Its been so long, Bernie Parent isnt entirely sure when he last suited up in net for a real hockey game, other than at the Flyers Wives Carnival a few years back.
But then 2-year-old kids were shooting at me, the 66-year-old Parent said with that familiar grin.
So what made him change his mind about playing goal at the Winter Classic Alumni Game on New Year's Eve?
Im in my prime, Parent replied. You may question that, but Im not. Im in my prime.
Two generations of Flyers fans who regularly either attend or watch games on television never saw Bernie Parent in goal as a Flyer. They have no memories, other than videotapes and DVDs of the two Stanley Cups he brought to Philadelphia in the mid-70s.
Now they finally get to see him ... just a tad older.
I thought about it and thought about it, and you look at the fans and you cant be selfish about something like this, Parent said about playing. They supported us for so many years, I know in my case for 12 years. Why not go out and wave to the people and maybe play 10 minutes, and thats why I made the decision.
NHL
The Flyers alumni are taking this game very seriously. So much so, that for a couple months now, every morning, a couple of them gather early at Skate Zone to train before the Flyers hit the ice.
Guys like Bob Clarke and Bill Barber and Orest Kindrachuk, who skates better now than he did as a player.
You know what, youre performing in front of your fans and even though were olderIm not saying much olderyou still want to do well, Parent said. Of course, you get in shape and try to give a good performance.
Parent says he will wear the same equipment he wore 46 years ago. Not that hes worried it might be frayed or that it could fall apart on the first shot he faces.
Though hell be facing the Rangers alumni, Parent is still quick to point out that just as he did back in 1974 and 1975, he still has some of the Flyers numbers in practice when it comes to scoring on him.
Clarkie was tough, he recalled. Reggie Leach was tough. I used to have Bob Kellys number. In practice when Bob scored on me, that was the end of my career.
Weve never had an outdoor hockey game in Philadelphia, though Flyers brass wondered about whether the concept would work in their massive parking lot when the Wells Fargo Center first opened in the summer of 1996 as CoreStates Center.
What was a pipe dream then is now a reality, with the game being in the confines of Citizens Bank Park.
Parent last played outdoors when he growing up in Montreal, Quebec. He had his sights playing on defense at the age of 12.
I put the equipment on and you go around the ice, and depending on your time, the coach would put you in positionforward, defense or whatever, he said. One of the players went around the ice in 14 seconds and I did mine in 21 seconds.
Coach looked at me and said, Goaltender. And then the first game, I had 21 goals against. And then he looked at me again and said, Get out of here.
Imagine. Bernie Parent, the guy who stole the 74 Cup with a 1-0 shutout over the Boston Bruins in Game 6, would give up 21 goals in his first outing and it also happened to be outdoors.
But I practiced and he gave me one more chance, Parent said. We won that game and I was on my way. Outdoor game. We played in Montreal. We played in practice when it was 10-15 below, but as a young kid you dont care.
Someone wanted to know whether the Bullies had talked about getting back on the ice again before the Winter Classic had become a reality. Parent said it was discussed but that was about it.
Joe Watson really tries to keep it going, but guys are getting older now, Parent said. Theyre not in the mid-50s. Theyre getting close to mid-60s, and I suggested to Joe, Maybe we should try playing golf a little bit more.
But to go out on the ice one more time just to perform in front of our people, and I think we have the most wonderful fans in the world here in Philly, to have them see you on the ice one more time, thats a beautiful thing.
Theres a real good chance some of the people who saw Parent that spring day in May of 1974 at the Spectrum might show up with their kids and grandkids to see Parent and the Broad Street Bullies outside.
Bernies hoping, too.
Well, the sad part is there will be grandfathers there, he said. Its been a long time. A lot of those people were there when we won the Stanley Cup.
Its a very strong feeling for people to see a lot of former All-Stars from the Rangers and Flyers. Itll be exciting seeing Barber, Clarke and Leach on the ice. Thatll be awesome.
Or as Parent said so many times during his Flyer career, Its a beautiful thing.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net