1969–70 Philadelphia Flyers season

The 1969–70 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' third season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, setting a team record for fewest wins and an NHL record for most ties.

1969–70 Philadelphia Flyers
Division5th West
1969–70 record17–35–24
Home record11–14–13
Road record6–21–11
Goals for197 (9th)
Goals against225 (7th)
Team information
PresidentBill Putnam
Joe Scott
General managerBud Poile (fired)[lower-alpha 1]
Keith Allen[lower-alpha 1]
CoachVic Stasiuk
CaptainEd Van Impe
Alternate captainsDick Cherry
ArenaSpectrum
Average attendance13,372[2]
Minor league affiliate(s)Quebec Aces
Flint Generals
Jersey Devils
Team leaders
GoalsGary Dornhoefer (26)
AssistsAndre Lacroix (36)
PointsAndre Lacroix (58)
Penalty minutesEarl Heiskala (171)
Plus/minusSimon Nolet (+12)
WinsBernie Parent (13)
Goals against averageBernie Parent (2.80)

Off-season

On May 20, 1969, Keith Allen was named vice president and assistant general manager of the team and replaced as head coach by Vic Stasiuk.[3] Stasiuk spent the previous two seasons as the head coach of the Quebec Aces, the Flyers American Hockey League affiliate.[3]

The Flyers took a chance when they selected a 19-year-old diabetic from Flin Flon, Manitoba, named Bobby Clarke with their second draft pick, 17th overall, in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft.

Regular season

By the time training camp came around it was clear that Clarke was the best player on the team, and he quickly became a fan favorite. His 15 goals and 31 assists earned him a trip to the NHL All-Star Game.

On December 11, 1969, the Flyers introduced what became one of the team's best-known traditions: playing a recording of Kate Smith singing God Bless America instead of The Star-Spangled Banner before important games. The perception was that the team was more successful on these occasions, so the tradition grew. The move was initially done by Flyers promotion director Lou Scheinfeld as a way to defray national tensions at the time of the Vietnam War: Scheinfeld noticed that people regularly left their seats to walk around during the anthem, but showed more respect and often sang along to "God Bless America". To this day, the team plays the song before major playoff games, currently with Lauren Hart (daughter of Hall of Fame Flyers broadcast announcer Gene Hart) performing the first part of the song, a recording of Smith singing the second part, and Lauren Hart joining the recording for the finale. As of the close of the 2013–14 Flyers season, the Flyers have a record of 96–28–4 when God Bless America is sung prior to home games.[4]

General manager Bud Poile was fired on December 19.[1] Keith Allen was named his replacement on December 22.[1]

The team struggled in 1969–70 recording a franchise worst (as of completion of the 2013–14 season) in wins (17). Even with such a bad output, the Flyers had a seven-point lead on the Oakland Seals with six games to play. However, the Flyers lost their last six games and Oakland made up the deficit. They lost the tiebreaker for the final playoff spot to Oakland, missing the playoffs for the first time.

Season standings
West Division[5]
GP W L T GF GA DIFF Pts
1St. Louis Blues76372712224179+4586
2Pittsburgh Penguins76263812182238−5664
3Minnesota North Stars76193522224257−3360
4Oakland Seals76224014169243−7458
5Philadelphia Flyers76173524197225−2858
6Los Angeles Kings76145210168290−12238

Schedule and results

Regular season
1969–70 regular season
October: 1–1–5, 7 Points (Home: 0–0–4; Road: 1–1–1)
November: 2–7–4, 8 Points (Home: 2–2–3; Road: 0–5–1)
December: 4–5–3, 11 Points (Home: 3–3–0; Road: 1–2–3)
January: 5–6–5, 15 Points (Home: 3–3–2; Road: 2–3–3)
February: 3–6–3, 9 Points (Home: 2–2–1; Road: 1–4–2)
March: 2–7–4, 8 Points (Home: 1–2–3; Road: 1–5–1)
April: 0–3–0, 0 Points (Home: 0–2–0; Road: 0–1–0)

Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)

Player statistics

Scoring
Regular season
No. Player Age Pos GP G A Pts +/- PIM
7Andre Lacroix24C74223658−614
12Gary Dornhoefer26RW65262955296
20Jim Johnson27C72183048117
16Bobby Clarke20C76153146168
11Jean-Guy Gendron35LW71232144854
17Simon Nolet28RW562222441236
10Bill Sutherland35LW51151732−230
3Larry Hillman32D7652631−973
9Reg Fleming33LW6591827−4134
24Terry Ball25D6171825−720
8Lew Morrison21RW6691019−319
15Garry Peters27C5961016−969
19Earl Heiskala27LW658715−15171
14Joe Watson26D5431114028
23Larry Hale28D531910−428
2Ed Van Impe29D6501010−1117
6Wayne Hillman31D68358−969
5Dick Cherry32D68347−2423
30Bernie Parent24G62033N/A14
21Dick Sarrazin24RW18112−24
18Rosaire Paiement24RW9112−24
21Serge Bernier22C1011−10
4, 21Ralph MacSweyn27D17000−74
1Doug Favell24G15000N/A2
21Darryl Edestrand24D2000−16
1Dunc Wilson21G1000N/A0

