One of the most storied franchises in the NHL has produced its fair share of homegrown talent. Legends like Bobby Clarke and Claude Giroux highlight the list. However, some of the players associated most closely with the Philadelphia Flyers aren’t homegrown.
The Broad Street Bullies captured the hearts of the city during the 1970s. Although the Fred Shero-led teams were the best in franchise history, they came so close to the 1967 NHL expansion wave that the Flyers didn’t have too many of their own draft picks.
Hockey Hall of Famer Bernie Parent doesn’t qualify. The Quebec Nordiques also drafted Eric Lindros in 1991 before the expected prodigy came to Philadelphia. Many of the key contributors that came through Philadelphia during the 1990s and 2000s were already accomplished NHL stars with other teams.
Ed Snider had the budget to bring plenty of high-priced free agents before the NHL entered the salary cap era. Philadelphia flexed the financial muscles to surround Lindros with talent and continue their run as a perennial playoff team and a Stanley Cup contender into the 21st century.
Homegrown Flyers Defensemen
Who would play on the blue line for the team of homegrown Flyers? Mark Howe? Eric Desjardins? Kimmo Timonen? Most of the best defensemen in franchise history didn’t come up through the organization.
The Flyers developed a habit of drawing from the free agent pool to stock the blue line. The trend continued into the 2010s before Ron Hextall changed the front office philosophy with high-profile prospects like Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere.
The starting lineup includes three forwards, two defensemen, one goaltender, and one extra attacker in case of a late-game deficit. Who would you want on the blue line for the all-time roster of homegrown Flyers? How about the top line?
97.5 The Fanatic will put together lists of the best homegrown players for each of the four major professional sports teams in Philadelphia.
- The All-Time Roster of Homegrown Phillies Players
- The All-Time Roster of Homegrown Sixers Players
- The All-Time Roster of Homegrown Eagles Players (coming soon)
Claude Giroux (RW)
The Flyers selected Claude Giroux of the Gatineau Olympiques with the 22nd-overall pick in 2006. Bobby Clarke mispronounced the name of the future franchise center.
Giroux quickly became a key offensive threat for a championship contender early in his career. He scored 10 goals and 11 assists in 23 games during the run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010, including an overtime thriller at the Wells Fargo Center in Game 3 to keep the Flyers in the final series.
The longest-tenured captain in franchise history is unfortunately associated with the worst era in franchise history, however. The talent pool dried up almost immediately after the Flyers gave the “C” to Giroux. He was a model of consistency in Philadelphia.
Only Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, and Alexander Ovechkin finished the decade of the 2010s with more points than Giroux. He played center through most of his career down the middle, but he transitioned to the wing in his final seasons with the Flyers.
Although Claude Giroux never led the Flyers to the playoff glory that fans dreamt of, he sits second in franchise history behind Bobby Clarke in points, assists, and games played. The number 28 will someday hang from the rafters with the all-time Flyers greats.
Bill Barber (LW)
The Flyers drafted Bill Barber with the seventh-overall pick in 1972. He scored more goals than any other player in franchise history. His record of 420 will stay secure for a long time.
Barber became one of the biggest offensive threats on a Broad Street Bullies team known more for their brutal intimidation than for finesse and scoring. The feared “LCB Line” with Reggie Leach and Bobby Clarke helped the Flyers to consecutive Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975.
Barber played all 12 of his NHL seasons in Philadelphia. He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990, and he’s remained in the organization as a Flyers lifer in various roles for decades.
Shayne Gostisbehere
He only played 381 games in parts of seven seasons with the Flyers. He never reached the long-term status that fans hoped for, but Shayne Gostisbehere reached a higher level during his rookie effort in 2015-16 than any other homegrown defensemen achieved during their careers.
“Ghost” took the NHL by storm with 17 goals and 29 assists in 64 games. He provided a spark for a team in desperate need and pushed them from irrelevance into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He (somehow) finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy.
Chris Therien had a much longer track record. Ivan Provorov overtook Gostisbehere in the organization’s pecking order. Both played more games than Gostisbehere. Why is the slick, undersized blue liner on the list above them?
Consider that Gostisbehere scored five game-winning goals in the 2015-16 season alone. Therien scored just six in Flyers career, and Provorov scored 11. Gostisbehere edged Provorov for fifth in franchise history in points among defensemen in 151 fewer games.
Shayne Gostisbehere justifiably faded out of favor by the time he left Philadelphia in 2021 because of his defensive weaknesses and physical shortcomings. However, he still earned his spot as one of the two best homegrown defensemen in a limited talent pool.
