Flyers name 6 finalists for new Hall of Fame class

Five former Flyers — Simon Gagné, Paul Holmgren, Bob Kelly, Mark Recchi, and Rick Tocchet — and longtime public address announcer Lou Nolan have the opportunity to be the first names added to the team’s Hall of Fame since the 2016 season.

After five seasons without a Flyers Hall of Fame induction, the organization began the selection process for a new class Aug. 31. It planned to use a new method with two selection committees, a nomination committee and a voting committee, comprised of people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

A week later, the nomination committee’s list of names was narrowed to six. While the list will narrow further following the vote, the number of inductees for the 2021-22 season is not limited to one and will be determined by the voting committee’s finalist votes. In the past, the Flyers have welcomed up to three people in one class.

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The Hall of Fame has 25 members, with Jimmy Watson as the most recent addition.

Gagné played with the Flyers from 1999-2010 and twice won the Bobby Clarke Trophy, awarded to the team’s season MVP. He is in the top 15 in four categories in franchise history. He ranks 10th in goals (264), 12th in points (535), 13th in games played (691) and sixth in game-winning goals (47). Six of those game-winning goals came in the playoffs.

Holmgren’s playing career with the Flyers is just one facet of his resume that put him up for consideration. He is the only person in Flyers history to be a player (1975-84), assistant coach (1985-88), head coach (1988-92), general manager (2006-14), and president (2014-19). He has been nationally recognized for his service to hockey with the Lester Patrick Trophy.

Kelly has also served the organization in multiple roles. As a player, he was part of both Stanley Cup championship teams and scored the winning goal in Game 6 of the finals against Buffalo in 1975. He is tied for seventh in Flyers history in regular-season games played (741) and playoff games played (101). Kelly has also spent the last 18 years as the Flyers Ambassador of Hockey, playing a key part in the program’s community relations efforts.

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Nolan is the only one among the group who has not played for the Flyers, but he’s the only one who has been a part of the organization since it started in 1967. He started as a press box assistant before becoming the team’s public address announcer at the start of the 1972-1973 season. He has held the position since and was the voice of both Stanley Cup championships and all six Stanley Cup Final appearances as well as numerous national and international events.

Recchi, who played with the Flyers from 1991-95 and 1998-2004, still holds several team records. His 123 points are the most scored by a Flyer in a single season. Along with Clarke, he is one of two Flyers to score more than 100 points in a season more than once, and he ranks ninth in all-time in scoring with 627 points. He is a three-time winner of the Bobby Clarke Trophy.

Tocchet also played for the Flyers for more than a decade. In his 11 seasons, he became the all-time leader in penalty minutes (1,185). His 27 goals and 60 points in the Stanley Cup playoffs rank 10th in franchise history. He is one of three players in NHL history to have 96 or more points and 196 or more penalty minutes in the same season. Tocchet also acted as captain during his time with the Flyers.