Photo Credit: Our very own Justin Graham
Hall a Fame night is special for any sport, but the Philadelphia Flyers do a great job in treating their own. Paul Holmgren and Rick Tocchet were inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame last night, and what a night it was.
Ceremony gifts for Tocchet and Holmgren: They received a framed team photo from last night’s Orange and Black Alumni Game signed by each player, along with a special jersey from each of their playing careers.
Holmgren received the jersey he wore in Game 2 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals, and Tocchet received the jersey he wore during the 1985-86 season.
The now Flyers Hall of Famer in Holmgren said before the game, “I got a chance to take part of one training camp with Rick as a player, and obviously as an assistant coach for a few years with him and head coach for a few years. He is just a great, great person. I can’t think of a better guy to go into the Hall of Fame with. For me, it’s a tremendous honor and I’m happy to be here, and mostly looking forward to getting it over with.”
Rick Tocchet said before the induction, “I’ll tell you what, coming up from that plane ride to get to Philadelphia and just coming back, and seeing the old guys, and seeing the way—Listen, the Flyers do it right from the seventies to now, first class the way they do things. The three days I’ve been here have been unbelievable. Just seeing the alumni guys was incredible, like Homer said, and doing it with Homer. Going out with this guy, like a mentor of mine. Taught me to play the game the right way. Some nights when I thought I was a goal scorer, I would sometimes get that speech. Just seeing, like I said, the way the things are done. Like I’ve been around the league with a lot of different teams, and for years, they’ve done it first-class, and that’s the first thing you notice when you come here. My son came here, he goes, “Man, Dad, these guys do it first class,” and I say “Yea, they’ve been doing it for fifty years.” So, it’s an honor to get in. Saw the names that are up there. You just shake your head like “Wow, I’m going to get involved with those guys.” So, thanks to Dave and the committee to induct me and Paul. Great to be back.”
Tocchet is the franchise leader in Gordie Howe Hat Tricks with 9, and the NHL’s all-time leader in Gordie Howe Hat Tricks with 18, to include the post season. Holmgren on the other hand has held almost every office throughout the Flyers organization, to include a player. He left the Flyers with 1,600 penalty minutes, which was a franchise record until Tocchet was able to break that.
“I don’t have any good memories other than player. My favorite memory is my first game. That’s my favorite memory. I played in the Stanley Cup finals in 1980, that was obviously—we had a great team that year. We had an unbeaten streak that still exists, still the top one I think. Lot of good things happened. My favorite memory, and the one that stands out in my memory like it was yesterday, was my first game.” – Paul Holmgren on his favorite moment as a Flyer
“For me, it was game six. I know we didn’t win, we won, but lost game seven against the Oilers when that building, I’m not quite sure, I played in some pretty big buildings in some championships games for Canada against Russia in the Cups’ Colliseum, that was probably the loudest I’ve ever been in. There was some people in there, actually some of my buddies were in there because they didn’t have any seats and the guards just let them in. You can’ do that anymore. They were sitting on the aisles, it was incredible, so I’d have to say when J.J. Daniels scored that goal to win the game, that was the loudest I’ve ever seen the building in a pro sports game, and I’ve been to football games, basketball games, baseball, whatever… that was the loudest. I’m going to say that because of the pure emotion from the fans.” – Rick Tocchet on his favorite moment as a Flyer
What a night it was for these two storied individuals, and both are worthy of this nomination into the Flyers Hall of Fame. Tocchet has the billing to be inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame for that matter, and what an honor that would be once again for him and his family.
