The Return of the Broad Street Bullies
In Canadian hockey, the year 1972 has become synonymous with the famous Summit Series and by extension, Paul Henderson, who scored the series-clinching goal.
Tensions were high between Canada and Russia off the ice during the Cold War era, but something as equally polarizing as politics began to manifest itself on the ice back in ’72.
It was the slash heard ‘round the world, the ramifications of which were felt most deeply in Russia.
Some credit Bobby Clarke’s slash on Russian star Valeri Kharlamov as the play that turned the tide of the series. Clarke’s slash not only fractured Kharlamov’s ankle, it ushered in a new era of hockey the likes of which the NHL had rarely, if ever, seen before.
Clarke managed to not only send a message to the opposing Russian side with his blatant hack on Kharlamov; he served notice to the world that the Broad Street Bullies had arrived.
Beginning with the 1972-73 season, the Philadelphia Flyers went from expansion also-rans to one of the most feared teams ever assembled. They were brash, they were bold, and they played a physical brand of hockey. Their skills were matched only by their ability to intimidate and their willingness to crush anyone who stood in their way.
The Flyers of the 1970s gave a whole new meaning to “beating” an opponent.
With Bobby Clarke leading the charge, the Flyers steamrolled their way to the franchise’s only two Stanley Cup championships, winning back-to-back in 1974 and 1975.
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Riding shotgun were players such as 50-goal scorers Rick MacLeish and Bill Barber, enforcer Dave Schultz, feared defensemen Andre Dupont and Ed Van Impe (who was just as fond of Kharlamov as his teammate Clarke was, apparently). Manning the pipes was Hall of Fame goaltender Bernie Parent.
Oh, and current Philadelphia general manager Paul Holmgren suited up for the Flyers back in the ’70s too.
With a mix of size, grit and skill, the Flyers presented a match-up nightmare for any team.
It appears history is cyclical, as two signings in the present day serve as a notice to the rest of the NHL that the Broad Street Bullies are back. With size, grit and skill eerily similar to their 1970s counterparts, they won’t be going anywhere soon.
On August 16 and August 20 the Philadelphia Flyers locked up two pieces integral to their organization in Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell respectively, for six years apiece.
As players who play a hard-nosed brand of hockey, it has become clear that Paul Holmgren and the Philadelphia brass have embraced a return to yesteryear.
The game has changed since the 1970s and today many teams are built upon the maxim that speed kills. That may indeed ring true at times, but the Flyers have assembled a team that can kill speed. Once again they’re bold, brash and tough.
Hell, even coach Peter Laviolette isn’t afraid to mix it up.
The straw stirring the drink this time around is Claude Giroux, whose ascension to stardom was well-documented by anyone who saw a Flyers game last season or at the very least caught the daily NHL highlights on sports networks across the globe.
He isn’t a rough-and-tumble player like Bobby Clarke was, but he isn’t afraid to mix it up either.
Just as Clarke targeted hated rival Russia’s best player in the Summit Series, Giroux targeted hated in-state rival Pittsburgh’s best player when the series was on the line in Round 1 of the 2012 NHL playoffs. In Game 6 no less, just like Clarke (although Giroux’s actions are far from the dirty manner in which Clarke chose to go about his business).
With current captain Chris Pronger suffering from concussion-related health issues and retirement threatening; it’s only a matter of time before Giroux dons the “C” that Clarke once wore.
Riding shotgun in the 2012 version of the Broad Street Bullies are the aforementioned power forwards, Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell.
With 28 goals and 114 penalty minutes from Simmonds and 37 goals and 136 penalty minutes from Hartnell, the inevitable comparisons to the original Broad Street Bullies practically write themselves. They are the present era’s MacLeish and Barber (although the lofty goal scoring statistics of the ‘70s aren’t likely to be equaled).
Beyond Simmonds and Hartnell, Brayden Schenn lowers the boom as well, as Paul Martin and Matt Cooke found out first hand.
As for the role of Dave Shultz, Zac Rinaldo has assumed that mantle with zeal. The Flyers also have Jody Shelly and Tom Sestito under contract, who are both more than capable of filling that role. And the defensive corps hasn’t even been mentioned yet.
Pronger’s tendency to play on the edge is what has made him one of the best players of his generation, but with the future of his career uncertain, the Flyers have looked to others to take the play physically to their opponents.
Braydon Coburn and Andrej Meszaros aren’t Ed Van Impe and Andre Dupont, but they will lay the body on the opposing team.
A newer version of Van Impe and Dupont is the duo of Nicklas Grossmann and Luke Schenn, both acquired via trade to bring their shot blocking and physical play to the City of Brotherly Love.
Although he doesn’t play regularly, Andreas Lilja is also no stranger to the physical side of the game.
Ilya Bryzgalov will never be mistaken for Bernie Parent, but when he plays up to his potential he is one of the better goalies in the game. Plus, whether he’s playing well or not, he’s always entertaining.
While it would be impossible to duplicate the original Broad Street Bullies to exact standards, the 2011-12 version certainly came close. With Nicklas Grossmann and Luke Schenn in the picture full-time now, as well as Simmonds and Hartnell locked up for six more years, the revival of the Flyers’ heyday is well underway.
And perhaps Giroux’s hit on Crosby, one of the most notable collisions involving two of the game’s top stars in recent memory, was Giroux telling the rest of the world that the Broad Street Bullies have been reborn.
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