Philadelphia Firebirds

Philadelphia Firebirds
Company type	Minor league professional ice hockey franchise
Industry	Ice hockey
Founded	1974
Defunct	1980
Fate	Ceased operations
Headquarters	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Syracuse, New York, United States
Area served	United States (Philadelphia and Syracuse)
Key people	Gregg Pilling (coach 1974–1977), Danny Belisle (coach/GM 1977–1978), Bep Guidolin (coach 1978–1979), Michel Parizeau (coach 1979–1980)
Products	Ice hockey team

The Philadelphia Firebirds operated as a minor league professional ice hockey franchise in Philadelphia between 1974 and 1979, before relocating to Syracuse for their concluding season, where they were known as the Syracuse Firebirds. Initially, they competed in the NAHL from 1974 until 1977, capturing the Lockhart Cup in 1976, and subsequently joined the American Hockey League from 1977 through 1980.

NAHL, 1974–1977

1974–75

The Firebirds debuted during the 1974–75 NAHL season, aiming to capitalize on the increased interest in hockey in Philadelphia following the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers clinching their first Stanley Cup in 1974. The Philadelphia Civic Center, recently vacated, served as a suitable home venue. Head coach Gregg Pilling guided the team, with Bob Collyard leading offensively by scoring 42 goals and accumulating 103 points. Philadelphia secured second place in the NAHL standings with a 40–31–3 record. In the playoffs, despite winning the opening game of their best-of-five series, they were defeated by the seventh-seeded Long Island Cougars.

1975–76

During the 1975–76 season, Collyard elevated his performance to 45 goals and 129 points, while Michel Plante contributed 52 goals and Gord Brooks added 39 goals. The Firebirds ranked second in total league goals with 373 and finished third overall posting a 45–29–0 record. Their postseason run included victories over the Erie Blades and defending champions Johnstown Jets, culminating in a finals matchup against the offensively potent Beauce Jaros. Despite goaltending injuries, Gaye Cooley stepped up to lead Philadelphia to a six-game series triumph, securing their only Lockhart Cup title before an audience exceeding 9,000 fans.

1976–77

In their final NAHL campaign, Gord Brooks led scoring with an impressive 65 goals and totaled 124 points, closely followed by Collyard with 116 points. The team concluded the regular season fourth with a record of 38–33–3. Goaltender Rejean Lemelin appeared in a career-high 51 games, achieving 26 wins. The Firebirds were eliminated in the opening playoff round by the fifth-seeded Erie Blades, losing the series three games to one.

AHL, 1977–1980

1977–78

Following the dissolution of the NAHL in 1977, Philadelphia obtained an expansion franchise within the AHL and established an affiliation with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. Danny Belisle assumed dual roles as head coach and general manager, assembling a roster featuring Red Wings prospects alongside returning NAHL veterans. Gord Brooks and Bob Collyard spearheaded scoring efforts; Collyard recorded 28 goals and amassed 90 points, while Brooks tied for league scoring honors with 98 points and earned the John B. Sollenberger Trophy. Goaltender Rejean Lemelin led the league in both appearances and wins, posting a solid 2.96 goals-against average. The Firebirds finished with a balanced record of 35–35–11, placing third in the Southern Division but were eliminated in the first playoff round by New Haven.

1978–79

In this season, Philadelphia affiliated with the Colorado Rockies and appointed Armand "Bep" Guidolin as head coach following Belisle’s departure. Gord Brooks once again led offensively with 43 goals and totaled 74 points; Larry Skinner contributed significantly with 67 points. The team struggled early on, losing its initial ten games and ultimately finishing last overall at 23-49-8, missing postseason play. They recorded the fewest goals scored in the league at just 230 and suffered from the lowest average attendance of only 2,841 spectators per game. These difficulties sparked conversations about relocating.

1979–80

After moving to Syracuse, New York, the franchise played home games at Onondaga County War Memorial Arena under first-year coach Michel Parizeau. Gord Brooks led scoring again with a total of 75 points. Defensive shortcomings resulted in conceding a league-high of 364 goals against, culminating in a final record of 31–42–7 and placing third within their division. The Firebirds were swept by the Hershey Bears during their playoff appearance. Attendance remained low at an average of 2,581 fans per game. Continued financial losses forced the team to cease operations following this season.

Coaches

Gregg Pilling (1974–1977)
Danny Belisle (1977–1978)
Bep Guidolin (1978–1979)
Michel Parizeau (1979–1980)

Players

Among the roster, goaltender Réjean Lemelin and centre Bob Collyard uniquely remained with the Firebirds for the entirety of their five seasons in Philadelphia. Lemelin went on to enjoy a fifteen-year career in the NHL and subsequently took on coaching roles with both the Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia Phantoms. Other former Firebirds who later served as coaches in the NHL include Don Hay, Lorne Molleken, Terry Murray, and Rick Wilson. Noteworthy short-term players featured future NHL official Paul Stewart as well as Mike Eruzione, renowned captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic "Miracle on Ice" squad.

Season-by-season results

Philadelphia Firebirds 1974–77 (NAHL)
Philadelphia Firebirds 1977–79 (AHL)
Syracuse Firebirds 1979–80 (AHL)

Season	Regular Season									Playoffs
Season	League	Games	Wins	Losses	Ties	Points	Goals For	Goals Against	Position	Round 1	Round 2	Finals
1974–75	NAHL	74	40	31	3	83	311	288	2nd, League	L, 1–3, Long Island	—	—
1975–76	NAHL	74	45	29	0	90	373	319	2nd, West	W, 3–2, Erie	W, 4–2, Johnstown	W, 4–2, Beauce Lockhart Cup Champions
1976–77	NAHL	74	38	33	3	79	319	294	4th, League	L, 1–3, Erie	—	—
1977–78	AHL	81	35	35	11	81	294	290	3rd, South	L, 1–3, New Haven	—	—
1978–79	AHL	80	23	49	8	54	230	347	5th, South	Did not qualify
1979–80	AHL	80	31	42	7	69	303	364	3rd, South	L, 0–4, Hershey	—	—
TOTALS		463	212	219	32	456	1830	1902	—	1 championship

External links