| Round | Overall |
| 2 | 17 |
 |
 |
Left-hand shot
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1966-67 | Flin Flon | MJHL | 45 | 71 | 112 | 183 | 123 |
| 1967-68 | Flin Flon | WCJHL | 59 | 51 | 117 | 168 | 148 |
| 1968-69 | Flin Flon | WCHL | 58 | 51 | 86 | 137 | 123 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Had seven points in six games for Flin Flon in 1967 Memorial Cup tournament.
Pre-Draft Highlights
Led Manitoba Junior Hockey League in goals (71), assists (112) and points (183) with Flin Flon in 1966-67. ... Led MJHL in playoff assists with 18 for Flin Flon in 1967. ... Won Western Canada Hockey League Brownridge Trophy as top scorer with 168 points (league record, since broken) for Flin Flon in 1967-68. ... Led WCHL with 117 assists (league record, since broken) in 1967-68. ... Named to WCHL All-Star First Team with Flin Flon in 1967-68. ... Won second WCHL Brownridge Trophy (renamed the Bob Clarke Trophy 18 years later) with 137 points for Flin Flon in 1968-69. ... Led WCHL with 86 assists in 1968-69. ... Led WCHL playoffs in assists (16) and points (25) for Flin Flon in 1969. .... Won WCHL MVP Award in 1968-69. ... Named to WCHL All-Star First Team in 1968-69.
ABOVE: A look back at Clarke's amazing legacy with the Flyers.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1969 |
| Debut: | October 11, 1969 (Philadelphia at Minnesota) |
| Final NHL game: | April 7, 1984 (playoffs) (Philadelphia vs. Washington) |
| Retired: | May 15, 1984 |
| Stanley Cup: | 1974, 1975 |
| Cup Finals (Lost): | 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1997 |
| Numbers worn: | 16 (number retired), 36 |
Career NHL Statistics
Team:
Philadelphia
Years: 1969-1984. Playoffs: 1971-1984
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 15 years | 1,144 | 358 | 852 | 1,210 | 1,453 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 13 years | 136 | 42 | 77 | 119 | 152 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
NHL Awards and Honors
| 1969-70: | All-Star Game, Sporting News West Division Rookie of Year |
| 1970-71: | All-Star Game |
| 1971-72: | Bill Masterton Trophy, All-Star Game |
| 1972-73: | Hart Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award, All-Star Second Team, All-Star Game, Sporting News West Division MVP |
| 1973-74: | All-Star Second Team, All-Star Game |
| 1974-75: | Hart Trophy, All-Star First Team, All-Star Game, Sporting News Campbell Conference MVP, Hockey News All-Star Second Team, Sporting News Campbell Conference All-Star First Team, Assists Leader (89), Playoffs Assists Leader (12, tie) |
| 1975-76: | Hart Trophy, All-Star First Team, All-Star Game (injured, did not play), Hockey News MVP, Sporting News NHL Player of Year, Sporting News All-Star First Team, Hockey News All-Star First Team, Assists Leader (89), Plus-Minus Leader (plus-83), Playoffs Assists Leader (14, tie) |
| 1976-77: | All-Star Game |
| 1977-78: | All-Star Game |
| 1978-79: | Challenge Cup NHL All-Stars Captain |
| 1979-80: | Lester Patrick Trophy |
| 1982-83: | Frank J. Selke Trophy |
| 1993-94: | Hockey News Executive of Year, Sporting News NHL Executive of Year |
| 1994-95: | Hockey News Executive of Year, Sporting News NHL Executive of Year |
Team Awards and Honors
| FLYERS CAPTAIN: | Jan. 17, 1973, to Oct. 11,
1979; and Jan. 6, 1983, to May 15, 1984 |
| 1969-70: | Big Brother Award (Most Inspirational), Tastykake Trophy (Sportsmanship), Fan Club Senior Trophy (Most Popular with adults), Fan Club Junior Trophy (Most Popular with kids) |
| 1970-71: | Inver House Cup (team MVP), Tastykake Trophy (Sportsmanship), Fan Club Senior Trophy (Most Popular with adult fans), Leading Scorer Trophy (63 points), Goals Leader (27), Assists Leader (36) |
