The Bobby Clarke Era
Say farewell to the former Flin Flon Bomber.
Bobby Clarke, who resigned as Flyer's GM in a weekend blood-letting that also saw coach Ken Hitchcock fired, has long been the love-him-or-hate-him face of Flyers hockey, leading the team as a player to back-to-back Stanley Cups in the mid-'70s, and, for the last 10 seasons as general manager, building a squad that always made a run but never reigned.
Clarke's professional obituaries focus on his stubborn refusal to respond to the "new NHL." For last season, he assembled a defense of big, bruising players when rule changes put a premium on speed. Given another season to adjust, his free-agent catch was Nolan Baumgartner, who was waived in the team's first response to its bad start.
Allan Muir on Yahoo! Sports last week described Clarke's defensemen as his Maginot Line. Entertaining/maddening thread here on Hockey Buzz. Last time I checked, more than half ESPN voters said if there was an opening, they'd want Hitchcock to coach their team. Jaime Fitpatrick at ProIceHockey bids goodbye to Bob Clarke, King of Quotes.
Chris at I've Made a Huge Mistake wrote Sunday:
Simply a huge move, and where do the Flyers go from here? Paul Holmgren is the new interim GM and John Stevens is the new permanent head coach. I feel for Clarke. The guy bled Flyers, they were in the playoffs almost every year under him, and he tried everything he could to get them over the hump. They never won a Cup under him, but they were a consistently good team, and had some great playoff runs. In the end, the team was better having him lead the way the past 12 years.
Kariyanine at Metroblogging Philadelphia, in a post titled Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead:
The real news here is the end of an era. An era that has seen the Flyers grasping at the past for the past twelve years, attempting to relive the glory days of the Stanley Cup winning teams. An era that has seen some very good young, fast talent traded away for players that were past their expiration date a few years before we got them. Anyone remember Dainius Zubrus, Vaclav Prospal, or Justin Williams? An era that saw Bob Clarke publicly drag one of the best players to ever play in Philadelphia and his family through the mud because Clarke's ego was so big and he couldn't deal with this star player suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
It was an era of hanging slightly above mediocrity and currently a disaster of a start to the new season. It was an era of believing that we could run the game our way, when the rules were changed to prevent us from doing that. But now that era is over. Bob Clarke is gone.
Wrote Clarke's Boys, a blog that's going to need a new name:
The only good news that came out of yesterday is that it's only October. There's a lot of hockey to be played and who knows that the future will bring.
Some views from around the league ...
Hockey Passion had a different take on Clarke's weakness:
His greatest failure was his inability to land a bonafide starting goaltender who could take the team to the next level - putting his faith in Vanbiesbrouck, Boucher, Cechmanek, Esche, Hackett, Burke and Niittymaki.
Redwingsnut93 wrote in an AOL sports blog:
I like this move. The Flyers are doing horrible this year, and some of the players don't get along with the coach.
It's going sour when the coach leaves the goalie in the whole game and the score is 9-1.
At AnotherHabsBlog, Canadiens fan Joseph Lane of Nova Scotia wrote presciently Friday night as he wondered why the Flyers were off to so bad a start:
Okay the Flyers, oh the Flyers, are in a mess, Snider is pissed, Clarke is amiss, and Hitchcock, according to his backup goalie, is empty up there. The fit is going to hit the shan in Philly, methinks. The demotion of Nedved, and 2 other lesser lights (I know their names, but its too much of an effort to try and spell them..One sounds like a terrorist attack on a gardener, the other is all Greek to me), was only the opening volley. Snider from what I have read is about to blow up the whole thing in Philly (the garden as well). But where to begin, is there a quick fix, would firing the coach, give the Flyers that new coach bounce? What about finally taking Bobby Clarke to task, for his inability to assemble a team that can compete in the "new NHL". I think it is time to kick both Bobby, and Hitchcock to the curb, sacrifice this season perhaps, and start anew. But well I am not a Flyers fan, and I know Bobby Clarke is sacred and all in Flyers lore, so who knows???
