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Flyers great Bernie Parent answers questions at book festival

Jason Leonard , 11, of Washington Township with Flyers great Bernie Parent at the Collingswood event. SAM CARCHIDI

By Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: October 08, 2012

Bernie Parent, the jovial Hall of Fame goalie who led the Flyers to a pair of Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, talked about pursuing a career "for love, and not the money," defended goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, and said he thought the labor-torn NHL will be back soon during a question-and-answer sessions with fans at the Collingswood Book Festival on Saturday.

Parent, 67, made an appearance before signing his recently released book, Unmasked: Bernie Parent and the Broad Street Bullies, which he wrote with Stan Hochman.

In Unmasked, Parent writes from the heart, and with his usual humor. You can almost hear his French Canadian accent as he excitedly recounts a story.

Wrote Parent: "Some guy asked me how I felt after the alumni game, and I said, 'Well, I can usually romance four women after a game, but that day I had to stop at three.' "

During Saturday's packed question-and-answer session, someone asked Parent what he was thinking late in Game 6 of the 1974 Finals, when Boston's Bobby Orr was sent to the penalty box, helping secure the Flyers' title-clinching 1-0 win.

"That's when I realized that we had a higher power. I said, 'Thank you, Lord!' " Parent said, drawing loud laughter.

- Sam Carchidi