Remembering the 1992 Heroes of the NHL game

As part of the 1992 NHL all-star game festivities, the Heroes of Hockey game was played, with each of the players featured below appearing in the game. In the format of most legends games, a team of past stars from throughout the NHL faced off against a team made up of former Philadelphia Flyers players, representing the host city. 

There is surprisingly little about the game available on the Internet. I was able to pull all of the information below from the following video on YouTube. The final score is 3-2 for the Flyers Heroes, with Ed Hospodar scoring the winner on a breakaway on Eddie Mio. The game was also evidently played in two halves, which makes sense seeing as many of the players were of an advanced age, such as Ted Lindsay and Red Kelly who were in their mid 60s at the time. 

Overall the game looks like it was enjoyed by all participants and had some funny moments: Bob Nystrom being booed by the fans (you’ll understand why when you read his profile below), the NHL Heroes coming out en masse to confront Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz as he skates onto the ice during introductions, and the announcers losing their place during the player introductions and searching for their notes.

NHL Heroes roster: Ron Greschner, Craig Hartsburg, Red Kelly, Ted Lindsay, Bob Plager, Denis Potvin, Ken Morrow, Rod Gilbert, Lanny McDonald, Guy Lafleur, Ulf Nilsson, Gilbert Dionne, Bryan Watson, Jacques Lemaire, Darryl Sittler, Gilles Meloche, Ed Mio, Stan Mikita, Bob Nystrom, Clark Gillies, Emile Francis (coach)

Flyers Heroes roster: Ed Van Impe, Tom Bladon, Larry Goodenough, Andre ‘Moose’ Dupont, Lew Morrison, Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz, Bob ‘The Hound’ Kelly, Mel Bridgman, Bill Clement, Don ‘Big Bird’ Saleski, Jim Watson, Ed Hospodar, Ross Lonsberry, Rick MacLeish, ‘Cowboy’ Bill Flett, Al Secord, TJ Gorence, Kevin McCarthy, Orest Kindrachuk, Reggie ‘The Rifle’ Leach, Pete Peeters, Bill Barber, Bobby Clarke, Joe Watson, Bernie Parent, coaches Keith Allen, Larry Zeidel, Gary Dornhoefer.

Let's also appreciate the quantity and quality of nicknames from the Flyers' roster, particularly from the Broad Street Bullies days. Bob Kelly even had a second nickname, Battleship.

635 - Al Secord

A left winger, Secord was drafted 16th overall by Boston in 1978, the last year in which the minimum age for draft eligible players was 20. As such, he turned pro immediately in 1978-79, scoring 16 goals and 23 points along with earning 125 penalty minutes in 71 games. In December 1980 Secord was traded to Chicago for Mike O’Connell. 

In his first full season as a Black Hawk he broke out offensively, scoring 44 goals and 75 points while maintaining his edge, recording 303 penalty minutes (fifth in the NHL). Secord was recognized for his efforts with an all-star game selection and earning Hart and Selke Trophy votes. The following season he improved to a career-high 54 goals (sixth in the NHL), while also leading the league with 20 powerplay goals. Secord played in second consecutive all-star game and finished third in post-season all-star voting for left wing. During these two years he was remarkably efficient with his shooting percentage, recording ratios of 20.5% and 22.5%.

Injuries got the best of Secord over the next two seasons, as he played in only 65 games, scoring 19 goals and 34 points. During the 1985 playoffs, however, he scored 16 points in 15 games as the Hawks lost to the eventual champion Oilers in the Campbell Conference Finals. The following season he reached the 40 goal mark for the third and final time in his career. At the start of the 1987-88 season Secord was traded to Toronto with Eddie Olcyzk for Bob McGill, Steve Thomas and Rick Vaive.

In two parts of two seasons in Toronto he scored 20 goals and 57 points in 114 games. He was traded to Philadelphia in early 1989, scoring one goal in his one partial season as a Flyer. Secord re-signed with Chicago for the 1989-90 season for what would be his final NHL season, scoring 14 goals and 21 points in 43 games and earning 131 penalty minutes. He returned to pro hockey in 1994-95, playing two seasons with Chicago in the AHL before retiring for good.

In 12 NHL seasons Secord played in 766 games, scoring 273 goals and 496 points. His 2093 career penalty minutes ranks 47th all-time. In retirement he worked as a pilot for American Airlines.