Goaltending
Regular season
No. Player Age GP GS W L T SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
30Bernie Parent24626213292021591712.80.92133,668:19
1Doug Favell241513454516433.15.9171818:00
1Dunc Wilson21110102633.02.885059:35

Awards and records

Awards
Type Award/honor Recipient Ref
League (in-season) NHL All-Star Game selection Bobby Clarke [6]
Bernie Parent

Records
  •    NHL record
  •    Tied for NHL record

Individual
Franchise player records set during the 1969–70 season
Record Type Total Player Ref
Most losses Season 29[lower-alpha 2] Bernie Parent [7]
Most ties Season 20 Bernie Parent [7]

Team
Franchise team records set during the 1969–70 season
Record Type Total Date(s) Ref
Games tied at home Streak 4 10/19/1969 – 10/30/1969 [8]
Fewest wins Season 17 — [9]
Fewest wins at home Season 6[lower-alpha 3] — [10]
Most ties Season 24 — [9]
Most ties on road Season 13 — [10]

Transactions

The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from May 5, 1969, the day after the deciding game of the 1969 Stanley Cup Finals, through May 10, 1970, the day of the deciding game of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals.[11]

Trades
Date Details Ref
May 14, 1969 To Philadelphia Flyers
cash		 To St. Louis Blues
Ron Buchanan		 [12]
May 14, 1969 To Philadelphia Flyers
Wayne Hillman		 To Minnesota North Stars
John Miszuk		 [13]
June 7, 1969 To Philadelphia Flyers
Reg Fleming		 To New York Rangers
Don Blackburn
Leon Rochefort		 [14]
June 10, 1969 To Philadelphia Flyers
$30,000 cash
future considerations		 To Minnesota North Stars
Bob Barlow		 [15]
June 12, 1969 To Philadelphia Flyers
Jean-Guy Gendron		 To Montreal Canadiens
7th-round pick in 1969		 [16]

Free agency

The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency.

Date Player Previous team (league) Term Ref
September 29, 1969Jim MairJohnstown Jets (EHL)[17]

Internal

The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Amateur Draft, signed to contracts.

Date Player Term Ref
July 24, 1969Andre Lacroix2-year[18]
August 21, 1969Serge Bernier[19]
August 21, 1969Gerry Meehan[19]
October 1, 1969Bobby Clarke (DP)[20]

Inter-League

The 1969 NHL Inter-League Draft was held on June 10, 1969.[21] The draft featured NHL teams selecting players from American Hockey League (AHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL) teams. It cost $15,000 to make a claim.[21]

Date Player Team Ref
June 10, 1969Bob Barlowfrom Vancouver Canucks (WHL)[15][21]

Intra-League

The 1969 NHL Intra-League Draft was held on June 11, 1969.[22][23] Each NHL team placed 14 skaters and 2 goaltenders on a protected list from which the other teams could not select.[22] It cost $30,000 to make a claim.[22] The Flyers protected the following players: goaltenders Doug Favell and Bernie Parent, and skaters Serge Bernier, Mike Byers, Reg Fleming, Jean-Guy Gendron, Wayne Hillman, Jim Johnson, Andre Lacroix, Ralph MacSweyn, Gerry Meehan, Rosaire Paiement, Dick Sarrazin, Bill Sutherland, Ed Van Impe, and Joe Watson.[22]

Date Player Team Ref
June 11, 1969Larry Hillman[lower-alpha 4]from Montreal Canadiens[22][24]
June 11, 1969Jean-Guy Gendron[lower-alpha 5]to Montreal Canadiens[22][24]

Reverse

The 1969 NHL Reverse Draft was held on June 12, 1969.[25] The Reverse Draft featured American Hockey League (AHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL) teams selecting unprotected players from NHL teams.[25] It cost $15,000 to make a claim.[25]

Date Player Team Ref
June 12, 1969Rene Droletto Quebec Aces (AHL)[25][26]
June 12, 1969Jean Lapointeto Hershey Bears (AHL)[25][27]
June 12, 1969Bob Sneddonto Springfield Kings (AHL)[25][28]
June 12, 1969Roger Pelletierto Quebec Aces (AHL)[25][29]

Departures

The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).

