The 2026-27 campaign marks the 60th season of Philadelphia Flyers hockey. Throughout the year, the Flyers Alumni will celebrate the decades of organization history: the people, the moments, and the bond between the Alumni, the fans and the Delaware Valley.
Our kickoff events took place on October 16-17, 2026. Following is a recap of what we did — and why.
A Family Reunion
It’s been more than 50 years since the immortal Fred Shero wrote his legendary blackboard message prior to Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Final between the Flyers and the Boston Bruins: Win today and we walk together forever.
Shero’s words were prophetic. Nothing symbolizes more what the Flyers Alumni are all about than the group that came together to win the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975 then conquer the vaunted Red Army team in January 1976. The group indeed walks together forever, as a team and as a family.
At its root, family means being there for one another when the chips are down. It’s not just about sharing happy times. It’s also about helping each other through hardships. It’s about respecting the bond no matter how much physical distance may separate you.
Not for nothing, the Flyers Alumni consider the fans to be part of our extended family. So is the Flyers organization itself and its history, starting with the Sniders.
For these reasons and more, we kicked off our 60th Anniversary observation by reuniting most of the surviving Alumni from the Cup teams one more time in places special to our history. Alumni who live all across North America came to get together once more; privately and then alongside Flyers fans.
Many Alumni settled permanently in the Delaware Valley. Others lived here for many years, post retirement, but eventually relocated. A few have lived considerable distances away for many years. But this past weekend, physical distance rarely mattered. Cup team alumni who live as far away as Alberta (Tom Bladon) and Manitoba (Reggie Leach) or as close as the Philadelphia suburbs (many) got together again.
All of the members of the Flyers two Cup teams originally hailed from Canada. In the decades since then, however, many have obtained American citizenship. But each and every one, for various reasons, considers Philadelphia to be their home or a home away from home.
Oct 16, 2026: The Nuclear Family at Rexy’s
The day and night of October 16 were all about the internal togetherness of the Cup era team itself. The day was intensely personal. The evening was celebratory but a touch bittersweet. We gathered one final time as a full group at Rexy’s in West Collingswood Heights, New Jersey. The Alumni themselves, their immediate nuclear families (wives, children, grandchildren) plus people from the innermost circle of friends and extended family (such as Lou Nolan) gathered for a private party. The Stanley Cup trophy itself was present for the celebration.
Time is undefeated. There are now quite a few Alumni from that era who could not physically attend, but were there in spirit. Additionally, the centerpieces on every table featured vintage photos both of attending Alumni and those (like Bernie Parent or Barry Ashbee) who live on in blessed memory. That includes the memory of Rexy’s founder Pat Fieto.
The day and evening were filled with laughter, shared stories, and making a new memory to share within our family. As always, the food, drink and atmosphere at Rexy’s were top notch. We are all just ordinary people but we were treated like royalty.
October 17, 2026: A thank you to the fans
The morning and early afternoon of October 17 were all about giving back to the people who’ve welcomed us into their hearts as friends, neighbors, and an extended part of their own family lives. We’re talking, of course about YOU, the Philadelphia Flyers’ fans.
On October 17, the Cup teams Alumni and the Stanley Cup came to Medford Lakes, NJ, for a public meet-and-greet event. A throng of Flyers fans came out to the free agent to meet the Alumni, take photos of themselves and their families with the Cup, and to photos and pictures with the Alumni.
Why Medford Lakes? That’s because one of our Flyers Alumni Association co-founders, Orest Kindrachuk, makes his permanent home there.He’s an integral part of the community, as was Orest’s late wife, Lynn. In addition to coming to the Vaughan Community House in Medford Lakes. The Cup also came to Orest’s house. His sons, Zak and Jake, were there.
At night, the Alumni had the final event of the weekend: a combination public and private event. We gathered at Xfinity Mobile Arena to watch the current Flyers take on the Ottawa Senators. By sheer coincidence,the opponent featured long-time 2010s to early 2020s Flyers star Claude Giroux. Of course, we were all pulling for the Flyers. But it was also kind of fitting that “G”, who is second to only Bobby Clarke on the Flyers all-time games and points leader board, set up the lone Ottawa goal.
We took in the game in the Alumni Suite. We also had a special visitor inside the suite for the game-night gathering: the Stanley Cup trophy was there once again.
There was no more fitting way possible to kick off our commemoration of the 60th season. Stay tuned throughout the year for special content — the “Where Are They Now?” article series each Thursday on FlyersAlumni.net. special in-person events, our Flyers Alumni “Decades” podcast series on YouTube, photo galleries on our social media and much, much more.
Meanwhile, the Flyers themselves feature the Flyers Friday Flashback article series on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com. Topics already covered include the Holmgren/Cashman Gate, Bill Barber’s 400th Goal, and new Flyers Hall of Famers Bob Kelly and Simon Gagne’s respective NHL debuts.