Former Philadelphia Flyers star Rick MacLeish dead at 66
Rick MacLeish, one of the more gifted Philadelphia Flyers from the Broad Street Bullies era, died Monday at the age of 66.
The talented forward had battled meningitis.
"With the passing of Rick MacLeish, the Flyers have lost one of their legends," said Flyers President Paul Holmgren. "A good father, grandfather, teammate and friend, Rick will be missed by all who were fortunate to come and know him over the years. His happy and friendly demeanor was front and center everywhere Rick went. Today, our thoughts and prayers are with Rick's wife, Charlene, his daughters, Danielle and Brianna along with his grandchildren. May he rest in peace."
MacLeish was a speedy forward with a great shot. He scored 697 points in 12 seasons as a Flyer. MacLeish became the first Philadelphia player to score 50 goals in a season when he reached that plateau during the 1972-73 season.
He scored the game-winning goal in 1974 when the Flyers downed the Boston Bruins, 1-0, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
In 1975, MacLeish gained a different kind of notice. When the Flyers were playing the Buffalo Sabres in Game 3 of the final series, a bat began to flying around the arena. One Flyer knocked the bat out of the air and MacLeish, who was about to take a faceoff, simply picked it up and disposed of it