Brian Propp finds himself near the top of many leaderboards in Philadelphia Flyers history. The 2015 stroke survivor has been involved in the Flyers’ community for decades, touching fans who may not have been around for his playing days. Speaking of those playing days, let’s revisit what made him such a special player. He was a legendary playoff performer, too, but he had some unfortunate luck when it came to the Stanley Cup Final.
Propp’s Career in the Western Hockey League
Propp put himself on the map in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he put up some of the best numbers in the league’s history. In three seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings, he scored 588 points in 259 career WHL games. His 94-goal campaign in 1978-79, in particular, is one of note. It’s the second-highest single-season total for goals in league history (Ray Ferraro is first).
Due to his WHL dominance, the Flyers took a chance on the 5-foot-9 winger out of Brandon. He was taken with the 14th pick in the 1979 NHL Draft. Some scouts at the time had him going higher, so perhaps the Orange and Black got a bit of a bargain here. Well, that became more evident when he started playing NHL hockey.
Propp’s Early Career
Propp made the Flyers’ 1979-80 roster just months after being drafted and appeared in every single contest for the team. In his 80-game rookie campaign, he was an important piece for Philadelphia. He scored 75 points en route to the team’s league-best record (48-12-20).
Propp continued to shine for the Flyers in his playoff debut, where he was again productive points-wise (15 points in 19 contests). The rookie helped the Orange and Black go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before they were bested by the New York Islanders in six games. Due to the historically controversial fashion in which the series victory was achieved, this was a pretty devastating result. Still, this was evidently the start of something big for Propp.
Propp truly began to break out in his third season. He became one of the more prominent players in the Orange and Black with his 91-point campaign, cementing himself as an elite producer. He and the Flyers lost in the first round of the playoffs, sure, but his 1981-82 season was a positive one for his legacy. The next season, he led the NHL in game-winning goals.
The Prime of Propp
This is when Propp started a series of 90-point seasons when healthy. In 1983-84, he reached that total for the second time in his five-year career. He and fellow franchise legend Tim Kerr took center stage in Philadelphia despite being relatively young (both under 25).
Propp’s 1984-85 season saw him put up a new career-high in points with 97. The Flyers hadn’t done much in the postseason in a while, but this campaign is where that changed. Propp and the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Final to face Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers. They won their first championship in franchise history in the previous season, so it was a hefty matchup, to say the least. Unfortunately for the Flyers, Gretzky’s talent was too much to overcome—Philadelphia lost in five games.
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Even though he was just 26 years of age, Propp was actually one of the older star players on the Flyers by 1985-86, with the team entering a youth movement of sorts. He had another 97-point season, making it three in a row with 90 or more.
Despite it being shortened due to injury, Propp’s 1986-87 campaign might have been his best. Had he played a full season, he would have reached the century mark in points for the first time in his career (at least, that’s what he was on pace for). He settled for 67 instead.
In the playoffs of that season, the Flyers (and Propp) had a magical run. The now-veteran forward finished second to only Gretzky in postseason points, putting up 28 in 26 contests. Both players matched up again in the Stanley Cup Final, but this one went the distance after Philadelphia won Game 6, a game in which they trailed 2-0 in the first period. The Oilers’ unstoppable dynasty proved to be just that, however, as they won a tight Game 7 by a score of 3-1. In case you forgot, this marked Propp’s third loss in the Stanley Cup Final.
Propp continued to evolve his game over the next few seasons, but the Flyers were not as dominant as they had been in years past. As a result, his time in Philadelphia was fading.
Propp’s Last Years as a Flyer
The Flyers did have a pretty good 1988-89 season, though. They went to the Conference Final, facing off against the Montreal Canadiens. One of the more memorable moments of that series, unfortunately, was Propp getting hit so hard by Chris Chelios that he was knocked unconscious and stretchered off of the ice. Incredibly, he only missed one game and led the team in playoff goals (14) by the end of the series. Even with this effort, Philadelphia fell to Montreal in six games.
Following this playoff loss, the Flyers began a half-decade-long rebuild. This meant that Propp’s days were nearing their end in Philadelphia. He was dealt to the Boston Bruins in the 1989-90 season, now toward the end of a usual player’s prime. He may have been in his thirties, but he was an important pickup for Boston nonetheless. He put up 13 points in the playoffs, which helped him reach his fourth Stanley Cup Final.
He matched up against the Gretzky-less Oilers, but he fell for the third time to the same team at the same stage. The Bruins were swept.
Propp signed with the Minnesota North Stars for his 1990-91 campaign. The 12-year veteran was still going strong, scoring at a level close to a point per game (73 points in 79 games). This helped his third squad make the playoffs and, you guessed it, go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. In his fifth shot at a championship, his 23 points in 23 postseason affairs still weren’t good enough to win at all. The North Stars were beaten by Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
Propp’s fifth shot at a Stanley Cup was his last. He retired after the 1993-94 season.
Propp’s Overall Legacy
Propp’s overall legacy is impressive. He is a member of the 1,000-point club, putting up 1,004 points in 1,016 regular season games. As well, he had 148 points in 160 playoff games, which ranks 32nd in NHL history. In Flyers history, his 849 points are fourth all-time. His 112 playoff points are the second-most ever in team history.
Even though he never captured a Stanley Cup, Propp is one of the most accomplished players in Flyers history. He was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 1999—his career will live on.
