Tag: George Piszek

The Philadelphia Firebirds minor league hockey team played at the old Philadelphia Civic Center from 1974 through 1979. Philly was hockey mad at the time. The NHL’s Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975.  The Firebirds enjoyed some of the overflow enthusiasm and added a championship of their own, winning the North American Hockey League’s Lockhart Cup in 1976. The ‘Birds helped launch the career of long-time NHL goaltender Reggie Lemelin and 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey hero Mike Eruzione also played briefly for the team. The Firebirds moved away to Syracuse, New York in 1979.