Even in his Philadelphia Flyers heyday, when his English was indecipherable but his goaltending was sublime, Bernie Parent did not cut an imposing figure if you saw him walking down, say, Broad Street. He had salt-and-pepper hair and a thick dark brush of a mustache, and an unimposing 5-foot-10 physique. His mouth typically had a big cigar sticking out of it.
Stick him in front of the 24-square-foot rectangle that is an NHL net, though, and watch the transformation begin, from regular-looking Canadian import into a puck-stopping superman in an orange sweater. Never was the transformation more striking than in the 1973-74 season, when Parent started more games (73) and recorded more victories (47) than any goalie in NHL history at the time, putting up a League-leading 1.89 goals-against average.
For more of Bernie Parent's 100 Greatest Players bio, please click here.
Even in his Philadelphia Flyers heyday, when his English was indecipherable but his goaltending was sublime, Bernie Parent did not cut an imposing figure if you saw him walking down, say, Broad Street. He had salt-and-pepper hair and a thick dark brush of a mustache, and an unimposing 5-foot-10 physique. His mouth typically had a big cigar sticking out of it.
Stick him in front of the 24-square-foot rectangle that is an NHL net, though, and watch the transformation begin, from regular-looking Canadian import into a puck-stopping superman in an orange sweater. Never was the transformation more striking than in the 1973-74 season, when Parent started more games (73) and recorded more victories (47) than any goalie in NHL history at the time, putting up a League-leading 1.89 goals-against average.
For more of Bernie Parent's 100 Greatest Players bio, please click here.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- OHA-Jr. Second All-Star Team (1964)
- OHA-Jr. First All-Star Team (1965)
- WHA Second All-Star Team (1973)
- NHL First All-Star Team (1974, 1975)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1977)
- Claimed by Philadelphia from Boston in Expansion Draft, June 6, 1967.
- Traded to Toronto by Philadelphia with Philadelphia's 2nd round pick (Rick Kehoe) in 1971 Amateur Draft for Bruce Gamble, Mike Walton and Toronto's 1st round pick (Pierre Plante) in 1971 Amateur Draft, February 1, 1971.
- Selected by Miami-Philadelphia (WHA) in WHA General Player Draft, February 12, 1972.
- Suspended by Philadelphia (WHA) for leaving team following game vs. Cleveland (WHA), April 4, 1973.
- Transferred to Vancouver (WHA) after Philadelphia franchise relocated, May, 1973.
- WHA rights traded to NY Raiders (WHA) by Vancouver (WHA) with the trade of Dan Herriman and Andre Lacroix for Ron Ward and Pete Donnelly, June, 1973.
- Traded to Philadelphia by Toronto with Toronto's 2nd round pick (Larry Goodenough) in 1973 Amateur Draft for Philadelphia's 1st round pick (Bob Neely) in 1973 Amateur Draft and future considerations (Doug Favell, July 27, 1973), May 15, 1973.