Toronto Mike wrote on his blog:
I'm sure I would have liked Bobby Clarke the player. It's Bob Clarke the General Manager of the Flyers that I couldn't stand.
In the late 90s, he was ruthless with Eric Lindros and continually toyed with Pat Quinn throughout 2001. He's always been a grade A jerk from a previous era who didn't deserve any success as GM. Thankfully, the Flyers never won it all and now they're in the basement and Clarke is burned out.
Germans invented the term schadenfreude for incidents like this.
Some good words, written Saturday by The Lazy Eye, for John Stevens, hired to replace Hitchock behind the bench:
Sure, this would be a meteoric rise through the organization for Stevens, who was just coaching the AHL affiliate Phantoms one year ago. Yet one thing that at least can be read into is very clear. The dumpings of Nedved, Baumgartner, and Dimitrakos really mean that the Flyers are going in a youthful direction. The additions of Ruzicka, Picard and Eager show that Snider (and maybe not Clarke) made the decision to move on. So therefore, if Stevens was the first guy to have his hands on these players, (Richards and Carter included) then why shouldn't he be able to take over the reins? Someday, Stevens will be a very successful coach. So why not speed up the progress and allow Stevens to take over?
Think about it people, Clarkie brought the best player in the world back to Philly where he belongs and he's playing with one of the best players in the NHL in Gagne. Clarkie can't put the puck in the net for them and he can't stop the puck from going in. I've been a fan for 40 years. Been there for the very bad years and the very best. This bad start is just a blip on the radar. Maybe it is time for a change. Just like any other job, change is good. No matter what your feelings are about Clarkie, you have to admit over the years he did a great job. And those of you who are STILL crying in your beer over Eric Lindros, get over it. Lindros was the early version of Terrell Owens - nothing but an overpaid crybaby. If he got over his big ego, he would have been able to bring that Stanley Cup to Philly. Has he brought one to whatever team he's playing with these days? Ah, the answer would be no. So sending him and his daddy on their merry way was just one of the good things Clarkie did as GM. So, it's a sad day for this 40-year Flyer Fan. But all will be good again. I have confidence just like I did during the bad years and just like I did in the great years. Good Luck, Clarkie. You'll always be the "Ultimate Flyer".
Maybe it's just me, but I kind of remember the 1991-1994 years on Clarkes resume when he was a GM for the the North Stars and then the Panthers. Didn't they each win a cup with the players he assembled? I'm not saying he was the acting GM when they won but he put the pieces in place. In the same breath, do you remember those same years when one Jay Snider ran the ship for the Flyers? Bob Clark has served me well as a fan, almost every spring he has given me the hope of a parade. There aren't many managers that give you that same hope come the end of a season in all professional sports. For you Philly fans, how bout them Sixers, whatcha think about their GM? Clarkie made the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring a cup to this city, he fired himself. Why hate him?
I've been a fan of this team since 1970 and saw every game Bobby Clarke played from that season on. There has never been another Flyer like him. The Hart Trophies he won could not have been more appropriately named. You Johnny come latelies have no clue. You berate him for the Lindros handling. Let me tell you, Eric Lindros was a slug with no Hart. I gave up my season tickets in part because I was tired of watching Lindros coast through most games, with the money he was getting. It was not the concussions that soured the Flyers and Clarke on Lindros. I don't know what else you people expect he could have done as GM. You think the other teams are just going to bow down and offer their best defensemen? He made some questionable trades, all with the hope they would be enough to push the team over the top. Blaming the Flyers situation on Bob Clarke is short sighted and ignorant.
Bobbie Clarke was a coward, cheap shot hockey player who hid behind his Bullies (literally) - he was a maggot as a player, and a futile, nasty loser as a GM. PERIOD. Good riddance a-hole.
The whole problem started when Hitch shaved off his 'stash. He should have grown it back after the first two losses.