| 1971-72: | MAB Paints Team MVP, Fan Club Senior Trophy (Most Popular with adult fans), Fan Club Junior Trophy (Most Popular with kids), Leading Scorer Trophy (81 points), Goals Leader (35), Assists Leader (46) |
| 1972-73: | Points Leader (104), Assists Leader (67), Playoffs Points Leader (8), Playoffs Assists Leader (6) |
| 1973-74: | Points Leader (87), Goals Leader (35), Assists Leader (52), Playoffs Assists Leader (11) |
| 1974-75 | MAB Paints Star of Game (Three-Stars Leader), Points Leader (116), Assists Leader (89), Playoffs Assists Leader (12) |
| 1975-76: | MAB Paints Star of Game (Three-Stars Leader), Points Leader (119), Assists Leader (89), Playoffs Assists Leader (14) |
| 1976-77: | Assists Leader (63), Playoffs Goals Leader (5) |
| 1977-78: | Points Leader (89), Assists Leader (68) |
| 1978-79: | Assists Leader (57) |
| 1979-80: | Assists Leader (57, tie) |
| 1981-82: | Class Guy Award, Playoffs Points Leader (6, tie), Playoffs Goals Leader (4) |
| 1982-83: | Philadelphia Sports Writers Good Guy Award, Points Leader (85), Assists Leader (62) |
| 1983-84: | Playoffs Points Leader (3), Playoffs Goals Leader (2, tie) |
Milestones
| 1,000th Game: | October 23, 1982 (Philadelphia at Pittsburgh) |
| 1,000th Point: | March 19, 1981 (goal) (Philadelphia vs. Boston) |
| 300th Goal: | March
12, 1981 (Philadelphia vs. Detroit) |
| 500th Assist: |
Dec. 21, 1977 (Philadelphia at Cleveland) |
| 600th Assist: |
October 14, 1979 (Philadelphia vs. Toronto) |
| 700th Assist: | March
29, 1981 (Philadelphia at Hartford) |
| 800th Assist: |
February 23, 1983 (Philadelphia at Buffalo) |
| 100th Playoff Game: |
April 17, 1980 (Philadelphia vs. N.Y. Rangers) |
| 100th Playoff Point: |
May 15, 1980 (goal) (Philadelphia vs. N.Y. Islanders) |
| 100-Point Seasons: | 1972-73 (104), 1974-75 (116), 1975-76 (119) |
Team Records
| Philadelphia Flyers Records | |
| Most career seasons: | 15 |
| Most career games: | 1,144 |
| Most career points: | 1,210 |
| Most career assists: | 852 |
| Most career shorthanded goals: | 32 |
| Most career playoff seasons: | 13 |
| Most career playoff games: | 136 |
| Most career playoff points: | 119 |
| Most career playoff assists: | 77 |
| Most assists, one season: |
89 in 1974-75 and 1975-76 |
| Longest point streak: |
18 games (shares record with E. Lindros) (2/26/75 to 4/3/75) |
| Longest assist streak: |
12 games
(twice) (3/11/76 to 4/3/76 and 2/1/78 to 3/16/78) |
| Most goals in one period: |
3 (shares record) (12/13/80 vs. Pittsburgh) |
| Most assists, one playoff game: | 4 (tie) in Game 5 vs. Boston on 5/6/76) |
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Robert
Earle Clarke
Nickname: "Clarkie"
Diabetes No Obstacle
One of Bobby Clarke's greatest achievements as a star professional athlete and executive was his ability to make the world forget that he had suffered from Type I (juvenile) diabetes and had to administer insulin injections to himself throughout his career. Ironically, it was this illness that allowed the Flyers to grab him with the 17th overall pick in a draft where he otherwise might have been chosen No. 1 overall. Clarke's junior career was legendary, but his diabetes was a matter of public record, and some NHL teams were concerned that he might not be healthy enough to play in the league. However, doctors at the Mayo Clinic had assured Clarke that he would be able to pursue an NHL career if he took care of himself, and scouts knew about this assurance. Somehow, that was not enough to dissuade the doubters, including the Flyers, who chose not to take Clarke with their first round pick and risked losing him to another team before finally taking the "gamble" of drafting a future Hall of Famer, two-time Stanley Cup champion, and one of the greatest players in pro hockey history.
