Today is not the Philadelphia Flyers’ birthday – it’s their nameday. A part of the first expansion wave in the NHL, the Flyers didn’t actually start playing until the 1967-68 season, but they began to exist as an entity when awarded a franchise on Feb. 9, 1966.
The Philadelphia… somethings.
Via Bell Meltzer, and the Jay Greenberg’s Full Spectrum, the Flyers may have been called the Sabers, Lancers, Raiders, Royals, Knights, Bashers, Bruises, Blizzards, Icecaps, Huskies, Keystones, or Liberty Bells – all of which sound just wrong, especially with 50 years of history in between then and now.
Ed Snider may have spearheaded the movement to bring the NHL to Philadelphia, but it was his sister, Phyllis, who ultimately came up with their name: the Flyers.
The way to announce it? A name-the-team contest, launched on July 12. The winner? Via Meltzer, nine-year-old Alec Stockard suggested “Fliers.” A little tweaking, and on Aug. 3, 1966, the Philadelphia Flyers officially had their name.
Fifty years later, it’s still going strong.
