On the eve of the birthday of a late, great Flyers legend, the Philadelphia Flyers continued their history making run by advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For years, there has been talk about “ghosts” in Philadelphia.  The ghost of one man has yet to be set free.  Today he would of continued the celebration with his peers from a glorious event which took place just twelve hours ago.  Oh yea, and his own birthday celebration.

This is the story of Pelle Lindbergh.

Per-Eric Göran Lindbergh, better known to his fans as Pelle, was born on May 24th, 1959  in Stockholm, Sweden.  Today would have been his 51st birthday, but a tragic and preventable accident claimed his life on November 10th, 1985.  Before we continue with this article here are a couple disclaimers. Anyone that’s read my stuff knows it comes from a fan perspective, so if you’re looking for a stat heavy story, this will not take that approach. I will sprinkle in the odd stat, but will not rely on them to tell the story.

Growing up just outside of Toronto, Ontario for pretty much my entire life except for a two year span spent in Foymount just outside of Renfrew, the Toronto Maple Leafs have and always will be my favourite team, no surprise there.  Also, being a goalie since the age of 9, goaltenders are who I tend to follow;  no surprise there.

The fact that Pelle Lindbergh is the first goalie I remember from my childhood is surprising.  Just take a look at my MBTM: CuJo article to see the LONG history of Love/Hate relationships I’ve had with Leaf goalies in my time, to see that I am very much a diehard Leafs goalie lover.

We’re not really sure why we choose favourites as a child.  It’s usually something odd that makes it happen.  For example, Wendel Clark is my favourite Maple Leafs player ever (I know, I said I love goalies and my favourite player is a left winger).  This is because the first game I remember watching with my dad, not the first game I watched, Clark scored with his patented wrist shot from just above the left face-off circle.  Instant favorite.  Kelly Gruber, 3rd basemen for the Toronto Blue Jays, also wore #17.  Instant favorite.  Make sense?  Didn’t think so, but to my young mind, it did.

Just as I was starting to learn about the game in the early 80’s, the Leafs goaltending was atrocious.  Sorry Leafs fans, but Mike Palmateer couldn’t hold Lindbergh’s jockstrap on his BEST day.  Having Palmateer as my favorite goalie just wasn’t going to cut it.  Then I heard about this kid in Philly.  Fresh off a Vezina Trophy win and Prince of Wales Conference Championship, he became an instant favorite.  The tragic way he died just a few months later made sure he would always be imprinted on my mind, as well as within the hearts and on the minds of Flyers faithful worldwide.

Lindbergh grew up loving hockey and the Philadelphia Flyers.  On a trip to Toronto for a hockey tournament, he purchased a Flyers jersey with long time great Flyers goaltender Bernie Parent on the back.  He even told reporters during the 1978-1979 WJC that he “was going to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.”

August 9th, 1979 his dream was becoming a reality.  At the NHL Entry Draft held that year in Montreal, Quebec the Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the 3rd round.  After a few up and down seasons between Philadelphia (where he was named to the All-Rookie Team and All-Star Game in his rookie season) and their AHL Farm Team, the Maine Mariners (where he won awards for Rookie of the Year, League MVP and Best Goaltender) sandwiched around a couple of International appearances for Sweden (Bronze at the 1980 Olympics and 1981 Canada Cup) he finally stuck with Flyers in 1984-85.

Lindbergh became a 40 game winner and along the way became the first European to win the Vezina Trophy.  He was also named to the All-Star Game for the 2nd time in his short career and led his team to a Prince of Wales Conference Championship before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in five games in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The future seemed bright in Philadelphia.  Fresh off a 53 win season and a Finals appearance, the Flyers were set to take the next step and finish what they started the previous year.  I don’t think anyone could have seen this fairytale turn into a nightmare.

However, tragedy struck the league, the organization, the city, and the hearts of the orange-and-black supporters around the entire world.

On November 10th, 1985 in the early hours of the morning, after spending all night celebrating a 10-game win streak with teammates, Lindbergh made a mistake that cost him his life.  I’ll spare the details, it’s stupid really, and shouldn’t have happened.

Even with his passing, the great fans of the NHL still voted him into the 1985-1986 All-Star Game for a 3rd time.  I guess you could say that in a sense, Lindbergh’s untimely death kick started the Flyers run of bad goaltending.  Sure you can make arguments that Ron Hextall was good, heck he was the third Flyers goalie to win the Vezina Trophy in his rookie year along with Parent and Lindbergh.  But after that, it’s been a glaring weakness.  Several good Flyers teams have been let down by poor goaltending.