Summit Series Breakout
Less than a month after he turned 23, Clarke was at the epicenter of hockey as a member of the Team Canada squad that faced the Soviet Union in the legendary 1972 Summit series. Clarke scored two goals and added four assists for the Canadians, who rallied to win the dramatic eight-game series with an epic comeback win in the finale at Moscow. Clarke was a smart addition to the team since he was on the cusp of a breakout NHL season that would see him win his first of three Hart Trophies as the NHL's MVP. He was Team Canada's MVP in Game 1 of the series and spent much of the series on a line with Ron Ellis and Paul Henderson, the hero of Game 8. Clarke's participation in the Summit Series helped his confidence and raised his status in the hockey world. On the flip side, Clarke was criticized by the Soviets for dirty play, most notably a two-handed, Game 6 slash on the leg of Valeri Kharlamov that limited the Soviet star for the remainder of the series. This style of play was more a result of his indomitable will to win and his fierceness as a competitor, but it also became part of his reputation in the NHL. He was a player opponents loved to hate, but who was absolutely loved by his own team. As part of Team Canada, Clarke was honored with induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame alongside his Summit Series teammates in 2005.
Career Highlights
Appeared in all 76 games for Philadelphia as a 20-year-old rookie in
1969-70. ... Set Philadelphia record (since broken) for points by a rookie with 46 in
1969-70 season. ... Finished fourth in 1969-70 Calder Memorial Trophy voting
for NHL Rookie of Year (Tony Esposito was winner of the award). ... Scored
his first NHL goal against Hall of Fame goaltender Ed Giacomin at 16:36 of
third period to give Flyers a 3-3 tie with visiting New York. ... Signed 5-year, $600,000 contract extension with Philadelphia on March 19,
1972, making him first player in team history to receive a 5-year deal and
preventing him from potentially jumping to the new WHA. ... Finished 10th in
NHL with 81 points in 1971-72, making him first Philadelphia player to crack
league's top 10. ... Named West Division's top center for 1971-72 in polls
of both the Professional Hockey Writers Association and Hockey News. ... Became youngest captain in NHL history at age
23 years, 4 months when he was given the "C" by Flyers in January 1973. The
team finished the season 19-10-5 with Clarke as captain. ...
Became first player in Philadelphia history and first from an NHL 1967
expansion team to score 100 points in a season
when he got his 100th point (a third-period goal) in team's March 29, 1973,
game vs. Atlanta. ... Finished second in NHL with 104 points in 1972-73. ... Set Philadelphia record (broken by self) for assists in one season with 67
in 1972-73. ... Scored most famous goal of his career in overtime of Game 2
of Stanley Cup Finals on May 9, 1974, at Boston. His goal at 12:01 of OT
enabled Flyers to gain split of series' first two games en route to their
first Stanley Cup championship. It also snapped the Flyers' 18-game winless
streak in Boston, which dated back to Nov. 12, 1967. ... Finished second in
NHL plus-minus race with a plus-79 in 1974-75, just one shy of leader Bobby
Orr. ... Set NHL record (since broken) for assists by a forward in one
season with 89 in 1974-75. ... Set Philadelphia record (since broken) for points in one
season with 116 in 1974-75. ... Broke Phil Esposito's six-year streak of
All-Star First Team selections at center when he was named to All-Star First
Team in 1974-75. ... Was part of Flyers LCB Line (with Bill Barber and
Reggie Leach) that set Flyers
line records of 141 goals (since broken) and 322 points (since broken) in 1975-76. ... Tied own NHL record
(since broken) for assists by a forward in one season with 89 in 1975-76.
... Set Philadelphia record (since broken) for
points in one season with 119 in 1975-76. ... Set Philadelphia record (since
broken) for shorthanded goals in one season with six in 1976-77. ...
Finished eighth in NHL scoring race with 89 points in 1977-78. ... Was player-assistant coach on
the Philadelphia team that set NHL record with 35-game unbeaten streak
(25-0-10) in from Oct. 14, 1979, to Jan. 6, 1980. ... Received the Lester
Patrick Trophy, along with Philadelphia team owner Ed Snider and former
Flyers coach Fred Shero, for his
contributions to U.S. hockey on March 10, 1980. ... Became the 15th player
in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points when he scored third-period goal
in Philadelphia's 5-3 win over Boston on March 19, 1981. ... Scored the first goal in what
became Philadelphia record for fastest four goals (span of 1:22) in team's
Oct. 11, 1981, game vs. Pittsburgh. ... Had two goals and two assists for
Philadelphia in Game 4 of Patrick Division Semifinals vs. N.Y. Rangers on
April 11 ,1982. ... Had seven games of three or more points in 1982-83 season at age 33.
... Named NHL's best face-off man in 1983 Hockey News poll of players,
coaches, GM's and media. ... Retired in 1984 as one of only six NHL players
to have recorded 800 career assists. He ranked fourth on the all-time
assists list at that time. ... Inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of
Fame in 1985.
