#100: Dave Schultz
Left Wing, Philadelphia Flyers (1971-1976)
- Two time Stanley Cup Champion
- One 20 goal season
- NHL single season record for penalty minutes
The early days of the Philadelphia Flyers were typical for an expansion team. They went through the growing pains of being a young group of players and then found an identity. That identity was The Broad Street Bullies, a physical, hit you in the mouth style of hockey that was able to run through the NHL throughout most of the 1970s. While Bobby Clarke was the face of the Flyers, Dave Schultz was the enforcer. Schultz was drafted by the Flyers to be a scorer, but settled quickly into his role as the enforcer of the team. In his five seasons with Philadelphia, Schultz helped the Flyers to back to back Stanley Cup wins and averaged just over 277 penalty minutes per season.
He did have some talent on the offensive side of the ice as well, scoring 20 goals during the 1973-74 season and netting the series winning goal in overtime against the Atlanta Flames in the first round of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals. There are no Broad Street Bullies without Schultz, and while his talent might not be at the same level as some others on this list, he's a part of Philadelphia history that will remain as long as the Flyers are here.
#99: Dave Poulin
Center, Philadelphia Flyers (1982-1990)
- Two Time All Star (1986, 1988)
- Flyers team captain (1984-1989)
- Four 20+ goal seasons
If you were asked who became Flyers captain after Bobby Clarke retired, would you know the answer? If you couldn't guess, the answer is Dave Poulin, who helped guide the Flyers to two Stanley Cup Finals appearances during the 1980s. While Poulin might not be as well known to Flyers fans today, he was a big piece of the Flyers as they emerged from the Broad Street Bullies era into the more modern game in the 1980s. Considered too small to become an NHL player, Poulin went undrafted before the Flyers signed him away from a Swedish league team in 1982. The next season, Poulin was put on a line with Brian Propp and Tim Kerr and began producing at a solid level.
Over the next four seasons, Poulin scored at least 20 goals and reached the 30 goal level twice. The Flyers were able to reach the Stanley Cup Finals twice, but were unable to get past the Edmonton Oilers each time. In his eight seasons with the Flyers, Poulin scored 161 goals and tallied 260 assists, not bad numbers for someone that scouts thought was too small to play.
#98: Trent Cole
Defensive End, Philadelphia Eagles (2005-present)
- Two time Pro-Bowler (2007, 2009)
- One time All-Pro (2009)
- Third in Eagles history in sacks (68)
The first still active player to make the list, Trent Cole has continued the Eagles tradition of pass rushing in a way that few people expected. Selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft, Cole quickly worked his way up the depth chart, ending his rookie season as a starter and earning a spot on the All Rookie team. Since then, his performance has only gotten better. In just seven seasons with the Eagles, Cole has risen to third on the team leaderboard for sacks, and while it might be difficult to catch number one on that list, he's certainly got the inside track to finish second by the time his career is over.
My favorite Trent Cole memory? Watching him pick off Eli Manning and return it for a touchdown late in 2006. The pick six sealed the game and the NFC East title for the Eagles and really vaulted Cole into the spotlight as a fan favorite. Considering the Eagles traded James Thrash for the pick that got them Trent Cole, I think the Eagles won on that deal.
#97: Gary Dornhoefer
Right Wing, Philadelphia Flyers (1967-1978)
- Two time Stanley Cup Champion (1974, 1975)
- Five 20+ goal seasons
- Two time All Star (1973, 1977)
A member of the original Flyers team back in 1967, Gary Dornhoefer was drafted away from the Boston Bruins and never played for another team other than the Flyers. His physical style of play went well with the rest of the Flyers as they became one of the best teams in the NHL, but he could score as well. Dornhoefer passed the 20 goal mark five times in his career and cracked the 30 goal plateau once. He could pass the puck as well, dishing out 316 assists in his 11 seasons with the Flyers. All told, his 518 points were second in Philadelphia history behind just Bobby Clarke when he retired, and while over 30 years have passed, he's still tenth all time on the list.
Dornhoefer will always be remembered by Flyers fans for his goal against the Minnesota North Stars in the 1973 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The goal gave the Flyers a 3-2 overtime win and helped propel the Flyers to their first ever playoff series win. Two years later, the Flyers would be celebrating their second straight Stanley Cup championship, and it was Dornhoefer's goal that got them started on that run.
#96: Mike Lieberthal
Catcher, Philadelphia Phillies (1994-2006)
- Franchise leader in games caught
- Two time All Star (1999, 2000)
- Franchise leader in home runs by a catcher (149) and RBI (609)
Despite Mike Lieberthal's time in Philadelphia being one without a playoff appearance, he certainly made the most of his time with the Phillies. Philadelphia thought so much of the young catcher that they made him the third overall pick in the 1990 major league draft, behind two players named Tony Clark and Chipper Jones. Lieberthal debuted with the Phillies in 1994 and never looked back. His 1999 season was one of, if not the best performances by a catcher in team history. Lieberthal batted .300 for the season with 31 home runs and 96 runs batted in. He also won his only Gold Glove during the 1999 season, and while injuries hampered him late in his career with the Phillies, his prime was very good.
