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Clarke

Posted: February 02, 2011

IN THE MIDDLE of today's paper is a special page commemorating the Flyers' 1,000th regular-season home win.

Since the Flyers were born in 1967-68, only Montreal and Boston have won more at home. It is a franchise accomplishment created by individual feats. One of Mike Emrick's favorites occurred nearly 30 years ago.

Before Emrick became the voice of the NHL, he was a Flyers' announcer for a couple of seasons in the early 1980s. He recalled quickly (and with impressive detail) the night Bobby Clarke registered his 1,000th career point in a win over the Bruins on March 19, 1981. For Emrick, the night encapsulated Clarke as a player.

"He took a slapshot on the head - and of course he's not wearing a helmet - and blood just came down his jersey," Emrick said. "I remember the celebration and he's still got all this blood all over him. That sort of typified Clarke as a warrior."

The archives reveal that it was a Reggie Leach second-period laser that clipped Clarke, who notched his 1,000th point on a goal early in the third. Clarke, the Flyers' all-time leader in overall points (1,210) and points at home (673), usually would rather eat a hockey puck than talk about personal accomplishments, but he recalls the night. Sort of.

"I remember Reggie had bounced one off the top of my head earlier in the game or something. I forget exactly," said Clarke, who last played in 1984 and is now a Flyers' senior vice president.

"But those are the individual things that at the time they happen aren't so significant, but after you're done playing the game for a while become more important."