Philadelphia Flyers: An Iconic NHL Franchise

The Philadelphia Flyers are one of the National Hockey League's iconic franchises. The team's blue-collar style of play and tireless work ethic has captured the hearts of Philadelphians over its 48 years of existence.

Meanwhile, the franchise has also been one of the NHL's most successful, with the league's second-best all-time winning percentage, 36 playoff appearances, two Stanley Cup championships and eight overall appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Flyers were established in 1967 when Ed Snider brought an NHL franchise to Philadelphia as part of the league's first expansion. Snider was also the driving force behind the construction of the Spectrum, the Flyers' first home arena. He assumed control of the building in 1971 and, in 1974, created Spectacor as the management company to oversee the Flyers and Spectrum. Spectacor experienced unprecedented growth over the next two decades, earning national acclaim for its impact in the sports and entertainment business. 

In 1996, Snider joined forces with Comcast Corporation to create Comcast-Spectacor. The entities that were initially part of the new venture included ownership and operation of the Flyers, the Spectrum, the Wells Fargo Center and Comcast SportsNet.  

The Flyers have continued to be one of the league's strongest clubs in recent years, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010 and the second round of the playoffs in the subsequent two years. Claude Giroux posted a 93-point season in 2011-12, which was the best individual season for a Flyer in 13 years.

The team currently has a very young core group of players, ensuring that the Flyers are poised to remain in the upper echelon of the NHL for many years.