‘The Swede of Philadelphia’: New documentary explores the life and tragic death of Flyers goalie Pelle Lindbergh
The film, which premieres this week, looks at Lindbergh's rise and tragic death, and includes interviews with the late Bernie Parent and one of the passengers from that fateful morning in 1985.
Pelle Lindbergh remains one of Philadelphia’s greatest “what-ifs.” Lindbergh, the first European goaltender drafted into the NHL, had won the Vezina Trophy in 1984-85 and looked like he could become the next great Flyers goalie after Bernie Parent’s retirement a few years earlier.
But that Vezina Trophy-winning season was his last full one, after Lindbergh crashed his car in Somerdale, N.J., while driving drunk and died on Nov. 11, 1985. He was 26 years old.
Lindbergh’s life and death are the subject of a new documentary from filmmaker Charlie Minn, The Swede of Philadelphia, which will be screened in some local theaters beginning Friday.
» READ MORE: Remembering Pelle Lindbergh, 25 years on
Minn, who played goalie growing up, has found himself drawn to true crime as the subject of his documentaries, but he was always inspired by Lindbergh as a smaller player looking to play goalie.
“Pelle Lindbergh was really my second real relationship to death. I was in high school and couldn’t believe it,” Minn said. “Back then, there was no social media, so the word didn’t travel like it would today. I mean, can you imagine if a [Vezina] trophy winner crashed his car today, how that would blow up on social media?
“Back then, you had to wait until the morning paper came out or watch it on the news that night. You couldn’t get anything on your phone, and so the Pelle Lindbergh story has always been in my mind. The narrative — he drank, he drove, he crashed his car into a wall — but I said, ‘Maybe there’s something else going on here, you know? Why don’t you really look into everything that happened that morning?’”
Minn uses the documentary to investigate. He wanted to track down the two people who were in the car with Lindbergh during the crash, Ed Parvin of Mount Ephraim and Kathy McNeal of Ridley Park, and interviewed both for the film. He also spoke with current Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, who was a player on the team at the time, and conducted one of the final interviews with Parent, Lindbergh’s goalie coach, who died in September before the release of the film.
“I miss you, buddy. I miss you a lot,” Parent said when asked what he’d say to Lindbergh if given a final opportunity to speak with him. “And we’ll get together soon — not too soon. I know you’re happy where you’re at, and I’m happy where I’m at, too. But we will get together. Wow. What a time this is going to be for eternal life. Isn’t that awesome? I miss you, and I love you.”
» READ MORE: Pelle Lindbergh's fatal crash
Minn wanted to use the documentary to explore Lindbergh’s life and the crash that led to his death, as well as to send a message about the perils of drunk driving.
The movie will premiere Wednesday at Oaks Center Cinema in Montgomery County, with a Q&A to follow featuring Minn, McNeal, and Parent’s daughter, Kim. The documentary also will be shown at the AMC theaters in Voorhees, Cherry Hill, Neshaminy, and the Fashion District from Nov. 7-13.