Showing posts with label flin flon bombers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flin flon bombers. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

4 Two-Time Winners of the WHL's Bobby Clarke Trophy


bobby clarke philadelphia flyers
The Bobby Clarke Trophy is presented each season to the WHL player with the highest point total. Originally dubbed the Brownridge Trophy, it was re-named in 1987 to honour Clarke, one of the best to play in the league. The trophy was introduced for the 1966-67 season and Clarke won the scoring title the next season. Four players have won the Bobby Clarke / Brownridge Trophy on more than one occasion.

Bobby Clarke - Flin Flon Bombers


Bobby Clarke, himself, was the first to take the WHL (WCHL at the time) scoring title in consecutive seasons. As a member of the Flin Flon Bombers, Clarke totaled 168 points in 1967-68, 37 points ahead of teammate Reg Leach. Clarke and Leach would, of course, reunite with the Philadelphia Flyers team that won consecutive Stanley Cups in 1973-74 and 1974-75. Clarke led the league the following season with 137 points.

Bobby was a second round pick of the Flyers at the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. He played 1,144 regular seasons NHL games between 1969-70 and 1983-84, all with Philadelphia. Three times, Clarke surpassed the 100 point plateau in a season. Three times he was a Hart Trophy recipient as the NHL’s most valuable player. He finished his career with 1,210 points and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.

Tom Lysiak - Medicine Hat Tigers


Tom Lysiak was the next WHL player to win the scoring title in consecutive seasons. With the Medicine Hat Tigers, Lysiak led the league in 1971-72 with 143 points, ten more than teammate Stan Weir. The following season, Lysiak led again with 154 points, seven points ahead of Dennis Sobchuk of the Regina Pats.

Tom was the second overall pick at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, going to the Atlanta Flames and behind just Denis Potvin who went to the New York Islanders. The Houston Aeros also picked Lysiak in the second round of the WHA Amateur Draft, 23rd overall. Tom played 919 regular season NHL games between 1973-74 and 1985-86 with the Flames and Chicago Black Hawks.

Brian Propp - Brandon Wheat Kings


Brian Propp put up serious numbers in winning the Brownridge Trophy in 1977-78 and 1978-79. In the first season, Propp finished 22 points ahead of teammate Ray Allison with 182 points. The following year, on 94 goals and 100 assists, Propp led the league with an incredible 194 points, 41 ahead of Allison in the WHL scoring race. The two were part of one of the greatest Canadian junior teams of all-time in 1978-79, as the Brandon Wheat Kings finished with 58 wins, five losses and nine ties for 125 points.

Propp was the fourteenth overall pick at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, going to the Bobby Clarke led Philadelphia Flyers. By then, the Broad Street Bullies era had pretty much come to an end but the Flyers were still a great team. Propp played 1,016 regular season games over his NHL career that lasted from 1979-80 to 1993-94. Brian played for the Flyers, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars and Hartford Whalers.

Brian is known for his hard luck with Stanley Cup finals. Five times over his career, Propp went to the final series without a single victory to show for it. Three times, he played for the Cup with the Flyers and he played once each with the Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars.

Rob Brown - Kamloops Blazers


Rob Brown won the scoring race in 1985-86 and 1986-87 in record setting fashion. With the Kamloops Blazers, Brown led the league with 173 points the first season. In 1986-87, Rob set the present day record with 212 points, 66 points ahead of the next closer contender in capturing the Bobby Clarke Trophy.

Despite the numbers, Brown was drafted way down in the fourth round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played a total of 543 NHL regular season games from 1987-88 to 1999-00 with the Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings. Playing on a line with Mario Lemieux in 1988-89, Brown enjoyed his best NHL season with 115 points in just 68 games.

Brown was a standout in the now defunct IHL, where he played in between NHL stints. On three occasions, he won the Leo Lamoureux Memorial Trophy as the league’s scoring leader. In 1993-94, he led with 155 points as a member of the Kalamazoo Wings. In 1995-96 and 1996-97, he led with the Chicago Wolves, totalling 143 and 117 points.