Bobby Clarke

This article is about the ice hockey player. For the footballer, see Bobby Clarke (footballer). For the rock drummer, see Bobbie Clarke.
"Bob Clarke" redirects here. For other people with a similar name, see Robert Clarke (disambiguation).

Bobby Clarke
OC
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1987
Clarke in 2017
Born (1949-08-13) August 13, 1949 (age 74)
Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Philadelphia Flyers
National team  Canada
NHL draft 17th overall, 1969
Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career 1969–1984
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Canada Cup
Gold medal – first place 1976 Canada Ice Hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1982 Finland Ice Hockey

Robert Earle Clarke OC (born August 13, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire 15-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team.[1] Popularly known as Bobby Clarke during his playing career and as Bob Clarke since retiring as a player, Clarke is acknowledged by some as being one of the greatest hockey players and captains of all time.[2][3] He was captain of the Flyers from 1973 to 1979, winning the Stanley Cup with them in both 1974 and 1975. He was again captain of the Flyers from 1982 to 1984 before retiring. A three-time Hart Trophy winner and 1987 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Clarke was rated number 24 on The Hockey News' list of The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time in 1998.[4] In 2017 Clarke was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[5]

Clarke had three 100-point seasons, twice leading the league in assists,[6] and was selected to play in nine NHL All-Star Games. He also won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1983, as the league's best defensive forward.

Upon retiring at the end of the 1983–84 season with 358 goals and 852 assists for a total of 1,210 points in 1,144 career games, he immediately became general manager of the Flyers. He spent 19 of the following 23 seasons as a general manager of the Flyers, also briefly serving as general manager of the Minnesota North Stars and Florida Panthers, and reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times with the Flyers and once with Minnesota. His time as an NHL general manager had its share of controversy, perhaps none greater than the rift between him and star player Eric Lindros during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He resigned from the general manager position less than a month into the 2006–07 season and is currently the Flyers' senior vice president.[7]

The image of Clarke, with a toothless grin, embracing the Stanley Cup and winking following the Flyers' victory in the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals is considered one of the most iconic and famous photos in the history of the sport of hockey.[8]

  1. ^ "Bio - Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers - Team". Philadelphia Flyers. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  2. ^ Pelletier, Joe. "Bobby Clarke". Greatest Hockey Legends.com. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  3. ^ Hoffman, Patrick. "Top 10 captains in NHL history". Sportsnet. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  4. ^ Steve Dryden, The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time, 1998
  5. ^ "100 Greatest NHL Players". National Hockey League. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Joe Pelletier (May 2006). "Philadelphia Flyers Legends: Bobby Clarke". Greatest Hockey Legends.com. Retrieved July 8, 2007.
  7. ^ "Bio - Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers - Team". philadelphiaflyers.com. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
  8. ^ "Bobby Clarke's Toothless Grin". Retrieved March 9, 2017.