The 2024 NHL Entry Draft will take place on June 28, 2024, at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The Philadelphia Flyers have the 12th pick in the first round. With much speculation around who general manager (GM) Daniel Briere and members of the front office are targeting with their first pick, it is virtually guaranteed that the team will select a winger at some point during the two-day draft. Upon selection, this individual(s) will be in good company amongst wingers drafted by the Flyers as the organization has a proud tradition of selecting outstanding players at these two positions in past drafts.
The five individuals in this report were selected based solely on their contributions to the Flyers’ organization. The list includes many familiar faces to the Philadelphia faithful, including players who lifted the Stanley Cup and rose to leadership positions with the club.
Bill Barber
Bill Barber spent his entire NHL career with the Flyers. Drafted by Philadelphia seventh overall in 1972, the left-winger made his debut with the club during the 1972-73 campaign. That season, he appeared in 69 games, recording an impressive 64 points (30 goals and 34 assists). Converted to his position by Flyers head coach Fred Shero, Barber was a candidate for the Calder Memorial Trophy for outstanding play during his rookie season.
Over the course of an NHL career that spanned from 1972 to 1984, Barber scored 20 or more goals every season. A member of the Flyers’ legendary Broad Street Bullies, he recorded nine points (three goals and six assists) in 17 playoff games during Philadelphia’s first run to a Stanley Cup championship in 1974. The following season, during the Flyers’ repeat Stanley Cup title run, he scored six goals and tallied nine assists in 17 postseason appearances. His career high in goals (50), assists (62), and points (112) came during the 1975-76 campaign. That season, the Flyers were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final (4-0). The Ontario native retired from the NHL following the 1983-84 campaign with an incredible 883 points in Philadelphia, placing third on the all-time leaderboard. The two-time captain was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.
Brian Propp
Drafted by the Flyers 14th overall in 1979, Brian Propp played parts of 11 seasons with the Flyers. The left-winger’s rookie season in the NHL was during the 1979-80 campaign. The Saskatchewan native made a strong case to remain in the big leagues that season, scoring 34 goals and tallying 41 assists in 80 games. He was excellent in the playoffs too, helping the Flyers reach the Stanley Cup Final against the New York Islanders. His 15 playoff points in 19 appearances put him atop the leaderboard for all left wings in the league. This trip to the Stanley Cup Final was the first of three with the Flyers; he was also with the team when they fell to the Edmonton Oilers in 1985 and 1987.
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A popular player on and off the ice, Propp appeared in 790 games for Philadelphia out of a total 1,016 NHL games. During his time in an Orange and Black jersey, he racked up 849 points (369 goals and 480 assists). His total career goals, assists, and points put him in the top five for all three categories in Flyers’ history. Propp’s goal celebration dubbed “The Guffaw” became a hit in the city. It involved the forward skating to center ice, removing the glove from his right hand, placing it under his left arm, and waving his right arm to the crowd. While waving, Propp would yell out, “Guffaw!”
Rick Tocchet
Right wing Rick Tocchet was selected by the Flyers 121st overall in the 1983 Draft. He played in the NHL for parts of 18 seasons. During eight of those seasons, he wore a Flyers’ jersey. An alternate captain for three seasons, he served as full captain for the Flyers during part of the 1991-92 campaign before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tocchet was known for his tough physical play but was also an important offensive contributor during his time in Philadelphia.
Tocchet was another member of the 1985 and 1987 Flyers’ squads that made it to two Stanley Cup Finals against Edmonton. He had an excellent playoff run during the latter, appearing in 26 games and recording 21 points (11 goals and 10 assists). He was also a physical force on the ice that postseason, racking up 72 penalty minutes. In 621 career games for Philadelphia, the Ontario native had 508 points (232 goals and 276 assists). These offensive contributions were complemented by a plus-59 rating during his time in the city. Tocchet also leads all Flyers with penalty minutes at 1,815. He was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame in 2021.
Simon Gagné
Simon Gagné was one of the most beloved Flyers of the early 21st century. Selected by the Flyers in the first round of the 1998 Draft, the left-winger played his first season in the NHL during the 1999-00 campaign. This was the first of parts of 11 seasons with the organization. During five of those seasons in Philadelphia, he wore the alternate captain’s “A” on his chest. Gagné’s most productive offensive season came during the 2005-06 campaign when he recorded 79 points (47 goals and 32 assists).
A member of eight teams that reached the playoffs, during Gagné’s tenure with Philadelphia, the Flyers reached the Eastern Conference Final four times in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2010. The team from South Philly advanced to the Stanley Cup Final once during this stretch, falling to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010 (4-2). That postseason the Quebec native had nine goals and three assists in 19 games. After departing the organization following the 2009-10 campaign, Gagné returned to the Flyers on Feb. 26, 2013 for 27 games. His career totals with Philadelphia stand at 535 points (264 goals and 271 assists) with a plus-140 rating in 691 games.
Dave Schultz
Dave “The Hammer” Schultz is one of the Flyers’, and hockey’s, greatest enforcers. Another member of the legendary, and at times infamous, Broad Street Bullies, the left-winger played for the Flyers for parts of five seasons, including Philadelphia’s three straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Final. Born and raised in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Schultz was a physically intimidating player for much of his professional career. In 297 games between 1972 and 1976, he collected an astronomical 1,386 penalty minutes. During the Flyers’ two Stanley Cup championship runs, the Flyers’ “lead enforcer” racked up 139 penalty minutes in 1974 and 83 penalty minutes in 1975.
Schultz also contributed to the team offensively at big moments, including a critical series-winning goal in overtime of Game 4 of the first round against the Atlanta Flames during the 1974 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He ended his time with the Flyers after the 1975-76 campaign with 115 regular-season points and another 16 in postseason play.
Honorable Mentions
When compiling a list of this nature, some players simply have to be left off. Two players that were very carefully considered are Bob Kelly and Scott Mellanby. Both men played significant time with the Orange and Black, putting up quality numbers during their respective tenures. Selected 32nd overall in the 1970 Draft, Kelly played in parts of 10 seasons with the Flyers. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and member of the Broad Street Bullies, the left-winger was a respected enforcer with teammate Dave Schultz. “The Hound” or “Mad Dog,” as he is often referred to, had a total of 296 points in 741 games for Philadelphia.
Drafted 27th overall in 1984, Mellanby appeared in 355 games for the Flyers between 1985 and 1991. The right-winger was a member of the 1986-87 team that fell to the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final. His experience in Philadelphia early on in his career undoubtedly prepared him for future leadership assignments as an alternate captain and captain for the Florida Panthers and Atlanta Thrashers. He had 197 points in 355 games with the Flyers.
Although the Flyers have done a great job drafting wingers over the years, they have also brought in numerous legends to the organization through trades and signings. Other notable wingers in Flyers’ history who started off with other teams include John LeClair, Reggie Leach, and Mark Recchi. Many of these drafted and undrafted players at these two positions are revered heroes to the scores of passionate hockey fans in the “City of Brotherly Love.”
The first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft is scheduled to kick off on June 28 at 7 PM EDT. Rounds two through seven are on June 29 starting at 11:30 AM EDT.
