Flyers owner staged 1976 protest game

A documentary released in May, titled “Cold War in Philly,” examines the actions of Ed Snider, the late chairman of the Philadelphia Flyers, during a 1976 exhibition game against Soviet hockey teams.

The film, directed by Joe Amodei, focuses on a specific event that occurred on Jan. 11, 1976, at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. On that date, the Flyers, who held the Stanley Cup at the time, played against the Soviet Red Army.

Snider, who led the Flyers from the late 1960s until his death in 2016, used the occasion to highlight the situation of Soviet Jews. He collaborated with local organizations to display signs inside the arena that drew attention to the refuseniks, who were denied permission to leave the Soviet Union.

The Flyers won the game 4-1. The victory provided a measure of respectability for the team, which was then known for its physical style of play. During the match, Flyers defenseman Ed Van Impe checked Soviet star Valeri Kharlamov. The Russian team left the ice after the incident but returned only after Snider warned that they would not be paid if they did not complete the game.

Five Flyers from that 1976 roster attended a screening of the documentary last week at the Betty and Milton Katz JCC in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Jimmy Watson, a player on the team at the time, recalled seeing the banners during pregame warmups.

Watson stated that the players were aware of the political context. Larry Goodenough, who scored the final goal for Philadelphia, noted that the team did not fully understand the significance of the signs at the time. He described the group as blue-collar workers from a blue-collar town who were looking at the displays rather than asking questions.

Bob Kelly, a forward known as “The Hound,” offered a different perspective. He said the political messaging was outside his immediate job description and that he did not notice the signs. Orest Kindrachuk, a center on the team, expressed personal animosity toward the Soviet team due to his Ukrainian heritage and the Cold War context.

The Soviet team requested the removal of the signs before the game began. Snider agreed, and the displays were taken down prior to the opening faceoff. The documentary depicts the signs prominently but does not mention their removal before play started. Amodei defended this choice, stating he wished to maintain focus on the game itself.

Lindy Snider, Ed Snider’s daughter, attended the screening and discussed her father’s legacy. She described how he had long predicted that the world would need to pay more attention to Jewish oppression. She noted that the episode remained fresh in his mind for the rest of his life and provided him with a sense of energy.

Lindy Snider said her father supported the messages on the signs and did not shy away from the controversy they generated. She added that the family remains committed to causes related to those supported by her father. She stated that the current level of antisemitism, which she linked to events since Oct. 7, 2023, would have deeply angered Ed Snider and prompted further action.