Philadelphia Flyers Tickets : The Flyers Have The Most Conference Final Appearances Out Of All Teams

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) and are the current Eastern Conference Champions. Part of the 1967 NHL Expansion, the Flyers were the first non-Original Six team to win the Stanley Cup, victorious in 1973/74 and again in 1974/75.

The Flyers' all-time points percentage of .578 is the second best in the NHL, behind only the Montreal Canadiens' .590 points percentage. Additionally, the Flyers have the most semifinal/conference final appearances out of all expansion teams (16, winning 8) and they are tied with the St. Louis Blues for most playoff appearances out of all expansion teams (35 out of 43 seasons).

Historically, their biggest rivals have been the New York Rangers, with whom the Flyers have had many brawls and playoff match-ups over the years; the New Jersey Devils, whom they faced four times in the playoffs since 1995, and with whom they traded the Atlantic Division title every season between 1995 and 2007; and their cross-state rivals the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Flyers began the 2009/10 season with some major changes, allowing goaltenders Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki to depart via free agency, replacing them with former Ottawa netminder Ray Emery and former Flyer Brian Boucher, and significantly upgrading the defense with the addition of Chris Pronger from Anaheim.

Pronger came at a price, costing the Flyers Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa and the Flyers' 1st-round draft picks in 2009 and 2010. The season began in earnest but soon began to unravel with mediocre play that cost John Stevens his job in December.

Peter Laviolette was hired as head coach in order to reinstitute accountability and restore success to the Flyers but the results were not immediate, as the Flyers suffered a 2/7/1 stretch after his arrival. Injuries took a major toll on the Flyers, with Blair Betts, Briere, Carter, Gagne and Timonen missing significant amounts of games, but no position was nearly affected as much with injuries as goaltending.

Emery suffered a hip injury in December, played sporadically afterwards and had season-ending surgery. Boucher suffered a hand injury shortly thereafter which allowed journeyman goaltender Michael Leighton to step in and make an immediate impact.

Leighton went 8/0/1 in his first 10 starts, including a tough 2/1 overtime loss in the 2010 Winter Classic to Boston at Fenway Park on New Year's Day. However, Leighton was forced out of the line-up in March with a high ankle sprain, necessitating Boucher's return as starter. All told, seven different goaltenders suited up for the Flyers at various points.

Mediocre play down the stretch forced the Flyers into a do-or-die shootout with the Rangers in the last game of the regular season for a playoff berth. Boucher stopped final shooter Olli Jokinen to clinch the 7th seed in the East and a 1st-round matchup with New Jersey.

The Flyers debuted a short-lived skating mascot named "Slapshot" in 1976 but dropped the character by the next season. It remains the only mascot in Flyers' team history, although the team occasionally employed the services of "Phlex", the mascot of the team's minor league affiliate and former next door neighbors who now have moved to Glens Falls, NY, the Adirondack Phantoms.

The Flyers were the first and one of only two (the Hartford Whalers being the other), NHL teams to wear Cooperalls, hockey pants that extend from the waist to the ankles, in 1981/82. They wore them the following season as well, but were compelled to return to the traditional hockey pants in 1983/84.