Outside of the brilliance of Robert Esche pre-lockout, and the Eastern Conference finals run led by Martin Biron, the only other time the Flyers were dominant was in 1997, however, that year was not because of goaltending. The team was simply a powerhouse that were upset by the Detroit Red Wings in a short Cup finals series.

This year, that seems to have possibly changed.  Yesterday, on what would have been his 51st birthday, the Flyers won the Eastern Conference, led by the incredible goaltending of Michael Leighton.  Posting shutouts in games 1, 2 and 4, Leighton has stymied the Montreal Canadiens and seems to have, for the moment anyways, settled the goaltending situation in Philadelphia.

Alright, maybe I did throw in a little more than the odd stat, but how could I not?

There are several masks that I would love to have in my collection.  As stated in MBTM: CuJo my ball hockey mask is painted to match Allan Bester’s.  Felix Potvin, my favourite goalie, is another mask I would like to add.  Patrick Roy’s Montreal mask is on that list as well.

Pelle Lindbergh’s would make it complete.

It’s hard to determine the impact a hockey player is going to have on you.  I was lucky enough to have my sister buy me Lindbergh’s Rookie Card many years ago when I was just a kid starting my Hockey Card collection.  Luckily my mom never threw out my hockey cards.  They’re still sitting in an old red hockey bag in my basement.  That bag weighs a ton and I’ve kept it through four moves to four different homes, and each time it seems to get heavier.

I just may go downstairs today and try to relive some of my youthful love of hockey.

Not sure how many people remember that yesterday was Pelle’s birthday.  I do, and now, after reading this, so do you.  Happy (belated) Birthday Pelle, hope you finally got a chance to win a few Cups up in Heaven.

On a personal note from Jose: “Hey Pelle, by the way, if you see my Dad, say hi and tell him I love him.  Wish him a Happy Birthday for me as well as May 30th would have been his 71st Birthday.”

Happy Birthday to your father Jose, and to you Mr. Lindbergh. May your spirit live within the body of current Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton as the Philadelphia Flyers are set to play for the greatest prize of all, the Stanley Cup.

Jose Simoes
NHLHS Restoring the Rosters Correspondent
jsimoes@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @RTRHockey

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

The 1994 entry draft was a solid one for goaltenders.  Jose Theodore was chosen in the 2nd round by Montreal.  In the 5th round, the Dallas Stars chose Marty Turco, and four goaltenders were chosen in the 9th round, three of those eventual starters: Tim Thomas by the Nordiques, Evgeny Nabokov by the Sharks, and Tomas Vokoun by the Habs.

None of them are having a season like Johan Hedberg.

Johan “Moose” Hedberg was drafted in the 9th round, 218th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers.  While his compatriots are suffering through either average seasons (Thomas, Theodore), off play (Turco, some can argue Nabokov), or suffering behind sub-par teams (Vokoun), Hedberg is literally having the best year of his career.  In this, his 9th year in the NHL, Hedberg has only once had a goals against average lower as this season’s 2.67, and he has never had a save percentage as high as his .914.  He’s putting up solid numbers behind an Atlanta Thrashers defense who allows 33.4 shots a game, which is 29th in the league.  While wrangling with all of this pressure, the 36 year old goaltender has grabbed the reigns as Atlanta’s current #1 goaltender in the midst of a playoff run.

Familiar territory indeed for the consummate professional.

He was called up at the end of the season in 2001 for the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Manitoba Moose.  It was a bit of a late call-up, so Hedberg did not have time to adjust his goaltender’s mask, which had a giant moose noticeably painted on it.  The fans in Pittsburgh took to cheering “Moooooooooose!” after every solid save, and it stuck – Hedberg’s prefered nickname of “Jo Jo” was no more.

As a welcome to the NHL, Hedberg was treated to playing 18 Stanley Cup playoff games, where the young, new starter flourished under pressure.  Despite the fact that the Penguins were defeated by the eventual champion New Jersey Devils, the improbable run of the young goalie sincerely captured the hearts of Penguins fans, who are still known to sport the occasional Hedberg jersey.

His second year with the Pittsburgh Penguins saw him take the starting role over Jean-Sebastien Aubin, who was suffering from a very poor outing his 3rd NHL season.  Hedberg’s Penguins did not make the playoffs that season, however in his 66 GP he finished with a 2.75 GAA and .904 SV% – a standout on a team who went 28-41-8-5.

In 2003-2004, Hedberg was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for a 2nd round selection in the 2004 draft.  He only played one season with the Canucks, having a solid 2.52 GAA, but only in 21 games played.  He only got the chance to play 2 games in the playoffs that season, with a .922 SV% and 2.45 GAA  The next season he left for the Dallas Stars, only playing in 19 games and missing the chance to play goal in the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row.

