Hall. The veteran would go to the St. Louis Blues with the third-overall pick, after Sawchuk and Bernie Parent were selected with the first two picks.
The Blues would go on to make the Stanley Cup Finals in their first three seasons, largely thanks to Hall’s continued dominance. That run ended in one of the most iconic moments in NHL history, when legendary defenseman Bobby Orr scored his famous “flying goal” on Hall to clinch the 1970 Stanley Cup in overtime. Hall played one more season but called his career to a close in 1971. He ended with 906 games played, 407 wins, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.50 goals-against-average.
Like many goalies of his era, Hall’s career is remembered with deep admiration. The city of Humboldt, where he began his career, erected a monument to Hall in 2005. He was named a Top 100 hockey player of all-time by The Hockey News in 1998, a status that the league cemented in their inagural top-100 list in 2017. Hall is a true great of the sport who’s name, shutdown ability in an old era, and lack of mask will ring on for many years to come. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Hall’s family, friends, and many fans.
Bob Pulford Passes Away
Hall-of-Fame player and executive Bob Pulford has passed away, the NHL Alumni Association said. He was 89 years old.
An Ontario native, Pulford is one of the most integral figures in franchise history for his hometown team. He spent his playing days as a center and left winger after breaking into the league with the Maple Leafs in 1956-57, eventually becoming a five-time All-Star and one of the top penalty-killing forwards of the late Original Six era.
More than 55 years after Pulford played his last game for the Leafs, he still ranks quite high on the franchise leaderboard. He’s seventh in games played (947), 11th in goals (251), and 11th in points (563). He led Toronto with 10 assists in 12 playoff games in the Leafs’ last Stanley Cup victory in 1967, the fourth and final title of his career after winning three straight with the Leafs from 1962-64.
Pulford was traded to the Kings in 1970 and spent the final two seasons of his career in Los Angeles. While his offensive production wasn’t at its peak, he captained the Kings in his final season as a player in 1971-72 before beginning his arguably more impactful off-ice career as their head coach the following season.
As the sixth head coach for the Kings in their first six seasons, Pulford oversaw the team’s first sustained period of relevance. He posted a 178-150-68 record (.535) over five regular seasons, winning Coach of the Year honors in 1975 and beginning a streak of nine consecutive playoff appearances that still stands as a franchise record.
In 1977, the Blackhawks tabbed Pulford to serve as both their head coach and GM. That hiring would kick off a 30-year run for Pulford in Chicago – during which time he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player as part of the class of 1991 – that saw the franchise make the playoffs 22 times.
His roles were varied. Pulford had four separate stints as the Hawks’ head coach (1977-79, 1981-82, 1984-87, 1999-00), often taking over as the interim boss midseason when someone was fired. Those often overlapped with four stints as GM (1977-90, 1992-97, 1999-00, 2003-05). When he wasn’t either of those things, he served as the club’s senior VP of hockey operations until he transitioned to working for the Hawks’ parent company in 2007, no longer directly affiliated with the team.
Pulford was also the first head of the NHLPA, elected to the role in 1967 and holding it until Ken Dryden took over presidential duties in 1972.
All of us at PHR send our condolences to the Pulford family and the many in the hockey community who worked with him.
Guy Chouinard Passes Away
The Calgary Flames alumni group shared this morning that former player Guy Chouinard has passed away at age 69.
Hailing from Quebec City, Quebec, Chouinard was a dominant major junior player in the early 1970s for the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. In three years with the Remparts, Chouinard averaged just over two points per game, finishing with 147 goals and 359 points in 179 games.
That impressive run led to him being selected with the 28th overall pick (then in the second round) of the 1974 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Flames. He only appeared in nine games for the Flames throughout his first two professional seasons. Still, he won the Calder Cup with the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs in 1976, scoring 40 goals and 80 points in 70 regular-season contests, with another six goals and 15 points in nine playoff games.
