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The Philadelphia Phantoms are preparing for a very special day in the team's history this Sunday, March 30 when Bob Clarke will be inducted into the Phantoms Hall of Fame. The induction will take place in a pregame ceremony before the Phantoms host the Hamilton Bulldogs at 5:05 at the Wachovia Spectrum.
"I’m proud of my connection to the Phantoms and the success the team has achieved,” Clarke said. “To be recognized as a Hall of Fame member speaks to the great tradition of AHL and NHL hockey in Philadelphia."
Currently the Senior Vice President of the Philadelphia Flyers, Clarke spent 19 seasons as the club’s general manager. During his tenure, the Flyers compiled a record of 744-443-199, including 16 playoff appearances, eight division titles, and three Eastern Conference championships that resulted in subsequent appearances in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Often overlooked in Clarke’s career accomplishments are his 10-plus years serving in a dual capacity as general manager of the Phantoms, a role he assumed when the team was founded in 1996. Clarke brought in former teammate Bill Barber as the club’s inaugural head coach and assembled a roster that produced a regular season record of 49-18-3-10, which was the AHL’s best record that season and remains the best regular season record in team history. That team won 19 consecutive home games, breaking a 59-year-old American Hockey League record.
The following season, the Phantoms won the franchise’s first Calder Cup championship after once again winning the AHL’s regular season title and the Mid-Atlantic division title. The Phantoms captured a third consecutive division championship the following season and then secured their fourth division crown in 2003-04.
The 2004-05 season cemented itself as one of the most exciting and memorable campaigns in Phantoms history. After dropping the first two games of the season, the Phantoms won their next 17 consecutive games, a streak that lasted over a month and broke an AHL record that had stood for almost 20 years. It ended in June with the franchise’s second Calder Cup championship, punctuated by a four-game sweep of a talent-laden Chicago Wolves team.
The 2004-05 team was anchored by several key acquisitions by Clarke. Players like Antero Niittymaki, Patrick Sharp, Dennis Seidenberg, Joni Pitkanen, Todd Fedoruk, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards were all draft picks for which Clarke was responsible. They were nicely complimented by several unproven free agents that Clarke had signed, including R.J. Umberger, Randy Jones, Riley Cote, Freddy Meyer and Josh Gratton, as well as Jon Sim, who was acquired in a mid-season trade. All of those players went on to appear in the NHL in the years following the championship season.
“It's very fitting for Bob to receive this honor,” said Comcast-Spectacor President/COO Peter Luukko. “His role in laying the foundation of the Phantoms has been crucial to the success of not only the team itself, but also in the development of Flyers prospects over the years. He had a tremendous impact on both of Philadelphia's Calder Cup championships, and his hard work over the years has helped the Phantoms become one of the AHL's premier franchises.”
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