With over 50 years of history, the Flyers have had many many players come through this organization. One thing all of them have in common is that they all wore a number while playing here. Let’s look at the best player for each number to have played for the Flyers. Side note, this is regular season use, so no numbers worn by rookies at training camp/preseason.
Numbers That Haven’t Been Worn
Twelve numbers have never been worn by a Flyer in a regular season game. They are 63, 67, 69, 73, 80, 83, 85, 90, 91, 95, 96, and 99. Eleven of those numbers can still be worn, 99 is retired league-wide for Wayne Gretzky.
1- Bernie Parent
There was really no doubt about this. Bernie Parent is, and always will be, #1 for the Flyers. He is, without a doubt, the best goalie ever to put on the Flying P. In 298 games donning the orange 1, Bernie had a 177-60-55 record with a .914 sv%, a 2.26 GAA, and 40 shutouts. He won the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 75 with the Flyers along with the Conn Smythe and Vezina those two years as well. He played in the All-Star Game both years as well as 1977. Bernie wasn’t the first, nor the second, but the third and final player to wear the legendary number when it was retired in 1979 following only Barry Ashbee’s 4.
2- Mark Howe
Back-to-back retired numbers for Hall of Famers. Unfortunately, Mark Howe played after the glory days of the Flyers, like most players, so he has no Stanley Cups, but he was the Flyers’ number one defenseman for a decade. Gordie’s son amassed 138 goals and 342 assists for 480 points in 594 games in Philly. This includes his career year of 24 goals and 58 assists for 82 points in 1985-86 which would be one of three years he was second in Norris voting along with garnering top 10 votes for the Hart. Though he would get votes perennially for the Norris, playing in an era with Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey makes it really hard to win the Norris. Howe represented the Flyers in three All-Star Games (1983, 86, and 88) and made the NHL First All-Star Team in 1983, 86, and 87. Howe holds the record for most short-handed goals in NHL history by a defenseman with 24 of his 28 shorties coming as a Flyer, which is still more than second place (Paul Coffey with 20). Howe’s 2 was the last number to be retired until Lindros’ 88 was retired in 2018.
3- Behn Wilson
A product of a number that has been used by a lot of players that were pretty ok, Behn Wilson had to compete mostly with guys who were here for a year or two, or more well-known players using the number before the number they are more well known for. Wilson had some good seasons with the Flyers. In 339 games with the Flyers, Wilson had 59 goals and 155 assists for 214 points. His 1980-81 season was his best and one of the best seasons, at least offensively, from a defenseman in Flyers history, which did land him on my Flyers All-Time Great Team. Wilson would go to the All-Star Game in 1981 for that season and only ever got votes for the Calder Trophy, which he placed fourth for the 1978-79 season.
4- Barry Ashbee
The first number to be retired in team history, Barry Ashbee is only one of six to ever wear the number but was the one to wear it the longest. His career numbers aren’t as spectacular as other players with retired numbers, but he was more well-known for his passion for the franchise. In 270 games with the Flyers, Ashbee had 15 goals and 67 assists for 82 points. Ashbee was always more known for his defense than his offense, along with his physicality. While Ashbee didn’t make the 1974 All-Star Game, he was on the defense pairing for the Second NHL All-Star Team. That was also the year that he would retire after an eye injury during the 1974 playoffs left him unable to play. He would win the Cup as a player then again the next year as an assistant coach of the Flyers. He was diagnosed with leukemia in April, 1977 which unfortunately took his life the following month. The Barry Ashbee Award was created for the 1974-75 season is still handed out to the best Flyers defenseman every year.
5- Braydon Coburn
Coburn is the longest-serving #5 in Flyers history, wearing the number for about eight years. He was never the top defenseman on the blue line but was a really complimentary piece to a D core that was highlighted by Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen. Coburn came in during the disastrous 2006-07 season from Atlanta and would stay with the team until he was traded to Tampa Bay in 2015. Coburn was more of a defensive-minded defenseman who would put up a career-high of 36 points in his first full season in Philly during the 2007-08 season. In 576 games with the orange and black, Coburn had 37 goals and 124 assists for 161 points. He never got votes for any major awards but did get some credit for his good 2011-12 season.
