Bernie Parent, Hall of Fame Flyers goalie, dies at 80

Bernie Parent, the Hall of Fame goaltender who backstopped the Philadelphia Flyers to the only two Stanley Cup championships in franchise history, died Sunday at age 80, the team announced. No cause of death was released by the Flyers, though former teammate Joe Watson told reporters Parent died in his sleep.

The Flyers paid tribute in a statement saying they and the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Education program were heartbroken, calling Parent "a true legend, one of the most famous and beloved players, and most popular figures in the history of the organization and city of Philadelphia." The team noted Parent's longtime role as an ambassador and his dedication to growing youth hockey.

Parent's career is inseparable from the Flyers' rise in the 1970s. After beginning his NHL career with Boston, he was claimed by Philadelphia in the 1967 expansion draft. A brief trade to Toronto and a one season stop in the World Hockey Association preceded his return to the Flyers in 1973, where he became the backbone of the Broad Street Bullies era. In 1974 and 1975 he won back to back Vezina Trophies as the league's top goaltender and back to back Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP. Parent...