PHILADELPHIA – It was meant to be a somewhat formal gathering to honor the career of former Flyer player and retiring goodwill ambassador Bob Kelly.
But Hockey Hall of Famer Bob Clarke, Kelly’s sidekick for a decade in the ‘70s, couldn’t resist the temptation to cause one great crescendo of laughter at the expense of “The Hound.”
Clarke took the podium around 12 noon in the Zack Hill Media Center at the Wells Fargo Center and recited a story from memory.
“The Hound and I sat together for 10 years in the locker room (at the old Spectrum),” Clarke recalled. “You could guess why my life was boring. One night after a game, Mr. (Ed) Snider (the team owner) brought in the governor of the state to meet the players.
“Walks around shaking hands, shook my hand. Then, just by coincidence, here comes The Hound out of the shower. Luckily he had a towel. He walks up (to the governor) and goes, ‘Hey, buddy, you’re in my stall.”
Clarke paused as laughter filled the room.
“I said, ‘Hound, that’s the governor,” Clarke said. “He said, ‘I don’t care who he is. Get him out of my stall!’ ”
The audience erupted in laughter. That was No. 9 all right. Respectful of authority. . .but only up to a point.
Most well-known for his NHL career spanning 12 years and scoring the Flyers’ 1975 Stanley Cup-winning goal against the Buffalo Sabres, Kelly also spent 22 years holding multiple positions in the Flyers’ community relations department following his retirement from the league.
Throughout Saturday afternoon’s game with the Sabres, the Flyers honored Kelly’s career. There were testimonials from his teammates, family and friends that were shown in-game along with other special moments that honored his career and contribution to the organization.
After the ceremony, Kelly told a media gathering that it meant a lot to hear Clarke talk about his career and what it meant to the Flyers organization.
“That’s all we were built on, stories,” Kelly said. “That’s our legacy, it’s what we do. You can joke all you want but when it’s time to play hockey, you play hard. We had Ed Van Impe, Barry Ashbee, Wayne Hillman and they were kind of leading the way for us. Teaching us how to play the game.”
Just before the series-clinching Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals against Boston, coach Fred Shero famously wrote on his office blackboard: “Win today and we walk together forever.”
On days like Saturday, there was proof that Shero was right.
“We all kind of embraced that,” Kelly said. “That’s just the way we feel. The Watsons (Joe and Jimmy), (Gary) Dornhoefer – everybody gets involved. It’s been a great situation here for me and my family. Today was really nice. It goes back to our fan base.”
Also on hand was Flyers governor and CEO Dan Hilferty, who spoke highly of Kelly’s contributions.
“It’s an honor for me to be here today as we celebrate an extraordinary career and lasting legacy of Bob “The Hound” Kelly,” Hilferty said. “He’s been with the Flyers’ organization for over five decades. His impact both on and off the ice is immeasurable.
“Off the ice, he impacted thousands of youth through the Flyers’ community relations program. He has also played a pivotal role in honoring our local (militaryheroes.”
Kelly, 74, was born in Oakville, Ontario and was a second-round draft pick of the Flyers in 1970. For the Flyers, he produced 128 goals and 296 points. For his career, including two seasons in Washington, 154 goals/362 points.