His one-year stint with the Voyageurs would be his last in the minor leagues for some time. Beginning in the 1976-77 season, Chouinard was one of, if not the best, offensive players on the Flames, and remained that after the move to Calgary for the 1980-81 season. In the team’s final four years in Georgia, Chouinard scored 126 and 292 points in 309 games while earning votes for the Lady Byng Trophy in 1979-80.
Much of the reason the Flames nearly made the Stanley Cup Final in their first year in Alberta was due to Chouinard, who scored three goals and 17 points in 16 games during that year’s playoff run. He finished his time in Calgary after the 1982-83 campaign with 67 goals and 235 points in 196 contests. The Flames traded him to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations ahead of the 1983-84 season, and he finished with 12 goals and 46 points in 64 games.
Retiring early after the 1984-85 season, Chouinard bounced around the QMJHL until the 2009-10 season, serving as head coach of the Longueuil Chevaliers, Victoriaville Tigres, Verdun Jr. Canadiens, Trois-Rivières Draveurs, Sherbrooke Faucons, Laval Titan Collège Français, Remparts, and the Prince Edward Island Rocket. He was inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 2005 and is second in games coached (988), wins (515), and championships (4).
Still, despite his lengthy run as a bench boss in the QMJHL, he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest players in Flames history. He was the franchise leader in assists and points when he retired, and has since fallen to eighth and ninth, respectively.
We at PHR send our condolences to Chouinard’s family, friends, and loved ones.
Hall Of Fame Journalist Larry Brooks Passes Away At 75
Longtime New York Post columnist and Hockey Hall Of Fame writer Larry Brooks has passed away at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer. Brooks spent 38 years with the Post, across two tenures, split by his work as the Senior Vice President Of Communications with the New Jersey Devils from 1982 to 1992.
Commonly refered to as “Brooksie”, Brooks’ time with The Post began in 1976. He originally covered the Ne wYork Islanders and the MLB’s New York Yankees, who he followed on a run to the World Series Championship in 1977. He took on covering the Rangers in the following year, and continued on for five years before taking on coverage of the Devils following their relocation from Colorado. That role blossomed into an executive role in New Jersey’s front office, giving Brooks a rare mix of experience on both sides of the mic. He became The Post’s primary Rangers beat writer and principal hockey columnist for their paper soon after his return to journalism in 1992.
Brooks covered the Rangers with great intimacy and consistency, modeling beat coverage for many up-and-coming journalists. That exemplary performance was recognized in 2001, when Brooks was named president of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. He carried the title for three years, supporting the group that oversees voting for seven annual awards handed out by the NHL. The PHWA also votes for the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to recognize those who have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.
Fittingly, Brooks won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award himself in 2018. The Hockey Hall of Fame honored Brooks alongside longtime Toronto Maple Leafs broadcaster Joe Bowen.
Brooks was impossible to miss over his time covering the Rangers. Not only did his columns often headline The Post, but his words often found their way into the New York fandom zietgeist. He is often credited as being the one to award Henrik Lundqvist with his popular nickname, “The King”. Brooks was also a vocal challenger to longtime Rangers head coach John Tortorella, with the two butting heads more than a few times during Tortorella’s tenure from 2008 to 2013. The Post shares that Tortorella had reached out to check-in on Brooks over the last week, something that Brooks’ son, Jordan, says meant a lot to his father.
Brooks will be rememebered as a titan of hockey journalism, with the demeanor to stand up to hard-headed head coaches and unfair labor disputes. He was vocal and proud in both the small and the big moments. He watched over a 9-8-7 record to start New York’s season – a nice step forward from a dismal season last year. His final column was an analysis of why defender Braden Schneider deserves loftier minutes.
Brooks leaves behind a son, a daughter-in-law, Joanna, and two grandchildren. His work with The Post will be continued by longtime colleague Mollie Walker. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Brooks’ family, friends, and the entire New York sports fanbase.
