Philadelphia Flyers Team History

While attending a basketball game on November 29, 1964, at the Boston Garden, Ed Snider, the then vice-president of the Philadelphia Eagles, observed a crowd of Boston Bruins fans lining up to purchase tickets to see a last-place ice hockey team. He began making plans for a new arena upon hearing the NHL was looking to expand due to fears of a competing league taking hold on the West Coast and the desire for a new television contract in the United States. Snider made his proposal to the league, which chose the Philadelphia group including Snider, Bill Putnam, Jerome Schiff, and Eagles owner Jerry Wolman over the Baltimore group.

The 1974 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers made their first Final appearance and the Bruins returned to the Finals after having won the 1972 Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers won the best-of-seven series four games to two and became the first team from the 1967 Expansion to win the Stanley Cup.

The 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-“Original Six” teams since the 1967 expansion. The 1975 Flyers are the last Stanley Cup championship team to be composed solely of Canadian born players.

The Flyers said goodbye to the Spectrum and prepared to open a new arena the CoreStates Center for the next season. The Wells Fargo Center (Spectrum II (prior to construction), formerly the CoreStates Center, First Union Center and Wachovia Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Wells Fargo Center lies at the southwest corner of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which includes Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and Xfinity Live!.