On this Date, June 28th, in 1931, in New York City, Eugene Charles Hart was born. Gene Hart was the legendary voice of the Flyers from the team’s inception, through the end of the 1994-95 season. Flyers fan enjoyed 29 years of one of the NHL’s greatest announcers. Gene Hart called over 2,000 NHL games, 6 Stanley Cup Finals including the 1974 and 1975 Cup winners, and 5 NHL All Star Games. Hart carried us through the highs (winning two Cups, beating the Russians, getting Eric Lindros); and helped us through the lows, (losing Barry Ashbee, and losing Pelle Lindbergh). He taught the game of hockey to a sports-crazed town, and the incredible turnout for the Flyers Stanley Cup parade in the Spring of 1974 was doubtlessly due in part to the passion Hart had for the Flyers, and how legions of fans fed off that passion.
Gene Hart was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame in 1992, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997. Not bad for a Jersey high school history teacher. Did you know… Gene’s daughter, the very talented Lauren Hart not only sings the National Anthem or God Bless America before every Flyers home game, but wears a Flyers jersey with the #68 to honor her Dad who died at the age of 68. Gene Hart, Philly loved you as much as you loved Philly. Your Stanley Cup-winning call still gives us chills. To one of the greatest ever… Good Night, Good Hockey!
