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Bernie's Story
The Early Years
Bernard Marcel “Bernie” Parent is widely recognized as one of the greatest goaltenders of all time [1]. Born April 3, 1945, Bernard Marcel Parent was a native of Rosemont, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal. As a young boy, Parent's hero was goalie Jacques Plante who played for the Montreal Canadiens. Later, Plante not only became his teammate but his mentor in 1971 for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
At the start of Bernie’s hockey semi-pro career with the Niagara Falls Flyers, within the OHO Junior A League, he was a two-time winner Dave Pinkney Trophy for the lowest goals-against average (GAA). He finished his junior career on the team that won the OHA championship and the Memorial Cup championship in 1965.
Bernie Parent’s professional career began in the 1965-66 season with the Boston Bruins. He appeared in 39 games. His following season was divided between Boston and the Bruins’ Oklahoma farm club team.
Playing Career
In 1967, Parent was chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Expansion Draft. Bernie and Doug Favell split the goal time for the Flyers’ first season. Bernie had four shutouts with a 2.48 GAA and the Flyers finished first in the NHL’s West Division. He finished the next two seasons with 58 and 62 game appearances with a remarkable .925 and .921 saves percentages (SV%).
Parent was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 31, 1971 where he joined his boyhood hero, Jacques Plante. This trade turned out to be very positive for Bernie as Plante was having an extraordinary season. Under Plante's guidance and support, Parent’s goal-tending became more consistent and technically proficient. Gaining valuable regular season and playoff experience, Parent played well for the Leafs through the 1971-72 season.
The following 1972-73 season, Parent signed a contract with the Miami Screaming Eagles within the newly formed World Hockey Association (WHA). Bernie was the first NHL player to jump to the new WHA. However, the Miami move did not happen as he was signed with the Philadelphia Blazers. 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 Toronto. The Leafs traded Parent's NHL contract back to the Flyers in 1973 amateur draft.
Where It All Began
With Bernie's return to the Philadelphia Flyers, hockey scribes have often cited Parent's performance between 1973 and 1975 as some of the best ever by a goaltender. He began the 1973-74 season with two shutouts besting Favell 2-0 in the season opener against Toronto in Philadelphia. The 1973 and 1975 seasons were Bernie’s greatest of his career with a combined 30 regular and post-season shutout victories. After playing 73 games in a 78-game schedule, Parent led the league with a 1.89 goals-against average (GAA), a .933 save percentage (SV%) and 12 shutouts (SO).
Bernie shared the Vezina Trophy with Chicago's Tony Esposito (as Philadelphia and Chicago tied with the fewest goals against in the regular season), was named the first-team all-star goaltender and finished second in the voting for the Hart Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player as the Flyers skated to a first-place finish in the West Division. He then won the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) and the Flyers won the first of consecutive Stanley Cup Championships against the Boston Bruins. In the 6th and deciding game of the finals, Parent blocked a savage slap shot blast from Ken Hodge with a classic kick save move with less than 3 minutes to play. The astonishing save preserved the shutout and the championship-deciding.
The following year, Bernie posted 12 shutouts once again while having 2.03 goals-against average (GAA), and a .918 save percentage (SV%). He won another Vezina Trophy, another first-team all-star selection, a second Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Stanley Cup while landing the fourth vote for the Hart Trophy. His 1975 playoff performance was even more impressive than the previous year as he had 4 shutouts (versus 2 the previous year) with a 1.89 goals-against average (GAA) versus 2.02 the prior year.
In both championship playoff runs, Parent shut out the opposition in the deciding sixth game of the Stanley Cup Finals defeating the Boston Bruins (1-0) in 1974 and the Buffalo Sabres (2-0) in 1975. "Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent" became a catch-phrase and bumper sticker in Philadelphia in those years.
Bernie appeared in only 11 games in 1975-76 due to a pre-season neck injury as the Flyers prepared for a third consecutive run at the championship. Parent had pinched a nerve in his neck causing radiating pain. He returned to the lineup late in the season, but he was inconsistent and could not regain his prior performance.
Over the next three seasons, Bernie experienced difficulties at times. Hockey was changing from a defense-oriented game to one that favored high scoring. Sharpshooters like Mike Bossy, Guy Lafleur and Steve Shutt were dominating play. Plante, although in retirement, continued to have a strong influence on Parent's career. At one point Parent was playing poorly and considering retirement. Plante came to Philadelphia and observed him training for two days. He then told Parent he was sitting back on his heels, backing into his crease and losing concentration. Parent listened to Plante's advice and returned to form.
During the 1977-1978 season, he adopted the more confident, challenging style characteristic of his play during the Championship years posting a 2.22 goals-against average (GAA), a 0.912 save percentage (SV%), and a league-leading 7 shutouts (SO) in 49 games. However, as the 1970s were ending, the era of the stand-up goaltender was coming to an end as the butterfly style became the dominant form. Parent is considered by many to be the last great stand-up goaltender.
Post Career
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. He retired at age 34. This accident sparked the switch from fiberglass facemasks to the cage and helmet style used today.
After Parent's retirement the Flyers retired his jersey #1 in his honor on October 11, 1979. 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 where the chant "Bernie... Bernie... Bernie", that rocked the Philadelphia Spectrum during the team's championship years, still greet Parent when he is recognized at current Flyer's and Philadelphia sporting events.
Hockey Hall of Fame
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 and, even today, continues to be considered one of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players of all time.