Hall Of Fame Flyers Goalie Bernie Parent Passes Away At 80
Legendary Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Bernie Parent has passed away at the age of 80. He was the first starting goaltender in Flyers history, and went on to accumulate one of the most decorated careers in NHL history. His accolades included back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, two Vezina Trophies, and two Conn Smyth ‘Playoff MVP’ trophies. He was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1984, alongside Jacques Lemaire and Phil Esposito.
Parent’s prolific pro career didn’t began in Philadelphia. Instead, he joined the NHL as a member of the Boston Bruins in 1965 – and posted a disappointing .898 save percentage in 39 games of his rookie season. That poor showing pushed him to a backup role in 1966, and prompted Boston to leave Parent unprotected in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.
That decision set up Philadelphia to make what ended up a franchise-defining pick. They leaned on Parent in their first season of operations and he quickly proved worth the trust. He posted a .926 save percentage – fourth-best in the NHL – in his first 38 games as a Flyer, despite the team slipping to a 15-17-5 record when he was in net. Parent matched that performance with a .925 Sv% in 58 games the following year, and a .921 Sv% in 62 games the year after that. It was a phenomenal start to his time with the Flyers, though the team followed it up with the questionable decision to trade their star starting goaltender to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1971. In return, the Flyers landed a top-10 draft pick (used on Pierre Plante), backup goaltender Bruce Gamble, and middle-six center Mike Walton, who they flipped to the Boston Bruins.
The trade marked an interesting lull in Parent’s career. He spent two years with the Maple Leafs, recording a .915 Sv% through 65 total games, then spent one year with Philadelphia’s WHA club during the 1972-73 season – one of multiple NHL superstars who made the surprising change in leagues. On the other side of that decision, Parent decided to return to the Flyers for the 1973-74 season.
He returned to a club much stronger than the one he left behind. The club had earned the nickname “Broad Street Bullies” in the year prior, thanks to the aggressive and physical play of club legends Bobby Clarke, Dave Schultz, and Andre Dupont – to name a few. With the addition of Parent, the Flyers added a star goalie to that bruising bunch. That proved to be their missing piece, and the Flyers blazed to back-to-back Stanley Cup wins while leaning heavily on Parent. He posted a .932 Sv% through 73 games of the 1973-74 season, then returned for a .918 Sv% in 68 games of the 1974-75 campaign. In that mix, Parent also managed an incredible .933 Sv% in 17 playoff games in 1974; and a .924 Sv% in 15 playoff games in 1975. Both performances earned him MVP-recognition when Philadelphia went to lift their first, and only, Cup wins in franchise history.
Unfortunately, Parent’s career would peak with those seasons. He missed all but 11 games of the 1975-76 campaign due to a pinched nerve in his neck that required surgery. He’d recover well enough to suit up for 61 games in 1976-77, though his .899 Sv% showed sign for concern. He bounced back with a .912 in 49 games the next year, and maintained a handle on the starter’s net in 1978-79. But Parent’s career would come to a sudden, and tragic, end in 1979 when a stick got through the eyehole of his mask – causing hospitalization, temporary loss of sight, and permanent vision damage. He retired at the age of 34, and his injury would spark a league-wide shift to modern goalie helmets soon after.
Parent’s impact on Philadelphia hockey continued well after the end of his playing days. He served as the team’s goaltending coach through three scattered seasons, and mentored future Vezina Trophy-winners Ron Hextall and Pelle Lindbergh. His coaching career didn’t last for very long, but Parent stuck around the organization as an ‘Ambassador of Hockey’ through the 2024-25 season.
Chants of “Bernie, Bernie, Bernie” echoed through The Spectrum at Parent’s peak, and continued to ring loud at every fan event he attended, even late in life. He was truly a legend of the sport, and perhaps thee defining piece in Philadelphia’s first few years in the league. He played through historic NHL moments, like the 1975 ‘Fog Game’ against the Buffalo Sabres. For a time after his career, he would live on a yacht he named ‘The French Connection’, after the legendary Sabres line he faced in that very game. That humor, his warm spirit, and his championing of sobriety and dedication will be remembered through the Flyers family.