636 - Marcel Dionne

A centre, Dionne was drafted second overall in 1971 by Detroit, just behind rival Guy Lafleur. Dionne scored 62 goals and 143 points for St. Catharines in the OHA during his draft year, and battled Lafleur in the infamous East championship in the Memorial Cup tournament. Due to fan hostility, Dionne's St. Catharines team refused to play games six and seven in Quebec City and Lafleur’s Remparts were awarded the victory by default.

In Dionne’s rookie season of 1971-72 he scored 28 goals and 77 points, finishing third in Calder Trophy voting. Over his next three seasons with Detroit, Dionne twice scored 40+ goals, adding 121 points in 1974-75 while leading the league with 10 short handed goals. In that season he also played in his first all-star game and won the Lady Byng Trophy.

In a rare free agency move for the time, Detroit allowed Dionne to sign with Los Angeles as a free agent in June 1975. A week later he was officially traded to the Kings for Terry Harper, Dan Maloney and a second round draft pick. Over the next decade he became one of the most feared goal scorers in NHL history:

• Six seasons with 50 or more goals, including five straight from 1978 to 1983, with a career-high 59 goals in 1978-79;

• Seven seasons with 100+ points, including a career-high 136 in 1979-80;

• Four seasons in which he led the NHL in shots;

• Seven all-star game appearances, along with two post-season all-star team selections;

• A second Lady Byng Trophy (1977), two Pearson Awards (1979 and 1980) and the Art Ross in 1980, tying with Wayne Gretzky but winning as Dionne scored more goals.

Unfortunately the Kings were a terrible team during this time, as Dionne played in only 40 playoff games, recording 19 goals and 40 points. Their best performance was in 1982, beating Edmonton in the Smythe Division Semi-Finals thanks to the Miracle on Manchester. The Kings would unfortunately lose the Division Finals in five games to Vancouver that season.

In March 1987 Dionne was traded to the New York Rangers with a third round draft pick and Jeff Crossman for Bobby Carpenter and Tom Laidlaw. He played two full seasons with the Rangers, scoring 31 goals and 65 points in the 1987-88 season. He retired after playing 37 games during the 1988-89 season.

In 18 NHL seasons Dionne played in 1348 games, scoring 731 goals (sixth all-time), 1040 assists (12th) and 1771 points (sixth). He also ranks ninth all-time in powerplay goals (234), seventh in hat tricks (28) and fourth in shots (5363). From 1993 to 1995 he was president, owner and CEO of the South Carolina Stingrays in the ECHL. He has operated several businesses in retirement, including restaurants and a sports memorabilia store in Niagara Falls. Dionne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 and has been named one of the NHL’s Top 100 players of all-time.

637 - Ken Morrow

A defenceman, Morrow was drafted 68th overall by the New York Islanders in 1976. He played four seasons of college hockey with Bowling Green and was part of the 1980 United States Miracle on Ice hockey team that won Olympic gold.

After the Olympics Morrow turned pro, joining the Islanders and playing in 18 games, recording three assists. He then played in 20 playoff games, adding one goal and three points as the Islanders won their first Stanley Cup. This also made Morrow the first player to ever win an Olympic Gold medal and Stanley Cup in the same year, and as of 2025 he is still the only non-Canadian to do so.

Morrow became a key part of the 1980s Islanders dynasty as a rock solid defenceman, winning another three Stanley Cups following his rookie season. 1982-83 was his best offensive season, scoring five goals and 16 points in the regular season while adding five goals and 12 points in 19 playoff games. Morrow played an additional six seasons with the Islanders after the dynasty ended, but appeared in 60 or more games in only three of those seasons. He retired following the 1988-89 season.

In 10 NHL seasons, Morrow played in 550 games, scoring 17 goals and 105 points. Following retirement he was an assistant coach in the IHL with Flint and Kansas City. In 1991-92 he rejoined the Islanders as an assistant coach and then moved into the role of director of professional scouting, a title he still holds as of writing. In 1996 he was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for his contributions to American hockey and he is enshrined in the US Hockey Hall of Fame.

638 - Guy Lafleur

Lafleur's epic NHL career in covered in this earlier post.

