Bernie Parent

Bernie Parent
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1984
Born	(1945-04-03) April 3, 1945 Montreal, QC, CAN
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins Philadelphia Flyers Toronto Maple Leafs Philadelphia Blazers
Playing career	1965–1979

Bernard Marcel Parent (born April 3, 1945) is a retired Canadian Hall of Fame ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Philadelphia Blazers. During the 1973–74 and 1974–75 seasons, in what many consider the finest consecutive seasons ever by a goaltender, the Flyers won two Stanley Cups and Parent won the Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy both seasons. A 1984 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Parent was rated number 63 on The Hockey News' list of The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time in 1998.

Early years

Parent's hero as a young boy was Montreal Canadiens goalie Jacques Plante, whose sister lived in Parent's neighborhood. Many times Parent watched out for Plante's visits to his sister and her family.

As a Québécois, Parent's use of English was a never ending source of locker room and bus trip humor, especially when he was excited. During his early playing career, Parent did not conduct interviews in English for fear of saying the wrong things.

Playing career

Parent played for the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA Junior A league. A two-time winner of the Dave Pinkney trophy (lowest goals against average or GAA), he wrapped up his junior career on the team that won the OHA championship and the Memorial Cup championship in 1965.

Parent began his career with the Boston Bruins in the 1965–66 season, appearing in 39 games. The following season was split between Boston and the Bruins' farm club in Oklahoma.

Left unprotected for the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft, Parent was chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers where he and Doug Favell, another former Bruin prospect, split the netminding duties for the Flyers' first season. Parent recorded a 2.48 GAA with four shutouts and the Flyers finished first in the NHL's West Division. Over the next two seasons, with Favell performing inconsistently or injured, Parent became the Flyers' #1 goalie and appeared in 58 and 62 games for the Flyers.

Looking for help up front to improve the club's offence, the Flyers dealt Parent to the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 1, 1971. The trade turned out to be a positive turn for Parent. In Toronto, Parent joined his boyhood hero, Jacques Plante, who at 42 was having an all-star season. Under Plante's tutelage, Parent became a more consistent and technically proficient goalie. Parent played well for the Leafs through the 1971–72 season, gaining valuable regular season and playoff experience.

Bernie Parent's return to the ice for the 2012 Winter Classic Alumni Game.

Without a contract with the Leafs for the 1972-73 season, Parent signed a large contract with the Miami Screaming Eagles of the newly forming World Hockey Association. He was the first NHL player to jump to the new league. The Eagles did not materialize as planned, and instead became the Philadelphia Blazers. Parent faced a barrage of shots in 63 regular season games for the Blazers in the defensively weak league. After leaving the team over a contract dispute during the 1973 WHA playoffs, he sought a return to the NHL but did not wish to return to the Leafs. Toronto traded Parent's NHL rights back to the Flyers for Favell and a first round pick in that summer's (1973) amateur draft.

The next two seasons were the greatest of his career. Playing 73 games in a 78 game schedule, Parent sparkled in leading the league with a 1.89 GAA and 12 shutouts. He shared the Vezina Trophy with Chicago's Tony Esposito and was named a first team all-star as the Flyers skated to a first place finish in the West Division. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) and the Flyers won the first of consecutive Stanley Cup Championships. The following year, he won another Vezina Trophy, a second Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup. "Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent" became a catch-phrase and bumper sticker in Philadelphia in those years.

Following the championship seasons, Parent was sidelined by injury and appeared in only 11 games in 1975–76. Over the next three seasons, he experienced difficulties at times. Plante, although in retirement, continued to have a strong influence on Parent's career. Parent, like Plante, was a stand-up type goalie. At one point Parent was playing poorly and considering retirement. Plante watched him practice in Philadelphia for two days, then told Parent exactly what he was doing wrong: sitting back on his heels, backing into his crease and losing concentration. Parent heeded Plante's advice and returned to form.

On February 17, 1979, Parent suffered a career-ending eye injury in a game against the New York Rangers. An errant stick entered the right eye hole of his mask, causing permanent damage to his vision. After hospitalization, including the complete loss of sight for two weeks, Parent recovered and eventually regained sight, although not at the level required to resume his playing career. This incident, as well as the ending of Gerry Desjardin's career when a puck struck his eye in 1977, lead many NHL goalies to switch from fibreglass facemasks toward the cage and helmet style, and resulted in many amateur and junior leagues banning fibreglass masks altogether, mandating the helmet/cage combo.

Post-career

After Parent's retirement, the Flyers retired his jersey number (1) in his honor. He spent several years in the Flyers organization as goaltending coach, mentoring future Vezina-winning goalies Ron Hextall and the late Pelle Lindbergh, the latter of whom idolized Parent as a youngster in his native Sweden. Today, he is employed by the Flyers as Ambassador of Hockey. He can be seen at Flyers home games on the concourse.