6- Travis Sanheim
This was a race between Andre Dupont and Chris Therien when I started this article, but it seems as though Travis Sanheim has taken the title. Sanheim hasn’t exactly wowed many and is not even seen in the best light by fans, a lot because of his extension, but I think his numbers do put him slightly above Dupont. In 497 games so far with the Flyers, Sanheim has 46 goals and 137 assists for 183 points. Sanheim could garner some Norris votes for this past season due to his start to the season, but he has yet to be in the voting for any major award.
7- Bill Barber
Another easy pick. Barber’s no 7 is in the rafters and has been there for a pretty long time. Name another player in Flyers history to wear 7. Pretty hard right? Hard to deny a Hall of Fame player isn’t the best at his number. Barber has the record for most goals by a Flyer at 420. In addition to those 420 goals, Barber amassed 463 assists for 883 points in 903 NHL games, all with the Flyers. He was also, of course, on both Cup-winning teams. Part of the famous LCB line with Clarke and Leach, Barber was a dominant player in the 70s. He only eclipsed 90+ points one time in his career when he had 112 points, 50 goals and 62 assists, during the 1975-76 season. Barber went to six All-Star Games, was on the First All-Star Team in 1975-76, and twice on the Second All-Star Team 1978-79 and 1980-81.
8- Mark Recchi
Mark Recchi’s 8 isn’t retired, but there’s definitely a good argument for it. He never did win a major award with the Flyers, but he does hold the record for most points in a season by a Flyer with 123. He spent 10 years with the Flyers in two different stints. He also brought John LeClair and Eric Desjardins to the Flyers and then would play with them when he returned. Those 10 years included 602 games played with the Flyers scoring 232 goals and 395 assists for 627 points. He got votes for the Lady Byng five times with the Flyers (finishing no higher than seventh), got votes for the Selke three times (finishing no higher than 23rd), and got votes for the Hart those same three seasons (finishing no higher than 6th). He represented the Flyers at the 1993 and 2000 All-Star Games and made the 1992 Second NHL All-Star Team (which was split between the Penguins and Flyers).
9- Ivan Provorov
The number 9 is probably the most historic number in the history of hockey. Sure, 99 is synonymous with Gretzky and 66 to Lemieux, but the number 9 has boasted the likes of Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Bobby Hull, Mike Modano, Johnny Bucyk, and others. It is also the most retired number with the number being retired by 12 teams for 14 players, the Rangers and Maple Leafs have the number retired for two different players. The Flyers’ best number 9 is Ivan Provorov. Provorov won’t have his number retired but was a workhorse for the Flyers. Drafted 7th overall in 2015, Ivan Provorov only missed three games during his time with the Flyers. In his 532 games with the Flyers, Provorov scored 65 goals and 152 assists for 217 points and averaged over 24 minutes a game while in Philly. He never woon a major award but finished ninnth in Calder voting and 17th in Norris voting for the 2019-20 season. He has been the best 9 in Flyers history, narrowly beating Bob “The Hound” Kelly. However, depending on how Jamie Drysdale plays with the Flyers, this list may need to be updated.
10- John LeClair
Big bad John LeClair was a slam dunk for the number 10. The left wing of the infamous Legion of Doom line with teammates Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg. LeClair is one of the best American-born NHL players ever and is often considered a top Flyer of all time. LeClair was traded to the Flyers from the Canadiens on February 9, 1995, in a deal centered around exchanging Eric Desjardins for Mark Recchi. LeClair became the first American to score 50 goals in three consecutive seasons, and still the only, in his first three full seasons in Philly and remains the last Flyer to score 50 goals in a season. LeClair’s 333 goals rank fifth all-time in Flyers history, add on his 310 assists for 643 points in 649 games for the Flyers before being bought out for cap reasons after the 2004-05 lockout. He went to each All-Star Game from 1996 to 2000 representing the Flyers and was on either the First or Second NHL All-Star Teams from the 1994-95 season to the 1998-99 season (First Team 1994-95 and 1997-98; Second Team 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99).
By Noah Caplan (@Phlyers24)
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