His Flyers record 61 goals in a single season still stands 50 years later.
His playoff 19 goals is a league wide record that still stands 50 years later.
No other Flyer has ever scored 5 goals in a single game.
He won the Conn Smythe in a losing year.
He won a cup.
He was a big part of the 35 game win streak, a league wide record that still stands.
His career points stands at 666 (the number of the beast) which is pretty cool.
Up here in Canada when people say "the broad street bullies" people say "Clarke Barber Leach" before they mention MacLeish, Shultz or even other guys with retired numbers like Parent or Ashbee (no disrespect to them).
What's the deal?
by scratchydaitchy
10 Comments
Probably because of Hextall.
Because he’s not in the Hockey Hall of Fame which seem to be a prerequisite for the Flyers to retire a number. Ashbee being the one exception to that prerequisite.
There was always a thing with the Flyers that only Hockey Hall of Famers got their number retired (Ashbee being a special case). It even applied to Mark Howe.
Was Reggie Leach more important to the team and history than Ron Hextall? He’s the Flyers all-time winningest goalie. He scored the first goal by a goalie in both regular season and playoffs. He won the Conn Smyth losing to the Oilers in the finals and the Vezina for the season.
I love both of these men but I think there becomes a real issue retiring the number for one but not the other.
Mark Messier wore #11 for the Rangers after Hadfield. They retired 11 and had ceremonies separately for both players. Not sure why the Flyers couldn’t do this for Leach and Hextall in one ceremony. IMO, that would actually be pretty cool. Both players’ records will be in Flyers’ history books forever probably, so outside of the HHoF requirement, they are historically great and memorable Flyers first and foremost. They should retire #27.
Hes a legend in the club which is why hes in Flyers Hall of Fame but as a player he only had one elite season so simply isnt good enough
In his entire career he only had 2 point per game seasons and hit 80 points once …
Its still not out of the question that it could happen since hes a legend for the Flyers, but it hasnt happened because he simply wasnt good enough as purely a player.
Everybody else who has number retired are Hockey Hall of Famers (and Ashbee) which hes not even close to good enough for
*35 game unbeaten streak.
A decent amount of those games ended in ties.
I personally like Leach as *the* 27 for the flyers but he just didn’t quite get there.
TBH I think retired numbers should be left for the top of the top. I’m fine with the current group of retirees
He’s not in the Hockey Hall.of Fame. That’s (very rightfully) how the Flyers do it.
If you want a franchise vibes honor, that’s what the Flyers Hall of Fame is for.
He also has this bad ass quote:
“Clarkie makes the bombs and I drop ’em.”