The Philadelphia Flyers announced on May 26 the passing of Forbes Kennedy, a senior member of the Flyers Alumni, who died on May 25 at the age of 90. Kennedy was born August 18, 1935, in Dorchester, New Brunswick, and was widely regarded as an iconic figure in ice hockey and a respected member of his community in Prince Edward Island.
Kennedy was known for his toughness on the ice despite standing only five-foot-eight. He earned a reputation as one of the toughest pound-for-pound players in National Hockey League history. Bud Poile, the Flyers’ first general manager, selected Kennedy from the Boston Bruins with the 87th overall pick in the 1967 Expansion Draft after having coached him during minor league stops with Edmonton.
Kennedy led the Flyers in penalty minutes during both seasons he played for Philadelphia and quickly became a favorite among fans and teammates. Flyers Hall of Fame defenseman Joe Watson said, “It was much better to have Forbie on your side than against you.” Watson recalled an incident with Noel Picard: “Forbie went after Picard and he skated away as fast as he could.” Watson also shared memories off-ice: “When I think of Forbie, I always see him chomping on a cigar — he always had one. He was very sociable, good with people off the ice… Actually, Forbie was the one who got all our players going to Rexy’s even in the early years… But he’s the one that started that tradition.”
During his NHL career, Kennedy played for Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers. In total he appeared in 603 regular season games (70 goals, 108 assists) and twelve Stanley Cup playoff games. After retiring from playing in 1970, Kennedy began coaching at minor league and junior levels until nearly three decades later.
Kennedy maintained close ties to Philadelphia after leaving as a player—attending alumni events including reunions marking team milestones such as its fiftieth anniversary season—and remained involved with fellow former players through programs like “Housecalls.” Over this past holiday season members visited him at home; reflecting then he joked, “I’m the oldest Flyer? I guess that’s a good thing.” Watson said about his teammate: “I’m going to miss Forbie. Everyone will miss him. Just a great guy and a great teammate.”
The Philadelphia Flyers compete as a professional ice hockey team within the National Hockey League structure while supporting community programs such as cancer awareness initiatives through their organization’s outreach efforts, according to their official website.
