Feb. 23, 2004
Philadelphia, Pa. – Notre Dame hockey coach Dave Poulin will become the 18th member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization to be inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame during an on-ice ceremony at the Wachovia Center on Wednesday, March 3, prior to the team’s 7:00 p.m. contest versus the Nashville Predators.
Poulin, now in his ninth season as the head coach of the Notre Dame hockey team looks forward to the induction.
“I am thrilled. It really came very unexpectedly,” said Poulin prior to his team practice on Monday afternoon.
“Certainly when you read the names of the players that are in there, I am certainly flattered and humbled to be included in that group. I’m the fourth player from my peer team so to speak to be there – with Mark Howe, Timmy Kerr and Brian Propp being the other three. We had such a great run and had so much fun while we were doing it, that to be joining those guys in that grouping is a tremendous, tremendous honor.”
Poulin, who spent eight seasons with the Flyers (1982-83 to 1989-90), never expected to one day being listed among the top 18 players in the Flyers history.
“No, no, no, I never ever thought of anything like this. You were always hoping to just still be playing the next day,” said Poulin with a laugh.
“You never thought about a career in a length of years, it’s more like days when you first come up. I was never drafted. I came into a situation where I was the only college player on that first team. It was the end of the Broad Street Bullies era. Ronny Sutter and I were the only rookies. Every day, you came to the rink you just reminded yourself that you were sitting between Bobby Clarke and Darryl Sittler or Billy Barber was across the room, so you never had those kind of thoughts that this is where it would end up one day.”
As a Flyer, Poulin appeared in 467 regular season games during his eight-year Flyers career (1982-83 to 1989-90), scoring 161 goals with 233 assists for 394 points and 303 penalty minutes. His 394 points rank him 17th on the Flyers all-time scoring list. In 63 playoff games with Philadelphia, the Timmins, Ont., native had 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points.
He was the sixth captain in Flyers history, serving six seasons from 1984-1990. During that span, the Flyers captured three Patrick Division Championships (1985-86 through 1986-87) and two Wales Conference titles(1984-85 and 1986-87). Poulin represented the Flyers in three all-star competitions, two NHL All-Star games (1986 and 1988) and was a member of the NHL All-Star team that participated in Rendez-Vous ’87.
Signed as a free agent by the Flyers on March 8, 1983, Poulin was the second Flyer to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy at “the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game,” when he captured the award following the 1986-87 season.
A 1982 graduate of Notre Dame, Poulin spent a total of 13 seasons in the NHL between Philadelphia, Boston and Washington. In 724 regular-season games, he recorded 205 goals and 325 assists for 530 points and 482 penalty minutes. He posted 73 points (31g, 42a) and 132 penalty minutes in 129 Stanley Cup Playoff games. In 1993, Poulin won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
Upon his retirement, Poulin returned to his alma mater to become head coach of the Irish. In eight-plus seasons with the Irish, Poulin has a 129-166-44 record. His teams have advanced to Joe Louis Arena and the CCHA’s playoff finals in three of the last four years.
As a player at Notre Dame, Poulin scored 89 goals with 107 assists for 196 points in 135 games. He remains tied for first in game-winning goals (13) and hat tricks (8) with the Irish. His 89 goals rank him fifth on the all-time list, his assists rank him seventh and he is sixth on the all-time points list.
Poulin and his wife, Kim, a St. Mary’s College graduate, have three daughters, 17-year old twins, Lindsay and Taylor and 13-year old, Kylie.
The Flyers Hall of Fame was established in 1988 to permanently honor those individuals who have contributed to the franchise’s success. The Hall of Fame induction is held, as needed, with candidates nominated and voted upon by a panel of media members and team officials. Committee members may vote for up to five candidates nominated and voted upon by a panel of media members and team officials. Committee members may vote for up to five candidates. Election is limited to no more than two individuals in any one year, one of which must be a player.
The following people have been previously elected into the Flyers Hall of Fame:
1988 – Bob Clarke and Bernie Parent
1989 – Bill Barber, Ed Snider and Keith Allen
1990 – Rick MacLeish and Fred Shero
1991 – Barry Ashbee and Gary Dornhoefer
1992 – Reggie Leach and Gene Hart
1993 – Joe Scott and Ed Van Impe
1994 – Tim Kerr
1996 – Joe Watson
1999 – Brian Propp
2001 – Mark Howe