Hall of Fame goalie Bernie Parent, who backstopped Flyers to back-to-back Stanley Cups, dead at 80

Bernie Parent, the Hall of Famer considered one of the great goalies of all time who anchored the net for the Philadelphia Flyers' only two Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s during their Broad Street Bullies heyday, has died. He was 80.

The Flyers made the announcement Sunday but provided no details. Parent died overnight in his sleep, former teammate Joe Watson said.

Watson, a star defenceman on the Stanley Cup teams, said by phone that he saw Parent and other former Flyers players at a function Friday night in Delaware.

"Bernie was in such pain, he could hardly walk," Watson said, citing Parent's bad back. "We had a great time, but I felt bad because he was in such terrible pain. To see this happen, it's very sad."

Parent's steel-eyed stare through his old-school hockey mask landed him on the cover of Time magazine in 1975 when the Flyers reigned as one of the marquee teams in sports. The Montreal native won Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies in back-to-back seasons when the Flyers captured the Stanley Cup in `74 and '75, the first NHL expansion team to win the championship.

"The legend of Bernie Parent reached far beyond the ice and his accolades," the Flyers said in a statement. "Bernie had a deep love for Philadelphia and fans of the Flyers. He was passionate about his role as an ambassador for Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education and inspired an entire generation of hockey fans. He dedicated his time, energy and enthusiasm to not only grow the game, but also to spread joy to anyone he encountered."

The Flyers and Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Bernie Parent, a true legend, one of the most famous and beloved players, and most popular figures in the