Broad Street versus Broadway, one of the most legendary rivalries in the history of the sport. They were always considered two of the top teams to beat, so when they lined up against each other, there was no love lost between the two clubs. Through regular playoff meetings through much of the 1980’s, to the battle for Eric Lindros in the 1990’s and the Flyers’ magical Cup run in 2010, the teams are often neck and neck with their competitive nature.
Because of the on-ice heat, deals off the ice were very rarely struck. Though when the teams did meet and make swaps, a few of the trades that did go down changed the course of history for their respective clubs.
(to Flyers – to Rangers)
6/6/69 – Reggie Fleming for Don Blackburn, Leon Rochefort
Reggie, The Ruffian was a 10-year NHL veteran and beloved for his physical style of play. In the fledgling years of the Philadelphia Flyers, the “Broad Street Bullies” mentality hadn’t really developed yet, and Fleming helped ignite the team with his rugged style. He only played one season in Philly before being lost to the Sabres in the 1970 expansion draft, but the mindset he instilled in the players left behind started a revolution just a few years later.
Blackburn and Rochefort were both 1967 expansion draft picks, the latter even leading the Flyers in goals during their inaugural season. Upon their trade to the Rangers, only Blackburn suited up for them, playing in a measly four NHL games over the following two seasons before finding a spot with the New York Islanders, and Rochefort was traded three days after the Flyers/Rangers deal to the LA Kings. He’d play for five more NHL teams before calling it a career in 1976.
6/2/1978 – 1978 first round pick (Ken Linseman) for Fred Shero
Fred Shero is a legendary name in Flyers’ lore as the man responsible for leading them to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975. He coached the team until the 1977-78 season when he resigned from the last year of his deal. The Flyers front office refused his resignation letter as rumors had already broke that he wanted out. Believing he no longer had commitments to the Flyers, he signed a contract with the New York Rangers to become their new coach and general manager. Since he was technically still under contract with the Flyers at the time he joined the Rangers, New York was forced to give up a first round pick in order to avoid tampering charges.
The Flyers drafted Ken Linseman seventh overall with the 1978 first round pick. He would play three-and-a-half seasons as a Flyer racking up 555 penalty minutes.
12/18/86 – Kjell Samuelsson, 1989 second round pick (Patrik Juhlin) for Bob Froese
Bob Froese was a highly touted goaltender with the Flyers organization where he held many records, most notably his 13-game undefeated streak to open his career. He rose to the rank of starter when Pelle Lindbergh died in 1985, before being usurped by Ron Hextall the following season. Froese was dealt to the New York Rangers where he would form one of the best tandems of their era with John Vanbiesbrouck.
The Flyers got defenseman Kjell Samuelsson in return, who became a cornerstone of the team for the following five seasons. He won two Barry Ashbee Trophies as the Flyers’ top defenseman in 1989 and 1991. Patrick Juhlin was drafted 34th overall in 1989 with the pick they acquired in this trade. He played parts of three seasons in the Flyers organization, mainly with the Phantoms, but did dress for 56 NHL games before returning to Sweden in 1997.
7/21/87 – cash for Jeff Brubaker
Jeff Brubaker was a well-traveled forward whom the Flyers acquired from Edmonton in March of 1987 for prospect Dom Campedelli. He finished the 86-87 season in the AHL and the Flyers traded him to the Rangers for cash considerations in July.
11/28/88 – Chris Jensen for Michael Boyce
Michael Boyce was a college defenseman prospect at Merrimack University but only ever played 10 games in the AHL before his career ended. Chris Jensen played five seasons in the Flyers organization, mainly in the AHL as a center, though dressed in 21 NHL games over the course of three seasons from 1989 to 1992.
8/5/91 – futures for Shaun Sabol
Shaun Sabol was a defense prospect in the Philadelphia system from 1987 to 1991 who played only two games with the Flyers in 1989. Sabol played one season with the Rangers AHL team in 1991-92 before retiring.
The future conditions are unknown.
8/8/91 – futures for Don Biggs
Don Biggs never managed to carve out much of a career at the NHL level, only playing in 12 games, 11 of which came with the Flyers in 1989-90. He spent most of his three seasons with the Flyers organization in the AHL and was traded to the Rangers for cash considerations. Biggs spent three years in their minor league system before joining the Cincinnati Cyclones of the International Hockey League, where he’d play a bulk of the following six seasons before retiring in 1999.
The future conditions are unknown.
8/20/01 – Jan Hlavac, Kim Johnsson, Pavel Brendl, 2003 third round pick (Stefan Ruzicka) for Eric Lindros
After a string of injuries and very public feud with then-general manager Bob Clarke, Eric Lindros ultimately sat out the entire 2000-01 season as he demanded a trade out of Philadelphia that the Flyers originally refused to grant. In August of 2001, the stalemate was finally broken when Clarke traded Lindros to the New York Rangers in exchange for Kim Johnsson, Jan Hlavac, (at the time) top prospect Pavel Brendl and a 2003 third round pick.
Lindros had 73 points in 72 games during the 2001-02 campaign, but his pace slowed the following two seasons as injuries caught up to him. He ultimately played 192 games in New York, registering 66 goals and 158 points. He would leave the Rangers and sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs after the 2005 lockout.
For the Flyers, Hlavac was traded a few months later in exchange for Donald Brashear. Pavel Brendl was a complete bust, playing parts of two seasons in Philly before being traded to Carolina for Sami Kapanen, and Stefan Ruzicka was an NHL/AHL tweener for three seasons before fleeing back to Europe. Kim Johnnson was the only worthwhile return, having four good seasons on the Flyers’ blueline before leaving in free agency in 2006.
3/8/04 – Vladimir Malakhov for Rick Kozak, 2005 second round pick (Ondrej Pavelec) (traded to ATL)
The 2004 trade deadline deal saw the Rangers trade defenseman Vladimir Malakhov to the Flyers in exchange for former third round pick forward Rick Kozak, who never made it to the NHL, and a 2005 second round pick that later became goaltender Ondrej Pavelec. The Rangers would ultimately trade that second round pick to the Thrashers for the pick that landed them Marc Staal.
Malakohov played six regular season games and 17 playoff games for the Flyers. He signed with the New Jersey Devils at the conclusion of the lockout in 2005.
7/1/13 – Kris Newbury for Danny Syvret
Nine years after their last deal, the Flyers and Rangers came together again, this time to swap AHL players. Kris Newbury spent most of his one-year tenure in Philly as an enforcer in the AHL, only suiting up for four games at the NHL level. Syvret is best known for scoring his first NHL goal in the 2010 Winter Classic, the only tally the Flyers managed in that game. He never played for the Rangers, instead spending the entire 2013-14 season with their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
3/21/22 – 2023 third round pick for Justin Braun
The most recent trade between the two rival franchises took place at the 2022 NHL trade deadline when the Rangers acquired veteran defenseman Justin Braun in exchange for a 2023 third round pick.
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By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
brotherlypuck.com 