Irish coach Dave Poulin is just the 18th member to join the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame, a list that includes such greats as current Flyers general manger Bobby Clarke and former NHL superstar goalie Bernie Parent.
He will be named to the hall in an on-ice ceremony at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center, prior to the Flyers' 7 p.m. game against the Nashville Predators March 3.
"It really caught me off-guard," Poulin said. "When I was first contacted, it came as a big surprise. It's not something you really think about or prepare for. Certainly it's a great honor."
Following his graduation from Notre Dame in 1982, Poulin spent a combined 13 seasons in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. The bulk of his playing career came with the Flyers, for whom Poulin played 467 regular season games over eight seasons (1982-83 to 1989-90).
Poulin collected 394 points (161 goals, 233 assists) for Philadelphia over that time span, which ranks him 17th on the Flyers all-time scoring list. From 1984 to 1990, Poulin served as the team's captain.
While he was captain, Philadelphia captured three Patrick Division championships and two Wales Conference titles. Poulin was also named to the NHL All-Star Team twice in that span, once in 1986 and again in 1988.
Following the 1986-87 season, Poulin became the second Flyers player in history to win the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the "forward who best excels at the defensive aspects of the game."
In 1993, as a member of the Boston Bruins, Poulin won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as "the player who best exudes leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."
Despite coming into the league as an undrafted free agent, Poulin's work ethic and drive allowed him to succeed at the highest level.
"When I received my first rookie card, it came out and I flipped it over," he said. "I had had a very good year, and I turned it over and it said 'hard worker.' I wanted to laugh, because I wanted it to say 'fast skater' or 'great playmaker' or something.
"Eventually I came to realize that was the reason I was there in the NHL. I was blessed with the ability to work hard and develop the talent I did have because I wasn't the most talented player in the league."
