1989–90 Philadelphia Flyers season

NHLTeamSeason
Season=1989–90
Team=Philadelphia Flyers
Conference=Wales
ConferenceRank=10th
Division=Patrick
DivisionRank=6th
Record=30–39–11
HomeRecord=17–19–4
RoadRecord=13–20–7
GoalsFor=290
GoalsAgainst=297
GeneralManager=Bob Clarke
Coach=Paul Holmgren
Captain=Dave Poulin (Oct-Dec)
Ron Sutter (Dec-Apr)
AltCaptain=Mark Howe
Rick Tocchet
Arena=The Spectrum
Attendance=17,407 [FlyersHistory.net, [http://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/attend.cgi All Time Team Attendance] ]
GoalsLeader=Rick Tocchet (37)
AssistsLeader=Rick Tocchet (59)
PointsLeader=Rick Tocchet (96)
PIMLeader=Craig Berube (291)
PlusMinusLeader=Mark Howe (+22)
WinsLeader=Ken Wregget (22)
GAALeader=Ken Wregget (3.42)The 1989–90 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers 23rd season in the National Hockey League (NHL).

The 1989–90 season got off to a bad start for the Flyers, and continued to get worse. Ron Hextall missed all but eight games due to suspension, contract holdout issues and injury, the suspension given for attacking Chris Chelios at the end of the Montreal playoff series the previous spring. Paul Holmgren replaced Dave Poulin as captain in December with Ron Sutter, which led to Poulin's (and later that season, Brian Propp's) trade to Boston. As a result, the Flyers missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 1972. Bob Clarke, having been with the Flyers organization since he was drafted in 1969, was fired and replaced as GM by Russ Farwell.

Regular season

This 80-game slate was one of the most turbulent in franchise history.

Hextall had to sit out the first 12-games of the schedule, sentenced after cementing his folk-hero status in the city by crowning Chelios in the waning minutes of Game 6 of the Wales Conference Finals in May. Unfortunately, the layoff plus contract disputes cost him practice time in training camp, and he was felled by groin injuries three separate times during the season.

An ugly 1–6–1 start was miraculously reversed despite injuries to Hextall, Brian Propp, Tim Kerr, Mark Howe and others with the team atop the weakened Patrick Division after a win in Montreal just before Christmas.

Little used Tony Horacek posted a hat trick in a 6–3 win in LA over the Kings on December 30, but the team suffered through a dismal 10-game winless stretch thereafter (0–7–3) from December 31 through January 23. Previous inconsistent play plus the slide cost Poulin his captaincy, then forced his trade to Boston for former Flyer Ken Linseman. The move did not work, and despite breaking the skid with an 8–6 win against the Jets, Holmgren accused his club of quitting during a 7–2 loss at Washington on January 28 - a defeat which put them three-points behind the Capitals in last place.

Newly acquired back-up Pete Peeters had his only season highlight with a 3–0 shutout over Toronto on February 15, but he finished the season a stupefying 1–13–5. On February 28 in Vancouver, the team was lucky to pull out a 7–7 tie after blowing a 5–2 first-period lead. In the interim, Wells was dealt to the Sabres for unknown winger and future NHL referee Kevin Maguire.

Following an inspired win in Calgary on March 1, Propp was traded to the Bruins, and a four-goal game by Mark Messier in a 5–3 loss to Edmonton two days later triggered a four-game losing streak. The nadir of the late-season collapse came on March 17 in Quebec, as the Flyers allowed three third-period goals to drop a 6–3 decision to the Nordiques (who went on to win all of 12 games that year). Inexplicably, with the Islanders and Penguins also taking late-season dives, the Flyers were still alive for the final playoff spot in the division.

A 5–3 home win over Pittsburgh on March 22 got the team within one point of fourth, but they limped to the end of the schedule with an 0–3–2 record. A 6–2 road loss to the Islanders on March 31 eliminated them from the postseason, and a 3–3 tie with Detroit the next day cost the club a higher draft pick.

It marked the first time in franchise history that the team finished in last place in any division since its 1967 inception.

Among the bright spots, Tocchet led the team with 37 goals and 96 points. Seven players scored 20-or-more goals. Kerr was limited to 40 games but managed 24 goals and 48 points.

eason standings

Game log

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Awards and records

Awards

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Draft picks

Philadelphia's picks at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. [hockeydb.com, [http://hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1989e.html 1989 NHL Entry Draft] ] [hockeydb.com, [http://hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1989s.html 1989 NHL Supplemental Draft] ]

Farm teams

The Flyers were affiliated with the Hershey Bears of the AHL. [FlyersHistory.net, [http://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/ml-season.cgi?1989-90 AHL Season Overview: 1989–90] ]

ee also

*1989–90 NHL season

References

*General: [http://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/season.cgi?1989-90 1989–90 Flyers season] on FlyersHistory.net
*Regular season game log: [http://www.flyershistory.net/cgi-bin/games.cgi?1989-90 Philadelphia Flyers regular season game log] on FlyersHistory.net