The Flyers exhibition season begins tonight but hearts will be heavy with the news that former Flyers goaltending legend Bernie Parent died. He was 80. The cause of death is unknown. The Flyers made the announcement on Sunday.
The Flyers and Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Bernie Parent, a true legend, one of the most famous and beloved players, and most popular figures in the history of the organization and city of Philadelphia. https://t.co/Od28lVQHK8 pic.twitter.com/4o3VQZFO1t
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 21, 2025
Born in Montreal, Parent started his hockey career playing two seasons with the Niagara Falls Flyers of the Ontario Hockey League beginning in 1963-64. From there Parent spent parts of two seasons with Boston before the Bruins left him unprotected in the NHL expansion draft in 1967. On June 6 of that year, the Flyers claimed Parent.
Parent played four seasons with the Flyers beginning with their inaugural season (1967-68), playing 38 games and ending up with a save percentage of .926. He played 58 and 62 games in the subsequent seasons and sported save percentages of .925 and .921. His first stint with the Flyers concluded during the 1970-71 season when he was traded to Toronto along with a second-round pick for Bruce Gamble, Mike Walton and Toronto’s first round pick in 1971.
After two seasons with the Leafs, Parent was without a contract and decided to try his luck in the World Hockey Association for the 1972-73 season. A deal with Miami fell through, leaving Parent to sign with the Philadelphia Blazers. Toronto traded Parent back to the Flyers on May 15, 1973 and a second-round pick in 1973 for a player to be named later (and future considerations) along with the Flyers first-round pick in 1973. Doug Favell was either the player to be named later or future considerations as Philadelphia traded him to Toronto to complete the deal in July of that year.
After his one year in the WHA, Parent returned to begin his second stint with the Flyers. And what a stint it was. In 1973-74, Parent played 73 games, going 47-13-12 with a miniscule 1.89 goals-against average and a ridiculous .932 save percentage. That playoff season he had a 2.02 goals against average and a .933 save percentage as the Flyers defeated the Bruins to win their first Stanley Cup. As mean and as rough as the Flyers were in that era, no Stanley Cup victories would’ve came without the stellar goaltending Parent gave Philadelphia. Throughout that playoff year, Parent came up with huge saves.
The following year, Parent reduced his workload, only appearing in 68 of the team’s games and going 44-14-10 with a .918 save percentage. Parent again was integral in the Flyers winning their second of back-to-back Stanley Cups as they defeated the Sabres in six games. Unfortunately, Parent was essentially absent the following season, playing just 11 games after sustaining a neck injury before the start of the 1975-76 season.
Parent went on to play a few more seasons with the Flyers, but his last few seasons were more in a tandem role with Flyers goaltender Wayne Stephenson. The goaltender sustained an eye injury in a game against the Rangers in February 1979 which effectively ended his career as he couldn’t regain his sight to the level an NHL goaltender would need to play. He was just 34 when he retired.
Parent spent 10 seasons with the Flyers, playing 486 regular season games, going 231-141-102 with a .917 save percentage and a 2.43 goals against average. He is second in games played for a Flyers goaltender in the regular season next to Ron Hextall (who played 489 games). He currently sits third in save percentage and fourth in goals-against average for the franchise.
Following his playing days, Parent had his jersey retired by the Flyers on Oct. 11, 1979. In 1984 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and was part of the inaugural class of the Flyers Hall of Fame in 1988. He remained close to the Flyers organization and suited up for some of the alumni games, his last being in 2012 as part of the Winter Classic between the Flyers and the Penguins. And in 2022 he alongside other Philadelphia sports greats tossed out the first pitch during one of the games of the World Series between the Phillies and the Houston Astros.
He was one of the best to have ever worn the Flyers jersey. He will be missed. He’s survived by his wife Gini and family.