639 - Ed Mio

A goaltender, Mio was drafted 124th overall by Chicago in 1974 following his sophomore season at Colorado College. He played two more seasons of college hockey before turning pro in 1976 and playing in the lower level minor leagues in the United States. Also drafted by Vancouver in the WHA, he played three seasons in the rebel league, two with Indianapolis and one with the Edmonton Oilers during the league’s final season of 1979-80. Mio moved to the Oilers as part of the trade that landed Edmonton Wayne Gretzky.

Mio made his NHL debut in 1979-80 when the Oilers joined the NHL, as he was one of the two players the team protected when joining the league (the other being Gretzky). He played in 34 games that season, recording a 9-13-5 record. His sophomore season would be his best statistical season in the NHL, playing in 43 games and posting a 16-15-9 record.

In December 1981 Mio was traded to the New York Rangers where he played his first season as backup to Steve Weeks. Mio earned the starting role the following season, winning 16 games and posting a career best .882 save percentage. In the playoffs he added five wins as the Rangers lost in the Patrick Division Finals to the New York Islanders.

Mio was traded to Detroit in June 1983 with Ron Duguay and Eddie Johnstone for three players. With the Red Wings he played in 49 games over three seasons, earning a 10-21-5 record and 5.02 goals against. He also spent time in the AHL with Adirondack during these seasons. For his career Mio played seven NHL seasons, appearing in 162 games with a 64-73-30 record, 4.07 goals against and .867 save percentage. 

From 2002 to 2007 he was the director of player development with the Phoenix/Arizona franchise. Prior to working in the front office, Mio was a player agent, representing clients such as Sergei Fedorov and Joe Thornton. He has returned to this field in recent years with Octane Sports Management.  A fun non-hockey fact: Mio was the best man at Wayne Gretzky’s wedding to Janet Jones.

640 - Clark Gillies

A left winger, Gillies played three seasons of junior hockey with the Regina Pats before joining the Islanders for the 1974-75 season. As a rookie he played in all 80 games, scoring 25 goals and 47 points. Although never drafted in the NHL, Gillies was drafted seventh overall by the WHA’s Edmonton Oilers in 1974.

Over his next seven seasons on Long Island Gillies was a consistent offensive producer, six times scoring 30 or more goals and 60 or more points. He was named a post-season first team all-star twice (1978 & 79) and played in the 1978 all-star game. Gilles was the Isles’ captain from 1977 to 1979 and had a career-high 91 points in the 1978-79 season.

A crucial part of the Isles’ dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cups, Gillies played in 66 playoff games during this time, scoring 20 goals and 47 points. In the 1982 playoffs he recorded three game winning goals. Gillies played for the Islanders until 1985-86, although following the team’s last Stanley Cup win he only played in more than 70 games once in four seasons.

In October 1986 he was claimed off waivers by Buffalo. Over two seasons Gillies played in 86 games with the Sabres, scoring 15 goals and 34 points. He retired following the 1987-88 season. In 14 NHL seasons, he played in 958 games, scoring 319 goals and 697 points. Gillies' number nine has been retired by the Islanders franchise and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. He also boasts one of the better nicknames of his era, Jethro, which was coined by teammate Ed Westfall based on Gillies’ resemblance to Jethro Bodine from the Beverley Hillbillies television show.

In retirement he worked in business development and was an active fundraiser for charities and community events in Long Island. Gillies passed away in 2022 at the age of 67.

641 - Bob Nystrom

A right winger, Nystrom was drafted 33rd overall in 1972 by the New York Islanders. Having played two seasons of junior hockey in Calgary, he joined the professional ranks for the 1972-73 season, split between the AHL and the Islanders. In 11 NHL games that season Nystrom recorded two points. 

He became a lineup regular in 1973-74, and over the next nine seasons recorded seven seasons with 20 or more goals and 40 or more points, along with six seasons with 100 or more penalty minutes. In 1977-78 Nystrom scored a career high 30 goals and 59 points. A key cog in the Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s, he scored 27 goals and 53 points in 73 playoff games as the Isles won four straight Stanley Cups. Nystrom was a major offensive contributor in the first Cup victory in 1980, scoring nine goals and 18 points over 20 games, including the Cup clinching goal in overtime of Game 6 against Philadelphia.