The Phillies inducted Lieberthal into their Wall of Fame this year, and it was well deserved. While people like to mention Bob Boone or Carlos Ruiz now as great Phillies catchers, Mike Lieberthal played more games and had a better offensive output than any catcher in Phillies history, and he did it while playing for mostly bad teams. In a time when most star players were trying to be traded from the Phillies, Lieberthal stayed. That says a lot to me.
#95: Steve Mix
Power Forward, Philadelphia 76ers (1973-1982)
- Played in three NBA Finals (1977, 1980, 1982)
- NBA All Star (1975)
- Averaged 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists with Sixers
Fans today might know Steve Mix more for his time at the broadcast table with the Sixers, but before he went behind in the microphone, Mix was a power forward, and a good one. After stops in Detroit and Denver with the ABA, Mix signed on with the Sixers in 1973 and stayed for almost a decade. In his time in Philadelphia, he helped the Sixers go from one of the worst teams in NBA history back to a title contender. Three times, Mix played in the NBA Finals with Philadelphia, and while the Sixers came up short each time, the road would have been bumpier without Mix.
Steve was a one time All Star with the Sixers and helped pave the way for the 1983 NBA championship team. As fate would have it, Mix was a bench player for the Lakers that season, and lost to the Sixers in the NBA Finals. I'm saying he's a good player, but he never seemed to be that lucky.
#94: Claude Giroux
Right Wing, Philadelphia Flyers (2007-present)
- Two time All Star (2011, 2012)
- Two 20 goal seasons
- Won fan vote for NHL '13 cover
Another active player, the man who would be the next Flyers captain has nowhere to go but up on this list. In three full seasons with Philadelphia, Giroux has shown the talent that has made him one of the best players in hockey. After a few seasons in the minors, Giroux stuck with the Flyers during the 2009-2010 season and emerged as one of the young talents in the NHL. Philadelphia made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals that season, and Giroux finished the playoffs with 21 points, including the game winning goal in overtime of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The last few years haven't had the same success for the Flyers, but Giroux has only gotten better. This past season, Claude finished third in the NHL in points and had the lead in points in the playoffs two weeks after the Flyers were eliminated. At only 24 years old, the future is going to be very bright for the face of the Flyers.
#93: Norm Van Brocklin
Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles (1958-1960)
- NFL Champion (1960)
- 1960 NFL MVP
- Three time Pro-Bowler (1958, 1959, 1960)
Normally, I would exclude players that only had a three year stopover in Philadelphia, but considering Norm Van Brocklin helped get the Eagles their last NFL title, I had to include him. Van Brocklin spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Rams, winning an NFL title with them in 1951 before coming to the Eagles before the 1958 season. In his three years with the Eagles, Van Brocklin had total control of the offense, and it ended with an NFL title in 1960.
Van Brocklin's best years were arguably with the Eagles, and while he's not going to make the NFL Hall of Fame, there's only one team, and one quarterback that beat Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. That was Norm Van Brocklin, with the Philadelphia Eagles.
#92: Ilkka Sinisalo
Right Wing, Philadelphia Flyers (1981-1990)
- First European born player with the Flyers
- Six 20+ goal seasons
- Two time Stanley Cup Finalist (1985, 1987)
I've said before that the 1980s Flyers should have won at least one Stanley Cup, and Ilkka Sinisalo is one of the reasons why. The first European born player in Flyers history, Sinisalo joined the Flyers in the 1981-82 season and quickly became a goal scoring threat. His back to back 30 goal seasons in 1984-85 and 1985-86 helped the Flyers become one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL. Philadelphia also made it to two Stanley Cup Finals in Sinisalo's time with the Flyers and were a championship threat in almost every season.
Sinisalo is another one of those forgotten names in Flyers history that I didn't know much about until I started researching this list. Just about everyone knows about the big names, but someone like Sinisalo should be remembered as a key contributor to those good Flyers teams in the 1980s. He really was a talented player.
#91: Jerome Brown
Defensive Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles (1987-1991)
- Two time All Pro (1990, 1991)
- Two time Pro-Bowler (1990, 1991)
- 29.5 sacks with Eagles
Jerome Brown was one of the best young defensive linemen that the Eagles ever had, and his story is one of the saddest in Eagles history. In just five seasons with Philadelphia, Brown became, with Reggie White and Clyde Simmons, the heart of a great defensive unit under Buddy Ryan and later Rich Kotite. After being picked ninth overall in 1987, Brown steadily improved each season, becoming a Pro-Bowler in 1990 and 1991 and being named to the All Pro team in those same seasons.
Tragically, Brown would never get to realize his true potential, as he was killed in a car accident right before training camp in 1992. However, his play with the Eagles was excellent, and while it would have improved had he lived, all Eagles fans can do now is look back at the highlights and enjoy what a good player he was.
That wraps things up for the first section of this list. In numbers 90-81, we've got an offensive line bookend, a few active players, a man who has more World Series rings than World Series hits, and more.
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