On Wednesday, the Flyers announced the two newest members of the organization's Hall of Fame: 2000s winger Simon Gagne and Broad St. Bullies-era stalwart Bob "the Hound" Kelly. In many ways, there could hardly have been two more dissimilar hockey players.
Kelly was a role-playing everyman. His job was to create instant energy on the ice. The Hound was relentless in his dogged pursuit of the puck. He hit everything that moved and was never shy about dropping the gloves. Although he played on a line with Bobby Clarke at the beginning of his career, Kelly was mostly a checking-line staple during his decade with the team.
Kelly was not a heavyweight pugilist in the mold of Dave Schultz, Dave Brown or Craig Berube, but he was the epitome of the "fight in the dog." Fellow Flyers Hall of Famer Joe Watson, Kelly's longtime teammate and lifelong friend, dubbed the forward "Machine Gun Kelly" for his rapid-fire way of throwing punches. Even when down on the ice, Kelly didn't stop punching until he was pried off his opponent.
However, while he always downplayed his own abilities and individual accomplishments, Kelly was not one-dimensional. He never played a single game of minor-league hockey, going directly from the Ontario junior level to the NHL. Along the way, Kelly generated a pair of 20-plus-goal seasons at the sport's top level.
Most notably, Kelly is one of just two players who hold the distinction of scoring a Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Philadelphia Flyers. The only other person with that honor is the late Rick MacLeish. In the opening seconds of the third period during Game 6 of the 1975 Cup Final, Kelly moved out from behind the net and broke a scoreless deadlock. The Flyers went on to win, 2-0.
Two-time 40-goal scorer Gagne played a very different style of hockey than Kelly. A silky-smooth skater blessed with high-end skills, Gagne made the game look effortless even as he was one of his team's hardest-working two-way players.
From Canada's junior national team to the Olympics and the NHL All-Star Game, Gagne never looked out of place alongside the sport's elites. At the peak of Gagne's career, the "Deuces Wild" line of Gagne (No. 12), Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg (No. 21) and complementary winger Mike Knuble (No. 22) formed one of the most formidable trios in team history.
As with Kelly, Gagne never played a game of minor-league hockey. The Flyers' first-round selection in the 1998 Entry Draft went right from the QMJHL to the National Hockey League. Drafted as a center, Gagne switched to left wing at Roger Neilson's behest early in his pro career. "Gags" topped the 30-goal plateau four times.
Gagne did not win a Stanley Cup as a Flyer. He did so later during his time with the Los Angeles Kings in 2011-12. Nevertheless, the former Flyer notched some of the biggest playoff goals in franchise history.
Most notably, in 2004, Gagne's overtime goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay forced a deciding seventh game. Six years later, Gagne started and finished the Flyers' comeback from a three-games-to-zero deficit against Boston. In Game 4, a hobbling Gagne scored the overtime winner. In Game 7, Gagne's power-play goal put the Flyers ahead, 4-3, after Boston jumped out to a 3-0 edge in the first period.
Kelly and Gagne were fan favorites for different reasons. They also have very contrasting off-ice personalities. Gagne is soft-spoken and suavely laid-back, while Kelly is very sociable and humorous. But both are approachable, and both genuinely love the Flyers organization and its fans.
After his playing days, Kelly served for decades as the team's "Ambassador of Hockey." Day after day, year after year, Kelly traversed the region, spreading goodwill and love of the game to schools, hospitals, community events and returning military members. Along with Brad Marsh and Rob Baer, Kelly played a key role in supporting the growth of the Flyers Warriors disabled veterans hockey program.
Kelly has made the Delaware Valley his permanent home. Gagne returned to Quebec for an executive role with the QMJHL's Remparts. However, Gagne enjoys returning to Philadelphia and has passed along his love of the team to his son Matthew.
Father and son were in the house for the clinching sixth game of the Flyers' first-round series with Pittsburgh in April 2026. Matthew, now 17, was born in Philly. Meanwhile, Simon's late father, Pierre Gagne, was a Quebec Junior Aces standout and tryout player at the Flyers' first-ever training camp in 1967.
As different as they are on the surface, Simon Gagne and Bob Kelly share great pride and gratitude for spending so much of their respective lives and hockey careers in Philadelphia.
