Philadelphia Flyers: 5 best captains in franchise history

Lou Angotti was the first player to be named Philadelphia Flyers captain back in 1967. It lasted for a full season until Ed Van Impe took the reins for a couple of years.

Like with any team, the captain is the leader of the men wearing the uniform. He has to have skills on and off the ice. How the team performs in the standings will, in a way, fall on him.

The Flyers have had a mixed bag of different captains over the years from legendary to “wait, he was captain at one point?” These five are the best both because of what they did as an individual but also for how well the team performed around him.

5. Best Philadelphia Flyers Captain – Dave Poulin

Dave Poulin is probably not the first name that comes to mind when you think of Flyers captains or maybe even in the top five. He wasn’t with the Flyers for incredibly long but when he was, the team had some nice runs.

Poulin became the team’s captain at the start of the 1984 season. Fresh off a 31 goal, 76 point season, he was entering only his second full season in the NHL. It was a big responsibility. He managed to have a nearly equal year in that season, scoring only one less goal and having one less assist. More importantly, the team made it to the Stanley Cup finals.

So there’s no confusion, this was the first of two trips the team would make to the Stanley Cup finals while Poulin was captain. They did it again in the 1986-1987 season. Both times, the mighty Edmonton Oilers won. The Flyers came a game within winning it all the second time around but sadly ended up losing again.

Poulin’s individual statistics with the Flyers include 161 goals, 233 assists, and 394 points. He wasn’t as prolific of a goal-scorer as others on this list as those first two years were easily his most efficient. However, his impact was felt in the standings.