PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Former Philadelphia Flyers captain Mel Bridgman, the team’s only first overall draft pick, has died at age 70.
Bridgman was selected No. 1 overall by the Flyers in the 1975 NHL Draft and played with the team through 1981, appearing in 462 regular-season games and 74 Stanley Cup playoff games. He served as captain for parts of three seasons from 1979 to 1981 and helped lead the Flyers to Stanley Cup Final appearances in 1976 and 1980.
In a statement on social media Saturday, the Flyers said they are “deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Mel Bridgman,” calling him “a prototypical power forward who exemplified Flyers-style hockey.”
After retiring as a player, Bridgman became the first general manager of the expansion Ottawa Senators in 1991.
No cause of death has been released.