Date Player New team (league) Via Ref
N/AMyron Stankiewicz—Retirement[30]
N/ALarry Zeidel—Retirement[31]
September 24, 1969Allan Stanley—Retirement[32]

Draft picks
See also: List of Philadelphia Flyers draft picks

Philadelphia's picks at the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, which was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, on June 11, 1969.[33] During the draft, the Flyers traded their seventh-round pick, 75th overall, to the Montreal Canadiens in order to re-acquire Jean-Guy Gendron, who Montreal had selected from the Flyers earlier in the day during the Inter-League Draft.[34]

Round Pick Player Position Nationality Team (league)
1 6 Bob Currier Center  Canada Cornwall Royals (CJAHL)
2 17 Bobby Clarke Center  Canada Flin Flon Bombers (WCHL)
3 28 Willie Brossart Defense  Canada Estevan Bruins (WCHL)
4 40 Michel Belhumeur Goaltender  Canada Drummondville Rangers (QJHL)
5 52 Dave Schultz Left Wing  Canada Sorel Eperviers (QJHL)
6 64 Don Saleski Right Wing  Canada Regina Pats (SJHL)
8 81 Claude Chartre Center  Canada Drummondville Rangers (QJHL)

Farm teams

The Flyers were affiliated with the Quebec Aces of the AHL,[35][36] the Flint Generals of the IHL,[37] and the Jersey Devils of the EHL.[37]

Notes
  1. Poile was fired on December 19. Allen was named his replacement on December 22.[1]
  2. Tied by Antero Niittymaki during the 2006–07 season.
  3. Tied total from the 1968–69 season.
  4. The Flyers removed Jean-Guy Gendron from their protected list after selecting Hillman.
  5. The Canadiens claimed Gendron in lieu of cash.

References
General
Specific
  1. "Allen Named General Manager Of Flyers as Successor to Poile". The New York Times. December 22, 1969. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  2. "All Time Team Attendance". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  3. "PHILADELPHIA FLYERS NAME STASIUK COACH". Chicago Tribune. May 20, 1969. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  4. FlyersHistory.com webpage with complete Kate Smith record Archived 2019-04-20 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 12, 2014
  5. "1969–1970 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
  6. "23rd NHL All-Star Game". NHL.com. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  7. "NHL.com - Stats". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  8. 2016–2017 Philadelphia Flyers Media Guide, p. 259
  9. "NHL.com - Stats". National Hockey League. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  10. 2016–2017 Philadelphia Flyers Media Guide, p. 244
  11. "Hockey Transactions Search Results". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
  12. Ron Buchanan at Hockey-Reference.com, retrieved February 13, 2016
  13. "FLYERS ACQUIRE HILLMAN". UPI. McKinney Courier-Gazette. May 15, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "no title". AP. Ottawa Journal. June 9, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Cite uses generic title (help)
  15. "Cleveland Bids for NHL Berth". The Daily Telegram. June 11, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Habs Grab Doyle, Rangers Take Jarry In Junior Draft". CP. Ottawa Journal. June 13, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Jim Mair at Hockey-Reference.com, retrieved February 13, 2016
  18. "no title". UPI. Marysville Journal-Tribune. July 25, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Cite uses generic title (help)
  19. "no title". UPI. Ottawa Journal. August 22, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Cite uses generic title (help)
  20. "Bob inks contract". CP. Brandon Sun. October 2, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. Parsons, Mark (October 20, 2012). "1969 NHL Inter-League Draft". Historical Hockey Stats & Trivia. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  22. Parsons, Mark (October 21, 2012). "1969 NHL Intra-League Draft". Historical Hockey Stats & Trivia. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  23. "Black Hawks Pick Up Players". AP. Panama City News-Herald. June 12, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. "1969 NHL Intraleague Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  25. Parsons, Mark (October 21, 2012). "1969 NHL Reverse Draft". Historical Hockey Stats & Trivia. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  26. Rene Drolet at Hockey-Reference.com, retrieved February 13, 2016
  27. "Eliteprospects.com – Jean Lapointe". eliteprospects. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  28. Bob Sneddon at Hockey-Reference.com, retrieved February 13, 2016
  29. Roger Pelletier at Hockey-Reference.com, retrieved February 13, 2016
  30. Myron Stankiewicz biography at Legends of Hockey, retrieved March 11, 2015
  31. Larry Zeidel biography at Legends of Hockey, retrieved March 11, 2015
  32. "Stanley Retires". UPI. Ottawa Journal. September 25, 1969. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. "1969 NHL Amateur Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". hockeyDB.com. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  34. "1969 NHL Amateur Draft Pick Transactions". Pro Sports Transactions. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  35. "AHL Franchise Statistics". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  36. "AHL Season Overview: 1969–70". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  37. "Non-AHL Affiliates". P. Anson. Flyers History. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
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