Ed Snider must be terminated as well. It was Snider who promised multiple championships from the Flyers if he had the land to build a new arena. Snider is a failure... let Comcast know you want him terminated as well as he was the last to see that Bob Clarke is a failure (even Clarkie knew it before Snider!).
Can Lindros come back now?
I think the firing of Hitch was premature.I would have given him more time to solve the problems. Replacing a two time cup winning coach with an AHL coach is not a meaningful positive change in the right direction. Remember despite the many coaching changes the constant has not only been Clarke but Mr. Snyder as well. Better coaches available would be promoting Murray. He brought them to cup finals. Barry Smith who served as an assistant in Detroit. Keenan is out there and could motivate this crew.The Clark burned out suggestion sounds like a cover for forced out. Clark did well in Minnesota and Florida using good talent evaluation to quickly build contenders. In Philadelphia with larger budget he looked for end of carreer free agents to lead the team. Instead lower paid young talent propeled teams like Carolina, Edmonton and Buffalo.I suspect Mr Snyder selected in house people is not related to knowing the Flyer philosophy but instead is having someone behind the bench who knows well enough to call Ed, Mister. I expect to see Hitch behind someone else's bench before next season. Clark sounds like he will be a special assistant to the team by years end. I guess they won't try to get Garth Snow as GM,eh.
Bring back Hexy!
Shoulda been done five years ago. Why it wasn't explains why the Flyers are currently an NHL dungheap...though not nearly as stinky as the Uniondale Urinal on the Island.
Having lived in Chicago most of my life I have always been open to following another team since the blackhawks usually do not perform. I always had alot of respect for Bobby and his hustle. As a GM it seemed from a distance he put a decent team out there most of the time. Send him to Chicago. Bill
I always had the sneaking suspicion that Bobby Clarke wanted to be the only captain of a Philadelphia Stanley Cup winning team. The Flyer Stanley Cup teams had Bernie Parent in goal. He was the foundation of that team. Yet Clarke never got a top flight goaltender for his teams. Every year in the playoffs, there was a question mark in the Flyers goal. And every year the Flyers were beaten.
Firing Hitch was long overdue. The players were mere pawns in his chess match. Talented, skilled players were forced to overthink and play in his system which limited each individual potential. How much effort does it take to score a goal? Not much, if you ask the Buffalo Sabres after their 9-1 victory. If anything should have been learned after that loss, it's that it doesn't take much to score a goal in this league. I mean, why kill a fly with a sledge hammer when a rolled-up newspaper will do? The Flyers pride themselves as a hard-working team. Fine, but you're supposed to work hard and put forth a respectable effort, but that's not the be-all-end-all. You do not win by out-hitting or out-working the opposition, you win by out-scoring them and Hitch's system did not emphasize goal scoring (i.e.-- 13 goals on the season, 4-55 on the power play). There was nothing dynamic or dazzling about his system, it was overly tactical in a free-flowing NHL. John Stevens, let the players play and don't limit their abilities!
I would just like to say thank you to Bob Clarke for the years of dedicated service to the Philadelphia Flyers. If Bobby says he's burned out , I believe him. Thanks Bob, In my opinion next to Gretzky & Orr you were the greatest to lace a pair of skates. No one EVER played the game with more heart. Good luck with whatever you decide to do with the rest of your life!
Dave E
Judging from these comments, it is clear that no one really knows what is going on with this hockey team, or what can be done to fix it.
Bob Clarke treated Roger Neilson very badly at the time of his illness. He lied to Roger. Thank God our team and city brought him here, showed him great respect and affection till his last hour, and has remembered him forever with the Roger Neilson House for terminally ill children and their families.Roger's name is still in our newspaper most days, in that regard. Bob Clarke had no class ever, including puposely breaking Valery Kharmlamov's ankle so Canada could win the first Canada Cup against Russia, He disgraced us and himself. The "Bullies" were no better.