He was signed to a free agent contract in Atlanta in 2006 by Don Waddell, who was looking for a solid mentor to their new starter, the 2001 #2 overall pick Kari Lehtonen.   This first season saw Hedberg step in as a solid backup and immediate fan favorite, and it also allowed Hedberg to return to the playoffs.  The Thrashers were swept by the New York Rangers in the first round, but Hedberg’s experience still shone through.  Lehtonen was young and shaky, as his 5.59 GAA and .849 SV% showed.  Hedberg, though, still had a .928 SV% and a 2.45 GAA

That season was the last Hedberg had of around 20 games.  Lehtonen’s wonky groin caused him to miss many games the following season, and in 2008 Hedberg was called on to start 36 games.  The following year, he was required to play 33 due to a groin issue, a herniated disc, and a concussion all to the young Lehtonen.  2008-2009 saw Hedberg play mentor to the young Ondrej Pavelec, and that role has been continuing this season.

Pavelec is still young (only 22) and has a lot more experience waiting for him to really solidify that ability that is so apparent in flashes.  It’s ill-advised to lead a team that has been flirting with the playoffs all season with a young goalie like Pavelec, especially when his strong start sputtered.  Hedberg was called upon to step in, and like the consummate professional he is. has helped the Thrashers nip at the top 8 nearly all season long – both with and without Ilya Kovalchuk.

Hedberg is appreciated by the fans, winning the February Atlanta Thrashers Fan Club player of the month this season.  Prior to the conclusion of last season, Hedberg won the players’ player award two years running for his quiet and dignified clubhouse leadership, and in 2008 he was the Thrashers’ Masterton Award nominee – which there are rumblings that he’ll be nominated for again.  It would not be surprising for Hedberg to win the team MVP as voted on by the fans – the first time in quite a while that honor has not gone to Kovalchuk.

Hedberg is quiet and always dignified – and when he gets riled up, he always promptly apologizes even when he doesn’t need to.  Quick to share the credit when there’s a win, and probably too quick to shoulder the blame for a loss, he’s often given credit in the locker room for being one of the team’s top leaders.

Rumors have it that Waddell and Hedberg’s agent, Jay Grossman, might work towards a contract extension for Hedberg this offseason.  Moose is set to become a UFA, and this season has warranted a bit of a payraise to the goaltender’s modest salary of just over a million dollars.

Hedberg is a beloved player in Atlanta.  It’s not often that you see a demand for merchandise surrounding a backup goaltender, but Hedberg jerseys and shirts abound in the Team Gear store.  Fans in Atlanta hope that Moose stays on, either in goal as a mentor or as a goaltender coach to Ondrej Pavelec.  He’s shown that he still has a lot to teach.

Laura Astorian
NHLHS Thrashers/Blues Correspondent
lastorian@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @hildymac

As an NHL goaltender, the road to becoming a starter is never easy. Just ask Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins.

Drafted 21st overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rask never obtained the opportunity to play at any North American level of professional hockey by the Leafs and on June 24th, 2006 he was traded to the Boston Bruins for former Cader Trophy winner Andrew Raycroft. The Leafs felt they had their future secured with Justin Pogge in their pipeline. Pogge has since been traded and is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

For Tuukka Rask, this was a blessing in disguise.

Rask started his career with the youth teams of his hometown club SaPKo. He then played in 26 games for the Tampere-based Ilves Jr. in the Finnish Junior League. He was the top ranked European goaltender heading into his draft year.

Rask played his last European ice hockey season as the number one goaltender for the Ilves senior team in the top-flight SM-liiga.

On May 5th, 2007 Rask signed a three year contract with the Bruins.

Number forty was called up from the American Hockey Leagues Providence Bruins to the Boston Bruins for the first time on November 5th, 2007. Just two weeks later, on November 20th, he recorded his first NHL win and in redemption type fashion. Rask earned his first NHL victory against the team that drafted in; a final of  4–2 on the road.

Surprisingly, this game foreshadowed what the Bruins acquired as a starting goaltender.

Due to the injury status of Manny Fernandez during the 2008-09 season, the Bruins were forced to once again re-call Rask from Providence (AHL). He has been with the big club ever since.

On January 31st, 2009, Rask played in his first and only game of the season for the Bruins that year – a 1-0 shutout performance over the New York Rangers.

On November 1st, 2009, Rask signed a two-year extension with the Bruins. He is now under contract with the team through the 2011-12 season.

This year, his first full season with the Bruins, Rask has played in 34 games. He is 16-9-4 with a 2.09 save percentage and a goals against average of .928.

The Boston Bruins have quite the future ahead of them with the 23 year old Finnish goaltender. If this season is any indication of what Rask will accomplish as a starter for the team, the future looks solid.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC