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Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Bernie Parent, a Philadelphia Flyers legend who backstopped the franchise to its only two Stanley Cup titles, has died at 80.
The Flyers announced Parent’s death on Sunday, though no details were released. Former teammate Joe Watson said Parent died in his sleep overnight.
“Bernie was in such pain, he could hardly walk,” Watson said, referring to Parent’s back problems. “We had a great time, but I felt bad because he was in such terrible pain. To see this happen, it’s very sad.”
Watson said he had just seen Parent at an event Friday night in Delaware.
While the 1974-75 Flyers featured stars across the ice, Parent was the steady force in net for those Stanley Cup-winning teams. He not only helped secure the titles but also won the Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies in both seasons.
The Flyers became the first NHL expansion team to win the Stanley Cup.
“The legend of Bernie Parent reached far beyond the ice and his accolades,” the Flyers said in a statement. “Bernie had a deep love for Philadelphia and fans of the Flyers. He was passionate about his role as an ambassador for Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education and inspired an entire generation of hockey fans.
“He dedicated his time, energy and enthusiasm to not only grow the game, but also to spread joy to anyone he encountered.”
Parent’s career began in Boston in 1965, but he was left unprotected in the 1967 expansion draft, where the Flyers selected him.
His first stint in Philadelphia lasted three-and-a-half seasons before he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He returned to the Flyers for the 1973-74 season, and his best hockey followed.
Philadelphia won 47 games in 1973-74, leading the NHL, and followed with 44 wins the next year, again the league’s best.
“At his unbeatable, unflappable best on the ice when the stakes were highest, Bernie was a warm, gregarious bear of a man off the ice who was venerated in Philadelphia and adored throughout the hockey world,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The entire National Hockey League family mourns the passing of this beloved icon and sends its deepest condolences to his wife, Gini, his family, and his countless fans and friends.”
Parent served as an ambassador for the Flyers for many years, leaving a lasting mark on the franchise and the city.
“He was so good with people,” Watson said. “A lot of athletes don’t get it or don’t give fans the time of day. Bernie gave everyone the time of day. He’d always have his rings on. He’d show them to the people and people loved to see them.”
Parent was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984 and was named one of the NHL’s top 100 players in 2017.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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