Parent was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. In 1998, he was ranked number 63 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Parent has been a resident of Cherry Hill, New Jersey and has a shore house in Wildwood Crest.

On December 7, 2011, Parent announced via Twitter that he would be playing in the 2012 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game, to be held on December 31, 2011. Parent started in goal for the Flyers, playing five minutes and letting in no goals on five shots. He was later named the first star of the game.

Awards and achievements

• Memorial Cup championship in 1965.
• Selected to the WHA Second All-Star Team in 1973.
• Selected to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1974 and 1975.
• Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1974 and 1975.
• Vezina Trophy winner in 1974 and 1975.
• Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975.
• Played in 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, and 1977 NHL All-Star Games.
• Class Guy Award winner in 1979.
• His #1 was retired by the Philadelphia Flyers on October 11, 1979, the second jersey number the Flyers have retired.
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.
• In 1998, he was ranked number 63 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• Inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Parent has a book, written by Michele Paiva, Dean Smith and himself, "Journey Through Risk and Fear", published by Balletsa, Inc Publishing, which touches upon his trials and tribulations but mostly, how to overcome fear, face challenges, find purpose and obtain goals. Published January 2011, Official Release, February 25, 2011 (Balletsa inc, Michele Paiva)

Records

• Previously held the mark for most wins in a season (47), surpassed by New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur during the 2006–07 season with 48 wins. His 47 win season in 1973–74 is still the record for most regulation time wins in a single season. Parent did not have the benefit of overtime or shootouts or a longer season in his era.
• Fourth hockey player and third goalie to appear on the cover of Time Magazine (Lorne Chabot was first).

Career statistics

Bolded numbers indicate league leader.

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1963–64	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr.		28	—	—	—	1680	80	4	2.86	—
1964–65	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr.		34	—	—	—	2004	86	2	2.58	—
1965–66	Boston Bruins	NHL		39	11	20	3	2083	128	1	3.69	.898
1965–66	Oklahoma City Blazers	CPHL		3	1	1	1	180	11	0	3.67	—
1966–67	Boston Bruins	NHL		18	4	12	2	1022	62	0	3.64	.890
1966–67	Oklahoma City Blazers	CPHL		14	10	4	0	820	37	4	2.70	—
1967–68	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		38	16	17	5	2248	93	4	2.48	.926
1968–69	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		58	17	23	16	3365	151	1	2.69	.923
1969–70	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		62	13	29	20	3680	171	3	2.79	.920
1970–71	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		30	9	12	6	1586	73	2	2.76	.912
1970–71	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		18	7	7	3	1040	46	0	2.65	—
1971–72	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		47	17	18	9	2715	116	3	2.56	—
1972–73	Philadelphia Blazers	WHA		63	33	38	0	3653	220	2	3.61	.886
1973–74	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		73	47	13	12	4314	136	12	1.89	.933
1974–75	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		68	44	14	10	4041	137	12	2.03	.919
1975–76	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		11	6	2	3	615	24	0	2.34	.908
1976–77	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		61	35	13	12	3525	159	5	2.71	.897
1977–78	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		49	29	6	13	2923	108	7	2.22	.912
1978–79	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		36	16	12	7	1979	89	4	2.70	.893
NHL totals				608	271	198	121	35,136	1493	55	2.55	—
WHA totals				63	33	38	0	3653	220	2	3.61	.886

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1963–64	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr.		4	0	4	240	26	0	6.50	—
1964–65	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr.		8	6	2	480	15	1	1.86	—
1964–65	Niagara Falls Flyers	M-Cup		13	10	2	700	19	2	1.63	—
1967–68	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		5	2	3	355	8	0	1.35	.963
1968–69	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		3	0	3	180	12	0	4.00	.872
1970–71	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		4	2	2	235	9	0	2.30	—
1971–72	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		4	1	3	243	13	0	3.21	—
1972–73	Philadelphia Blazers	WHA		1	0	1	70	3	0	2.57	—
1973–74	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		17	12	5	1042	35	2	2.02	.933
1974–75	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		15	10	5	922	29	4	1.89	.922
1975–76	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		8	4	4	480	27	0	3.38	.892
1976–77	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		3	0	3	123	8	0	3.90	.814
1977–78	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		12	7	5	722	33	0	2.74	.891
NHL totals				71	38	33	4302	174	6	2.43	—
WHA totals				1	0	1	70	3	0	2.57	—

See also

• List of NHL statistical leaders

Notes

• Meltzer, Bill Flyers Heroes of the Past: Bernie Parent at Philadelphiaflyers.com Part I of II.
• Meltzer, Bill Flyers Heroes of the Past: Bernie Parent at Philadelphiaflyers.com Part II of II.

External links

• Bernie Parent career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Bernie Parent at Hockey-Reference.com
• Bernie Parent biography at Legends of Hockey
• Bernie Parent player profile at NHL.com
• Time.com: Courage and Fear in a Vortex of Violence - February 24, 1975