The only Philadelphia Flyers goalie to ever led them to the Stanley Cup passed away over the weekend.
Bernie Parent, the beloved longtime Flyers goalie who backstopped the Broad Street Bullies to the Cup in 1974 and 1975, died Sunday at 80 years of age.
“The legend of Bernie Parent reached far beyond the ice and his accolades,” the Flyers said in a statement. “Bernie had a deep love for Philadelphia and fans of the Flyers. He was passionate about his role as an ambassador for Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education and inspired an entire generation of hockey fans. He dedicated his time, energy and enthusiasm to not only grow the game, but also to spread joy to anyone he encountered.”
Not only did Parent back the Flyers to the Stanley Cup, but he also won both the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the playoff MVP, and Vezina Trophy, given annually to the best goalie in the league, in each season they won the Cup.
Parent also helped the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 1976, before they were unseated as champions by the Montreal Canadiens.
Parent is second in Flyers franchise history in wins (213) and first in saves (12,679). His 2.43 goals-against average is tops among Flyers goalies with at least 200 games played in a Flyers uniform. His No. 1 has been retired by the Flyers since 1979.
Who Was Bernie Parent?
Bernard Marcel Parent was born April 3, 1945 in Montreal, Quebec. He played junior hockey in Niagara Falls before signing with the Boston Bruins, where he spent his first two seasons before being left exposed in the NHL Expansion Draft in 1967.
The Flyers picked up Parent, and he struggled in his four seasons as the starting goalie and was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs. But he left the Leafs to join the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA before the Leafs traded his rights back to the Flyers in 1973.
It was then that Parent found his elite play, since Parent led the NHL with a .932 save percentage, 1.89 goals-against average, 1,870 saves, 47 wins — which set the single-season record for goalie wins — and 12 shutouts. He finished second in Hart Trophy voting, behind only Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins.
Then he posted a .933 save percentage in the postseason, helping the Flyers win Philadelphia’s first major-league championship since the NFL’s Eagles in 1960. Their back-to-back titles remain the only two championships in franchise history, and he won three of the Flyers seven conference championships in their nearly 60-year history.
Unfortunately, Parent sustained an eye injury when he was accidently butt-ended by a stick and was forced to retire at age 33 in 1979.
What Did Former NHL Greats Say About Bernie Parent Passing?
Martin Brodeur, who broke Parent’s record for single-season wins when he won 48 for the New Jersey Devils in 2006-07, was a Montreal-born goalie who grew up watching the Flyers legend.
“The hockey community lost a legend,” Brodeur shared on X (formerly Twitter). “Bernie Parent was a true pioneer who inspired goalies like me and so many others. His talent, confidence, and personality changed the game forever.”
https://x.com/MartinBrodeur/status/1969891458011271196
The longtime NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also was sure to share his thoughts.
“At his unbeatable, unflappable best on the ice when the stakes were highest, Bernie was a warm, gregarious bear of a man off the ice who was venerated in Philadelphia and adored throughout the hockey world,” Bettman said, according to the Associated Press. “The entire National Hockey League family mourns the passing of this beloved icon and sends its deepest condolences to his wife, Gini, his family, and his countless fans and friends.”