At least the Bullies were men - they fought, they stood up, they didn't back down. Bobbie was forever starting a skirmish with a cheap shot spear, a rabbit punch, a cross-check when someone was on the ice, a knee to the thigh in a corner when the other guy wasn't looking - attempted retaliation by the victim met with Bobbie always chirping away, hiding BEHIND a wall of teammates who protected him (didn't they ever get tired of doing that?). He was a weasel. Seriously, he would have won no Cups were it not for Parent, he would have had no chippy edge if he did not have protectors of his cowardice. Bottom line, he was a loser.
Judging from these comments, Mr. Clarke's hockey legacy is pretty questionable, like his character, whether as a GM or player.
I wish this happened last year after the last 8 goal loss to Buffalo.
Ken Hitchcock only won one cup. 4 years is a pretty good run for an NHL coach these days... and practically a lifetime under Bob Clarke. I think John Stevens is as good a coach as they could hope for right now. They have plenty of good forwards, but they're woeful on defense. Letting Johnsson go was a dumb idea, considering they were also losing Desjardins. The goalies are adequate, a good defense could make them better. It's hard to get a good goalie. If they pick up a veteran defensemen who can score and figure out some kind of power play (how do you not score on a power play with Peter Forsberg on the ice?) I think they can at least be competitive. But a change was long overdue.
Let's hope that Bobby Clarke saves himself further embarrassment by putting himself out to pasture and licking the old salt block for the rest of his days. While reporters might appreciate him 'speaking his mind' at press gatherings, the rest of us are long tierd of watching the slow and painful train wreck that has become Bobby Clarke. Somebody buy this guy anger management lessons for Christmas. If he was your family dog, you would have had a court order long ago to put a muzzle on him for fear that, foaming at the mouth, he'd bite the next person he met. Once a great player, he should curl up in a dark corner and expire without, contrary to his instincts, taking anybody else with him.
Like him or or hate him in his role as GM, Bob Clarke is, was, and always will be the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Flyers. While some may question his second tenure as GM as unfulfilled; no one can ever question his desire, passion, and dedication to bring a Stanley Cup back to the fans of Philadelphia. Good Luck in whatever it is you decide to do. To me you will always represent Flyers hockey and what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer.
Clarke got a raw deal. He showed Roger Nielsen where to get off. America was sick and tired of all those cancer patients getting all the sweet deals, perks, and good parking spots. By firing Nielsen while he was getting Chemo, Clarke struck a blow for decency. A real class act, that Clarke. Made Snider look like Santa Claus by comparison. Couldn't happen to a nicer town.
Bob Clarke gave this team his best effort, both on the ice and in the GM office for as long as he could. Just as with any great champion, they hang around just a little longer than they should, just to make sure the fire is out. The following are the reasons for the drop-off in quality of Clarke's moves since 2004: a) Two European defensemen named Ragnarsson and Timander decided to play permanently in Europe instead of wait out the NHL labor dispute. That fact cannot be ignored when looking at the current problems on defense. b) Eric Desjardin, Chris Therien (and even Malakov's) careers came to a close all at once, and Kim Johnsson's play trailed off because of his concussion problems c) The Flyers experienced dramatic shifts to team chemistry with the unexpected loss of Keith Primeau plus many other players that moved on during the free agency blitz following the labor settlement. d) Comcast-Spectacor was the corporate business model put in place to sponsor this team with high-priced free agents to fill the new Wachovia Center seats. Now that the NHL has become a real league that requires growing young players in addition to free agent recruitment, the Flyers' organization will now have to recognize and draft young talent-a free pass they had been getting for many years now. In order to do what was necessary, the Flyers would have had to cut everybody in 2005 like Glen Sather did in NY. After all the comments about Clarke being heartless, he truly wasn't. He was loyal to the players that "protected him". Thanks Bob, for giving it everything you had, even while fighting diabetes as a player. Dan in Havertown
Clarkie was one of the greatest team players in sports history, and played a win-at-all-costs style. Very admirable. His competitiveness carried over as a GM. I laugh at those no-nothings that think he was at fault for the whole Lindros thing. To hell with Eric, and Carl, and Bonnie, who thought they were more important than the team. Last year, before the season started, everyone thought the Flyers he assembled were a Cup favorite. Once everyone got a look at this new sport, then Clarke was the bad guy. He did great by us for a long time, on the ice and off, and now did the right thing again by resigning. I think Bobby likes the new NHL as little as I do.
ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME!!!! BOBBY CLARKE IS MY ALL TIME LEGEND OF THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS.... THERE IS NO ONE LKE HIM. IF YOU ONLY KNEW HIM. MY FATHER WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST HOCKEY TICKET HOLDERS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FLYERS ORGANIZATI0N, WE SAT 10 ROWS FROM THE GOAL TENDER TO SEE THE FLYERS SCORE 2 PERIODS IN OUR SEATS, WE HAD 4 SEATS AND TO SEE BERNIE PARENT,DAVE SCHULTZ, THIS WAS AMAZING HOCKEY AT ITS BEST. I FEEL ITS HORRIBLE TO LET A LEGEND RESIGN, SINCE THIS IS, A MAN THAT HAD A PASSION FOR THE GAME ITSELF, NO ONE IN THIS LEAGUE WILL UNDERSTAND THE GAME LIKE BOBBY DID ,HE DID SO MUCH FOR HOCKEY YOU CAN'T EVEN TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND, I CAN TELL YOU ON A PERSONAL NOTE I KNOW WHEN IT CAME TIME FOR HIM TO GET A RAISE AS CAPTAIN , HE WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH ALL HIS TEAM MATES,THIS IS A DEDICATED FRIEND & TEAM MATE, NO ONE DOES THIS FOR ANYONE IN BUSINESS. THIS I KNOW FOR MY FATHER USED TO HAVE THE OPPERTUNITY TO WALK DOWN & GET INTO THE LOCKER ROOM WITH THESE GUYS & AT ALL TIMES THEY WERE REAL PEOPLE WANTING TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS BECAUSE THEY FELT THE FANS WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT. I WATCHED THIS GUY LOOSE HIS TEETH, I WAS 6YRS OLD BUT THATS HOCKEY, I LOVE THIS SPORT & I THINK WHAT HE HAS BROUGHT TO THE TABLE YOU CAN NEVER LOSE IT. HE HAD PASSION FOR THE GAME & IT SHOWED. HE IS THE ONLY PASSIONATE PERSON I'VE EVER MET THAT SINCERELY CARES ABOUT THAT TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BOBBY CLARKE IS THE LEGEND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT EVER DISCARD HIM....HE IS THE ROCK & GLUE OF THAT TEAM!!!!!! THE PHILADELPHIA FLYERS WOULD NOT BE THE TEAM THEY ARE TODAY IF BOBBY CLARKE DIDN'DT HAVE A PRESCENCE...... MR.SNYDER YOU SHOULD BE PROUD, TO NOT ONLY HAVE AN A LEGENDIARY AWARD WINNING HOCKEY PRO LIKE BOBBY CLARKE AND TO BE A PART OF YOUR TEAM, RESEPT HIM TO THE MOST, HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HIM, HE MADE ME WANT TO WATCH HOCKEY!!!!! HE HAPPENS BE THE ONLY REASON I CONTINUED TO WATCH IT ALL MY LIFE
Clarksy made a mess out of the Flyers. The team every NHL franchise was scared to face is now the laughing stock of the NHL. Bob Clark should have been fired years ago with his inability to adjust to the new NHL. You cannot teach old dogs new tricks - this is the case with Bob Clark. I hope he does not re surface near an NHL team again otherwise there will be another joke to throw around. I put Bob Clarke in the same category as Alan Eagleson - both idiots
My thoughts will be published momentarily over at NBC Sports, but in the meantime, here's Jamie Fitzpatrick: Hate him if...