The Philadelphia Flyers were named the best fighting team this past 2023-2024 season. Amazingly, Philadelphia had 23 fights and won 22, giving them a 96% total in fights.
While fighting doesn’t put the orange and black in the playoffs, it does pay tribute to the team’s past as they were once known as the ‘Broad Street Bullies.’ The rebuild, led by Flyers general manager Danny Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones, wants the Flyers to be the team that once captivated Philadelphia.
In the 1972-73 season, the Flyers began to play an aggressive and physical game, taking the league by surprise with their rugged playing style. While the rules in hockey have changed over the years, and fighting is less common, other teams would fear playing the Flyers as they knew the orange and black would play a hard game.
Hockey in this era is more on skill, which is why you see an increase in goal scoring and not so much the fighting aspect. However, fighting is still a crucial element of hockey. A good fight can draw momentum to a struggling team, shifting the game. Over time, the Flyers have a historic roster of enforcers such as Bob Kelly, Rick Tocchet, Wayne Simmonds, and more.
As the Flyers enter the second year of their rebuild, the team needs to establish an image. Other teams in the league looking at Philadelphia and worrying about Nick Seeler or Garnet Hathaway dropping their gloves is undeniably a good thing.
It’s all about the culture Philadelphia is trying to bring back and re-establish. Enforcers can be counted on to protect star players, such as Matvei Michkov, who is coming over this season. Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers is a prime example of an enforcer in the league. While Rempe has lost most of his fights, his presence does amp up his teammates and the crowd.
Overall, fighting in hockey is underrated, but at least the Philadelphia Flyers are winning at something.
