Sculpture of Snider and respect from players gilded in bronze
PHILADELPHIA » A nine-foot-high bronze statue of Ed Snider was unveiled Thursday outside the Wells Fargo Center. Positioned on a perch overlooking the site of the former Spectrum, it was situated so generations of fans can remember the former Flyers owner.
Thirty former Flyers, including plenty of champion Broad Street Bullies destined to walk together forever, attended the ceremony. None required the memory-jog. “He was like a father to everybody,” Bill Barber said. “He wanted to make sure everybody was happy. I remember, in the earlier years, trying to get a house. And he helped me accomplish that in 1974. It was a really nice loan that could get me the place I kind of wanted, a nice small, little house in Somerdale, New Jersey. And we loved it. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think we would have gotten the house. It’s the little things like that, back in that era of time, that meant everything as a player.
“And in return, we wanted to play hard and win.”
The Flyers played hard and won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and again in 1975, and the organization has been trying ever since to do it again. Snider, who founded the Flyers in 1967, died in April 2016. His daughter, Lindy Snider, made it clear Thursday that the statue, in some ways, represents a continuing vigil for that third NHL championship.
“It’s not only fitting, but it’s comforting,” she said. “There is no doubt in my mind that he has been watching over us all along.”
Turning toward Flyers president Paul Holmgren in the front row of a ceremony attended by approximately 700, Ms. Snider added to some laughter, “And, Paul, especially you. He wants a Stanley Cup. The pressure is on, and you’re not off the hook.”
The unveiling was attended by Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Comcast-Spectacor president Dave Scott, several members of the Snider family and former Flyers Barber, Holmgren, Ron Hextall, Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Jimmy Watson, Joe Watson, Terry Crisp, Keith Primeau, Orest Kindrachuk, Dave Schultz, Brian Propp, Mark Howe, Keith Jones, Don Saleski, Brad Marsh, Bob Kelly, Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen, Tim Kerr, Dave Brown, Lou Angotti, Todd Fedoruk, Bill Clement, Terry Carkner, Ed Hospodar, Riley Cote, Doug Crossman, Jack McIlhargey, Ross Fitzpatrick, Ray Allison and Rich Sutter.
The unveiling of the 1,300-pound statue came on the 50th anniversary of the Flyers’ first home game in the Spectrum, a 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“It speaks to the impact that Mr. Snider has had on us as players,” Holmgren said. “When you talk about what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer, words like passion, grit and pride come to mind. Those attributes come directly from Mr. Snider.”
Among the features of the sculpture is a Stanley Cup ring on Snider’s hand. Lindy Snider encouraged all Flyers rans to “rub the ring,” for good luck whenever they walk past it.
“Mr. Snider’s contributions to this city went beyond giving us a great franchise to rally around,” Kenney said. “The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation continues to provide great after-school, sports-based programming for our most vulnerable children.”
*** Wayne Simmonds, who left the Flyers’ 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers Tuesday with a lower body injury, declared himself healthy and was in the lineup Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. Simmonds was believed to have been battling a groin issue.
“I feel good,” he said after a morning workout at the Skate Zone. “I’m fine.”
However, Hextall recalled Matt Read from the Phantoms before the game. It was later revealed Jordan Weal was dealing with an injury issue and was unavailable for the game. Read had played the last six seasons with the Flyers, but failed to make the team in training camp. He declined interview requests before the game.
Hextall said Weal is day to day with an upper body injury. As it turned out, with Simmons cleared to play, Read was scratched.