Your All-Time Flyers, Profiling...#16 Bobby Clarke

At Center for your Philadelphia Flyers...#16...Bobby Clarke!

via www.sportsposterwarehouse.com

    Robert Earle "Bobby" Clarke was born in the small mining community of Flin Flon, Manitoba on August 13, 1949. Bobby began playing organized hockey at age 8. He was diagnosed as Diabetic between the ages of 12 and 13. He developed into a highly touted prospect while playing with the Flin Flon Bombers, leading the league in scoring his final 3 years in juniors. Despite his obvious talents, NHL teams were worried that due to his diabetes, he would not be able to compete at the NHL level.

    Pat Ginnell, then coach of the Flin Flon Bombers, took Bobby to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota following the 1967-68 season. Doctors there concluded that if Bobby took care of himself there was no reason he could not play professionally. Coach Ginnell requested that his doctors put that statement in writing, which he would show scouts who came to see the Bombers play during the 1968-69 season.

    Even with the doctor's statement, Clarke fell out of the first round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft eventually being selected at #17 overall by the Flyers. Immediately after his selection, the Flyers received trade offers from the Red Wings and the Canadiens for Clarke. The Flyers rejected both offers sending a message to the league that Clarke was 'Not for Sale'.

via www.legendsofhockey.net

     Bobby began his NHL career for the 1969-70 season, scoring 46 points in 76 games and earning a trip to the NHL All-Star Game, a feat he would repeat for the next 8 seasons. Following the 1971-72 season, Clarke would be awarded the Masterson Trophy, scoring 30 goals and 35 assists in the final 47 games of the season after a tooth abscess caused him to lose 20 pounds and limited him to only 5 goals and 11 assists in the first 31 games that year. The Flyers would immediately re-sign Clarke to a new 5 year contract.

    Clarke would be named the Flyer's Captain at age 23, the youngest ever NHL captain at the time. He became the first player from an expansion team to score over 100 points in a season, accomplishing this feat during the 1972-73 season. Both Clarke and the Flyers would receive a big scare during their 1st round playoff series with the Minnesota North Stars when Bobby was hit in the eye by a stick which broke his contact lens. He was rushed to the hospital where the pieces of his contact were removed. Clarke would return the very next game playing with a scratched cornea and leading the Flyers to their first ever playoff series win. The Flyers would be eliminated in the next round by the Canadiens. Following the 1972-73 season, Bobby Clarke would be awarded the Hart Trophy as the NHL Most Valuable Player.

    The 1973-74 season would see Clarke lead the Flyers, who had at this point become known as the 'Broad Street Bullies'  for their rough and tumble style of play, to their first Stanley Cup Championship. The first ever to be won by an Expansion Team. Clarke was awarded the Lester B. Pearson trophy as the Player's MVP.

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    1974-75 would see Clarke lead the Flyers to their second consecutive Cup Championship and Bobby would be awarded his 2nd Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP. During the 1975-76 season, Clarke would set the Flyer's record for most point in a season with 119, a record that held until Mark Recchi's 123 points in 1992-93. Bobby would again lead the Orange -n- Black to a 3rd consecutive Cup Finals though the Flyers would fall to the Canadiens. Following the season, he would be awarded with his 3rd Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP.

    Bobby would relinquish the Captain's "C" at the start of the 1979-80 season when he was named Assistant Coach of the team. NHL rules at the time prohibited him from holding both positions with the team and Mel Bridgeman would become the 4th captain in team history. During the 1979-80 season the Flyers would go on to set a record which still stands to this day, going on a 35 game unbeaten streak. "The Streak" is not only an NHL record, but also the record for any North American professional sport. The Flyers would reach the Cup Finals before eventually falling to the Islanders. Following the season, Clarke (along with Ed Snider and Coach Fred Shero) would be awarded the Lester Patrick Award.

    During the 1980-81 season, Clarke would reach a milestone in a memorable fashion. On March 19th, after being hit by a Reggie Leach slapshot, he would return to the ice minutes later, stitched up with a jersey soaked in blood. Just 31 seconds into the 3rd period of that game, he would score his 19th goal of the season and his 1,000th career NHL point. Clarke resumed as Captain of the Flyers in 1982-83, a season which saw him play his 1000th NHL game on October 23, 1982, and would also be his most productive season since 1977-78. Clarke would be awarded the Selke Trophy as the leagues best defensive forward following the season.

via www.flyershistory.com

    Bobby Clarke would retire from the Flyers on May 15, 1984, immediately being named the General Manager of the team. Clarke would hold this position until being fired by Jay Snider following the 1989-90 season, the only season in which the Flyers failed to make the playoffs during his tenure as GM. Bobby would soon find a GM position with the Minnesota North Stars from 1990-1992. Clarke returned to the Flyers as Senior Vice President and to mentor the Flyers newest young superstar, Eric Lindros.

    Clarke would again leave the Flyers, this time to become GM of the Expansion Florida Panthers for the 1993-94 season, leading the Panthers to the highest ever point total for a first year expansion team. Bobby would then rejoin the Flyers as General Manager for the 1994-95 season, the Flyers sending cash and the 36th overall pick in the Entry Draft to Florida as compensation. He would hold this position until resigning, citing burnout and lack of desire, after a poor start to the 2006-07 season. Clarke remained with the team, being named Senior Vice President in December 2006.

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

    Bobby Clarke played his entire career as a Flyer, retiring with 358 Goals and 852 Assists in 1144 NHL Games. During his stellar career he was a 2-time Stanley Cup Champion, a 9-time All-Star, a 3-time NHL MVP, and also collected a Masterson, a Pearson, a Patrick, and a Selke Trophy. On November 15, 1984, the Flyers held "Bobby Clarke Night". His #16 was retired and the "Bobby Clarke Trophy" was unveiled as the trophy that would be awarded each season to the Flyer's MVP.

    Since his retirement, Clarke has received several other honors. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. The WHL trophy presented to the league's top scorer was renamed the Bobby Clarke Trophy. He was inducted to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 as a Charter Member. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.

#16...Bobby Clarke...Your Philadelphia Flyers All-Time 1st Team Center...