Former Flyers enforcer Dave Schultz will be greeting fans and signing autographs Saturday in Cherry Hill.
Flyers enforcer reinventing himself as pitchman
Most Flyers fans remember Dave Schultz as the ultimate enforcer, maybe even the basis for those crazy Hanson Brothers from “Slap Shot.”
After all, Schultz did set the record for most penalty minutes in a single season with 472. However, the former Flyer great will be embracing another role this weekend at the Cherry Hill Mall. He’ll be greeting fans and selling jerseys at the new sports store, Roster.
“I’ll be saying hi to people, signing autographs if you want, maybe telling some jokes,” Schultz said.
If you purchase an authentic Dave Schultz 1974-75 sweater — priced at $300 — you can skip the line and receive a Flyers goodie bag.Schultz, who is affiliated with vintage Philly brand Mitchell & Ness, has done plenty of promotional appearances since retiring after the 1979-80 season.
“[Wednesday night] I was at the Flyers game and a guy was wearing my jersey. It’s amazing. People actually still buy my jersey,” Schultz said. “Believe it or not, people remember back to the 1970s. With technology, you can go on your smartphone and see me in action, so even kids know who I am.”
May 19 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Broad Street Bullies beating the Boston Bruins and hoisting the Stanley Cup. Schultz confirmed that the Flyers’ organization has several tributes planned, including something special on Jan. 25 when the Flyers host the Bruins.
Several members of that Cup-winning team are making the trek up to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto to watch former coach Fred Shero get posthumously inducted. Shero, who died in 1990 at the age of 65, led the Bullies to Cups in 1974 and 1975.
“Sometimes, it seems like it wasn’t that long ago,” Schultz said. “For all of us, we’ll always remember. We played in a very unique, very specific era. But the game changes, that’s the nature of the National Hockey League.”
Of course, the Flyers haven’t added another one to the trophy case since Schultz was bullying people on the ice. When he looks out at the current state of the team, he admits that he’s a little concerned. The Flyers lost their season opener to the Maple Leafs, 3-1. They are back in action Saturday in Montreal.
“Toronto’s a good club, and one game isn’t fair to judge, so I’m not sure,” Schultz said. “One thing I know for sure, I think they have good goaltending. Can they play well as a team? That will be determined over the course of the season. They got to play better than they did [against Toronto]. The first 12 games, eight at home … they got to come out of that with a good record.”
If you go …
What:Meet-and-greet with Dave Schultz
Where: Cherry Hill Mall, ROSTER sports store
When: Saturday, 1-2:30 p.m.
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