The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Flin Flon's Bob Clarke has without question earned his place as one of the most intriguing personalities in professional hockey. Here are excerpts of a press release from Philadelphiaflyers.com featuring an in-depth interview with Clarke, 55, who spent 15 seasons with the Flyers and now serves as their general manager. On whether he was concerned about playing hockey with diabetes: "Not at all. I was diagnosed as a diabetic when I was 13 or 14 years old. The doctors assured me that diabetes would not stop me from playing sports. There were things that I had to do to take care of myself, but being diabetic never affected me playing hockey." On his job as captain of the Flyers: "I was not the most vocal person in the locker room . . . But I was never afraid to stand up and say what was on my mind. I was taught my whole career to be a good team player and good team players are people who respect and support what the coach is trying to do. You follow what message the coach is trying to convey and you make sure the other players follow, too. I never thought a lot about being team captain. Actually, the first time they offered the "C" to me I turned it down. We had a good captain (Ed Van Impe) and they didn't need me. (Head Coach) Freddie Shero forced me to take it, but I never viewed myself as a leader. I was a player on the team who did what was necessary to try and win games." On whether he was considered to be a dirty player: "I was accused of being a dirty player. My philosophy was always 'get the other guy first and let him try and get even.' I used whatever methods, right or not so right, it took to try and win games. Sometimes I probably stretched the rules a bit." See 'Orr' P.# Con't from P.# On the best player he ever faced: "Up until Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr was the best player I have ever seen. If there was another league above the NHL, Orr belonged there. He was that much better than the rest of us." On whether he has any regrets from his playing days or as general manager: "In the last 35 years, I don't know if there has been another team in the NHL that has won more games than the Flyers so I have had lots of things to be happy about. Do I wish I played a couple of more years? Probably. Do I wish I could take back the Dave Poulin trade? Yes. Do I wish I could take back the Brad McCrimmon trade? Yes. But overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives. On what he dislikes about being general manager: "There was a time when the agents first started in the business where it was real ugly from both sides. You were always in squabbles with agents and that got frustrating. That was a tough time. Both sides now, managers and agents, are much more professional. Everything is based on what has already happened. It makes it easier for both sides." On whether his Stanley Cup champion Flyers of the 1970s could compete into today's NHL: "We would only be kidding ourselves if we think the players 30 years ago were as good as they are today. In those days, we were a great team. Everybody contributed and everybody had their roles and that is what makes a winning team. But we would never be able to compete with the Flyers teams of today. We were not nearly big enough or fast enough for this type of modern day hockey. Hockey is played by much bigger men. They shoot the puck harder; they do everything faster and it is a much different game. I suppose the game will be much different 25 to 30 years from now, too."
