Paul Holmgren’s legacy in Philadelphia is nothing if not complicated. As a player, he bled orange and black. Later, as a coach and executive, he brought that same fearless, hard-nosed style to the front office. Aggressive and unafraid to make moves most general managers wouldn’t, Holmgren built a roster that came within two wins of ending the Flyers’ decades-long Stanley Cup drought. But just a year later, those very same traits set in motion a chain of events that would define his downfall.
Drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975, Paul Holmgren was the quintessential Flyer for a very long time.