Retired Sweater Number
On Nov. 15, 1984, the Philadelphia Flyers honored Clarke by retiring his No. 16 sweater in a ceremony prior to the team's game vs. Hartford. Clarke became the third Flyers player to have his number retired, following Barry Ashbee and Bernie Parent. Clarke was also inducted into the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame as one of its two charter members (with Parent) on March 22, 1988.
International Tournaments
| 1976: | Canada Cup (captain, won championship) |
| 1982: | World Championships in Helsinki/Tampere Finland (bronze medal) |
| 1987: | Canada Cup (won championship as one of team's four general managers) |
| 1991: | Canada Cup (won championship as one of team's four general managers) |
| 1998: | Olympics (fourth place) (General Manager) |
Significant Injuries
Missed one game in 1970-71 season due to boil on elbow. ... Missed nine games in 1977-78 season with broken thumb. ... Missed 18 games of 1981-82 season with broken left foot, an injury suffered in Philadelphia's Jan. 9, 1982, game at N.Y. Islanders. The Flyers went 4-10-4 without Clarke, who returned to action for Philadelphia's Feb. 21, 1982, game vs. Boston.
Non-Playing Career
|
MANAGEMENT CAREER Named Philadelphia Vice-President and General Manager on May 15, 1984, and remained in that position until April 16, 1990. ... Named Minnesota Vice-President and General Manager on June 8, 1990, and remained in that position until June 8, 1992. ... Named Philadelphia Senior Vice-President on June 10, 1992, and remained in that position until March 1, 1993. ... Named Florida Vice-President, General Manager, and Alternate Governor on March 1, 1993, and remained in that position until June 15, 1994. ... Named Philadelphia President and General |
Manager on June 15,
1994, dropped role of team president on June 13, 2003, and
remained in the general manager position until Oct. 22, 2006.
During this time, on Jan. 30, 1997, he was named General Manager
for Canada's 1998 Olympic team -- the first to include NHL
players.
... Named Philadelphia Senior Vice-President on Dec. 4, 2006,
and continues to hold this position with team. COACHING CAREER Named Philadelphia player-assistant coach on Aug. 10, 1979, and held position until March 19, 1982. |
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by Alberta Oilers in 1972 WHA Draft, the first-ever WHA Draft, in February 1972. | Scored his first NHL hat trick in Philadelphia's 7-6 win at Montreal on Feb. 13, 1973. | Won John Wanamaker Award as city of Philadelphia's Athlete of the Year for 1974. | Named Vice-President of NHL Players Association during the 1974-75 season. |
| Captain of Philadelphia's only two Stanley Cup championship teams in 1974, 1975. | Named President of NHL Players Association during the 1976-77 season. | Named to Hockey Magazine's Team of the Seventies by panel of journalists and executives. | Named Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's Most Courageous Athlete for 1980. |
| Wore No. 36 on Feb. 27, 1981, at Winnipeg after his jersey was stolen during a road trip. | Scored first regular-season OT goal in Philadelphia history vs. Pittsburgh on Nov. 20, 1983. | Became first Philadelphia pro athlete to play 15 consecutive seasons in the city in 1983-84. | Averaged more than a point-per-game (1.06) over the course of his NHL career. |
| Missed total of only 44 regular-season games due to illness or injury during his NHL career. | Hired Mike Keenan as Flyers head coach in his first major move as NHL general manager. | Philadelphia created its team MVP award, the Bob Clarke Trophy, in his honor in 1984. | Became the first general manager in Florida Panthers history on March 1, 1993. |
| Ranked by The Hockey News in 1997 as the 23rd greatest NHL player of all time. | Named to the Western Hockey League's All-Century Team and All-time Flin Flon team in 1999. | Named a "Living Legend" by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association in 2001. | Captain of Flyers Alumni team in 2012 Winter Classic outdoor Alumni game in Philadelphia. |
| SNAPSHOT '69 | |
| Total Selected: | 84 |
| Forwards: | 58 |
| Defense: | 18 |
| Goaltenders: | 8 |
| Major Junior: | 68 |
| College Players: | 8 |
| Canadian: | 78 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 1 |
| American: | 4 |
| European: | 1 |
| Reached NHL: | 49 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 10 |
| Hall of Fame: | 1 |
| All-Star Game: | 7 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 1 |
| Olympians: | 2 |
| Picks Traded: | 11 |
| 1969 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Chicago | Detroit |
| Los Angeles | Minnesota | Montreal |
| New York | Oakland | Philadelphia |
| Pittsburgh | St. Louis | Toronto |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1969