CHICAGO - As he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night, Flyers owner Ed Snider took time to reflect on some of his favorite moments in running the franchise since 1966.
Of course, the two Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s stood out.
"When the Flyers won the Stanley Cup in [1974] my seventh year of existence, that was my greatest thrill," Snider, 78, said. "Then we had two million people at the parade the next day. That was probably my No. 1 experience."
The fact that Snider was in Chicago also brought back memories of one of his other favorite teams. The 2010 Flyers came up short against the Blackhawks in the Finals after an incredible playoff run. And the playoffs were only a reality because the Flyers won their last regular-season game in a shootout.
"That was a great run and tremendous fun for our fans, for me and our players," Snider said. "It was unexpected to say the least. I'm just sorry the way it ended. We thought we were going all the way."
Along with presiding over the Flyers and their 16 division titles, eight conference championships, and two Stanley Cup titles, Snider serves as chairman of Comcast-Spectator. He also owned the 76ers for 15 years before selling the franchise this summer.
He also has been adamant in spreading the sport to inner-city youth. Established in 2005, the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation supplies more than 3,000 children with coaching, equipment and ice time.
In November 2008, Snider salvaged three public ice rinks that were targeted for closure by the city. A year later, Snider gained control of each of the city's five rinks. This summer, renovations on three of the rinks transformed them from open-air, seasonal rinks to fully operational, year-round rinks.
Snider on Monday said it would take him a long time to mention all of his favorite players from over the years. But two figures from the mid-1970s teams did come immediately to his mind.
"Bernie Parent was a phenomenal goalie who was responsible for us winning two Cups, along with Bobby Clarke," Snider said. "They stand out because of the two Cups primarily."
Aside from the championships, Snider takes great satisfaction in the Flyers brand that he has built.
"I'm proud that we have been around all these years, and we have established a reputation internationally," Snider said. "Our logo is known everywhere, and we have never changed our colors or logo."
