Not many people have worn as many hats in hockey as Paul Holmgren has for the Philadelphia Flyers. Already in two Halls of Fame, he'll be inducted into another on Thursday.
When you listen to those who played under Paul Holmgren when he was with the Philadelphia Flyers in some capacity, you can feel the sincerity and admiration in their voices.
In short, the man they affectionately call ‘Homer’ was respected for his unmatched loyalty and love for his players.
“He was probably one of the biggest reasons I came here,” Flyers president Keith Jones said the other night, referring to his time as a player. “He scouted me when I was in Colorado, and he was there for the last game I played there. I know Homer was at the game, and I was traded (to the Flyers) the next day. And I think he had a lot to do with my arrival here.”
Holmgren, 69, can be connected to hundreds of Flyers, past and present, because of his numerous roles with the franchise over the past five decades. More roles, in fact, than anyone in the club’s history.
Let’s see now… He’s been with the Flyers as a player, scout, coach, director of player personnel and scouting, assistant GM, GM, president and his current position as a senior advisor.
So it’s no wonder, then, that Holmgren is among the inductees who will go into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday, Nov. 6, for his various contributions to the organization.
Holmgren was surprised when he learned he was going into the Hall.
“I’ve watched teammates and friends get inducted, and I’ll be honest, I never envisioned this happening, and it was a very emotional phone call. Very humbling,” he said on Friday. “And when I had time to think about it, it’s pretty cool. I’m excited. I’m anxious because I’m not really comfortable in these situations, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Goes Into Semi-Retirement
Holmgren stepped down as club president and into semi-retirement in 2019, saying he wanted to spend more time with his eight grandchildren and get to know them better.
“I feel like I was raised as a Flyer,” he said at the time. “I came here as a 20-year-old kid right after the Flyers had won two Stanely Cups… I love the Flyers. I don’t know how to get into it any deeper without getting emotional.”
As a player, he replaced the legendary Dave Schultz as the Flyers’ tough guy in 1976-77, and he collected 144 goals and 1,684 penalty minutes in a 10-year career that ended with a brief stint in Minnesota. In 1988-89, at age 32, he became the first former Flyer to serve as the team’s coach, and he directed the club to the conference finals in his first season. Holmgren is also in the Flyers’ and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Asked Friday which was his favorite job, Holmgren said, “it’s not really a close call. It was playing the game. You only have to worry about one thing – you need to stay in shape and be ready when the coach calls. (I enjoyed) being with my teammates and sticking up for my teammates. That’s the neat part.
“All my roles with the Flyers were good, but playing was by far the best.”
Giving People Second Chances
During his active tenure in the Flyers’ front office, Holmgren was fond of giving players a second chance after they struggled with issues either on or off the ice.
“He’s the best. He cares about the Flyers and he cares about people,” Jones, 56, said. “The two are interchangeable with him, and we’re very lucky to have him as part of this franchise for as long as he’s been here. He’s had an unbelievable impact on so many players who have put on the jersey here.”
One of those people is Ian Laperriere, who spent 16 seasons with the Flyers as a player, front-office executive, assistant coach and minor-league coach.
“Homer gave me a chance to stay in the game,” Laperriere said while scouting recently at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Laperriere’s career ended not long after he took a puck to the face in the first round of the Flyers’ electric playoff run in 2010. He remained on the long-term injured list and, in 2012, was hired by Holmgren to be the franchise’s director of player development.
“He’s a man of his word,” said Laperriere, 51, now a pro scout with the Islanders but someone who has aspirations of being an NHL head coach.
After his contract as coach of the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms was not renewed last May, Laperriere said Holmgren was in constant contact. Holmgren “always went out of his way to check on me,” Laperriere said. “That’s just the kind of man he is. I couldn’t be happier for him to be going into the Hall.”
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