Philadelphia is known as the “City of Brotherly Love.” This popular moniker does not only apply to the Northeastern United States city that currently sits at number six in the largest cities in the country; it can also be applied to a pair of popular brothers who played for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 1970s.
Related: Joe Watson: A Philadelphia Flyer From the Very Beginning
Between 1973 and 1978, the Watson brothers, Joe and Jimmy, suited up for the Flyers. Jimmy, the younger of the two blueliners by nine years, played in the NHL from 1973 to 1982, representing Philadelphia for the entirety of his career. Alongside his big brother, the five-time NHL All-Star and two-time Stanley Cup champion became a fan favorite among the orange, black, and white-clad Philadelphia faithful.
Calgary Centennials
A native of Smithers, British Columbia, Watson played four seasons with the Calgary Centennials of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). His outstanding performance during the 1971-72 season saw the defenseman record 65 points (13 goals and 52 assists) in 66 games. During this campaign, he was selected to the WCHL First All-Star Team. After the season, Watson was awarded the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy, an award that has been presented annually to the WCHL’s (current Western Hockey League) defenseman of the year since the 1966-67 season. These accomplishments led to the 20-year-old being drafted in the 39th overall in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft.
Breaking into the NHL
During the 1972-73 campaign, Watson appeared in four games with the Flyers, recording his first career NHL point, an assist. He spent the bulk of the season, 73 games, with Philadelphia’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Richmond Robins. As a member of the Robins, the emerging star player scored five goals and tallied 33 assists.
Philadelphia Flyers
The 1973-74 season marked Watson’s first season as a regular in the NHL. In 78 games for the Flyers, he recorded 20 points (two goals and 18 assists). During the Flyers’ run to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, Jimmy appeared in all 17 playoff games, adding another goal and two more assists to the cause. The defenseman’s sole goal of the playoffs came in game two of the quarterfinals, a victory over the Atlanta Flames (5-1). In the 1974 Stanley Cup Final, the Broad Street Bullies, under the direction of head coach Fred Shero, defeated the heavily favored Boston Bruins (4-2).
The 1974-75 campaign marked Watson’s first All-Star season. In 68 games, he scored seven goals and tallied 18 assists. The Flyers finished the regular season with an impressive record of 51 wins, 18 losses, and 11 ties. In 17 playoff appearances, he recorded nine points (one goal and eight assists). Watson’s goal came in game one of the quarterfinals when he supported the Flyers piling on six goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Philadelphia defeated the Buffalo Sabres in six games in the Stanley Cup Final (4-2), capturing the city’s second of two NHL championships.
During the 1975-76 campaign, Watson recorded an NHL career-high 36 points (two goals and 34 assists). His outstanding performance during the regular season was rewarded with another appearance in the All-Star game. After finishing first place in the NHL’s Patrick Division with 51 wins, 13 losses, and 16 ties, the Flyers looked to capture their third straight Stanley Cup title. On their way to the Stanley Cup Final, Philadelphia knocked out the Maple Leafs and Bruins in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the same fashion as the last two seasons, Watson recorded one goal in the playoffs, a second-period goal in game three of the quarterfinals against the Maple Leafs. The Flyers went on to be swept in four games by the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final. Following that season, he was awarded the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the team’s outstanding defenseman.
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international hockey tournament played between Sept. 2-15, 1976 in the North American cities of Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Quebec City, and Philadelphia. Watson only appeared in two games for the gold medal-winning Team Canada. His tournament was cut short when he was hit by a slap shot from Team USA’s Gary Sargent. The shot to the face resulted in a broken jaw and concussion. Team Canada won the inaugural Canada Cup with a victory (5-4) over Czechoslovakia in the Sept. 15 final at the Montreal Forum.
Watson went on to play six more seasons in the NHL with the Flyers, recording a total of 104 points in 384 games. He appeared in three more All-Star Games, 1977, 1978, and 1980. During the 1977-78 campaign, his tough play as a defenseman earned him another Barry Ashbee Trophy.
Life After the NHL
Jimmy retired from professional hockey following the 1981-82 season. Following his retirement, he worked in home building, and also got involved in coaching junior hockey and operating various camps and schools, including the Jim Watson Overspeed Elite Hockey Camp at the IceWorks Skating Complex in Aston, Pennsylvania.
A Family of Professionals
In addition to the Flyers’ Watson brothers, Jimmy and Joe, two other members of the Watson clan suited up for hockey games at the college and professional levels. Jimmy’s eldest son, Chase, played college hockey at Providence College. He appeared in 134 games throughout four seasons for the Friars. During his third college season, he recorded 33 points (six goals and 27 assists). The forward’s professional career spanned from 2007 to 2012, appearing in 218 games in the ECHL, International Hockey League (IHL), Central Hockey League (CHL), and Federal Hockey League (FHL).
Jimmy’s younger son, Brett, played four seasons with the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) ice hockey team. During his third and fourth seasons, the 2008-09 and 2009-10 campaigns, he wore the captain’s “C” for the Minutemen. Following his time in college, the forward appeared in two games for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL during the 2010-11 campaign.
Post-Playing Honors
In 2016, the city of Philadelphia made its respect for Watson very well-known. His place in franchise history was immortalized when he was inducted into the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame on Feb. 29, 2016. He joined his brother Joe, who was inducted 20 years earlier.
In May 2016, the former blueliner was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame alongside city sports legends, including baseball’s Charlie Manuel, football’s Brian Dawkins, boxing’s Jeff Chandler, and basketball’s 1967 Philadelphia 76ers. Jimmy Watson, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and member of the famed Broad Street Bullies, remains one of the most popular defensemen in Flyers’ history.