Following the Isles’ fourth Cup victory in 1983, he played an additional three seasons, but appeared in only 50 games from 1984 to 1986, retiring after suffering an eye injury in practice. In 14 NHL seasons he played in 900 games, scoring 235 goals and 513 points. In retirement he remained with the Islanders franchise, first as a coach, then as a radio analyst. From 1988 to 2002 he served in a variety of roles, culminating as the director of corporate relations.

In 1991 the team created the Bob Nystrom award, which is given to the Islanders player that best exemplifies leadership, hustle and dedication. His number 23 was retired in 1995.

642 - Pete Peeters

A goalie, Peeters was drafted 135th overall by Philadelphia in 1977. He played his first two seasons of pro hockey with Maine in the AHL, winning back-to-back Calder Cups while sharing the Harry Holmes Award for best goalie duo (with Robbie Moore) and being named a second team all-star.

Following a five game stint with the Flyers in 1978-79, Peeters joined the team full-time the following season, posting a 29-5-5 record. This performance earned him a place in the all-star game and a third place finish in Calder Trophy voting. Sharing the crease with Phil Myre, the Flyers made the Stanley Cup Finals in 1980, with Peeters winning eight of the 13 playoff games in which he played.

Over the next two seasons he would continue to share the crease, appearing in an average of 42 games per season, winning 22 and 23 games each season and playing in his second all-star game in 1981. A combination of the emergence of goalie Pelle Lindbergh, and a rumoured assault of a reporter in the Flyer’s locker room saw Peeters traded to Boston in June 1982 for Brad McCrimmon. His first season as a Bruin was the best of his career, as he led the NHL in wins (40), goals against average (2.37) and shutouts (8). Peeters played in his third all-star game, was named a first-team all star, won the Vezina Trophy and finished second to Wayne Gretzky in Hart Trophy voting. The Bruins would make the Prince of Wales Conference Finals, dropping the series in six games to the Islanders.

After winning 29 games in 1983-84 and playing in a fourth all-star game, Peeters won only 19 games the following season, the lowest single season total in his career to that point. Early in the 1985-86 season he was traded to Washington for goalie Pat Riggin. In four seasons with the Capitals Peeters played in a backup role, playing in between 33 to 37 games per season. In the 1987-88 season he played in 35 games and led the NHL with a 2.79 goals against.

In June 1989 Peeters returned to the Flyers as a free agent, but in September was traded to Winnipeg with Keith Acton. Winnipeg then dealt Peeters and Acton back to the Flyers for a draft pick. While never proven, the NHL suspected the trade was done to avoid Peeters and Acton being exposed in the waiver draft, and fined both teams $10,000 each. In his final two seasons with the Flyers Peeters played in 50 games, posting a 10-20-6 record and 3.31 goals against average.

In 13 NHL seasons Peeters played in 489 games, with 246-156-51 record, 3.09 goals against and .886 save percentage. In retirement he has worked as a goalie coach with Minnesota, Winnipeg/Phoenix, Edmonton and most recently Anaheim (2009-2013). Peeters has been a part of many historic moments in NHL history, as detailed in this Reddit post.

643 - Ulf Nilsson

A centre, the Swedish born and trained Nilsson started his North American pro hockey career with Winnipeg in the WHA at the age of 24. In his rookie season of 1974-75 he scored 26 goals and 120 points in 78 games. Playing with linemates Bobby Hull and Anders Hedberg, Nilsson would lead the WHA in assists in 1977 (85) and 1978 (89). He was named a first team all-star twice and second teamer once. The ‘Hot Line’ would captured two WHA championships (1976 and 1978), with Nilsson winning the playoff MVP in 1976 behind a19 assist and 26 point performance. 

Nilsson joined the NHL with the New York Rangers in 1978-79, a year before the WHA would merge into the NHL. In his debut NHL season he played in 59 games, scoring 27 goals and 66 points. Nilsson’s promising career would be marred by two serious knee injuries, and over the following two seasons he would play in only 101 games, scoring 28 goals and 97 points. Following his second knee injury, sustained during the 1981 Canada Cup, Nilsson would play two games in the AHL and 10 games with the Rangers in 1982-83 before retiring from pro hockey.

In four NHL seasons he played in 170 games, scoring 57 goals and 169 points. Nilsson played in only four of the WHA’s seven seasons of existence, but is still fourth all-time in assists (344), 10th in points (484) and first in plus/minus rating (+210). He has kept a low profile in retirement, however was one of the five named plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit against former NHLPA director Alan Eagleson.