Second Six unveil 50th anniversary plans

PHILADELPHIA --The Philadelphia Flyers celebrated their 50th anniversary in the tastiest way possible Tuesday.
Flyers president Paul Holmgren cut into a cake featuring a special logo, which will be worn by the Flyers next season.

The Flyers, along with the Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues, unveiled special logos Tuesday to celebrate the 50th anniversaries of their franchises, which will be next season.
Tuesday marked 50 years since the NHL Board of Governors announced Feb. 9, 1966 that the League would add six new teams -- the "Second Six" -- for the 1967-68 season: the Blues, Kings, Penguins, Flyers, California Seals and Minnesota North Stars.
Philadelphia's logo, which was unveiled before the game during a ceremony that featured Hockey Hall of Fame members Bernie Parent, Mark Howe, Bill Barber and Bobby Clarke, features an orange keystone with a gold 50 and the Flyers' traditional logo.

"It is hard to believe we are going to be celebrating our 50th anniversary," Flyers chairman Ed Snider said. "It feels like it was just yesterday when the National Hockey League awarded us an expansion franchise. ... Now here we are with memories of two Stanley Cups, the Russian game in 1976, the 35-game unbeaten streak, the five-overtime win against Pittsburgh in the 2000 playoffs, coming back against Boston in the 2010 playoffs down three games, two Winter Classics and so many more."
The Flyers will have special 50th anniversary jerseys next season, and among the celebratory events planned will be an alumni game against Penguins alums at Wells Fargo Center.
The Blues celebrated the 50th anniversary of the franchise Tuesday by having first-season Blues player Bob Plager and a season-ticket holder from the inaugural season drop the ceremonial puck before the Blues played the Winnipeg Jets.
Their 50th anniversary logo features their regular Blue Note logo in front of a gold 50.
"Tonight at Scottrade Center we are proud to commemorate the birth of the St. Louis Blues," said Blues president and CEO of business operations Chris Zimmerman. "Fifty years ago today St. Louis was awarded an NHL franchise, and ever since the Blues have worked tirelessly both on and off the ice to develop an unbreakable bond with the community. We are thrilled to be able to share the celebration of this franchise milestone with the most passionate and loyal fans in all of sports."

The Blues have held a number of "heritage nights" to honor alums, including April 1 to honor Hockey Hall of Fame members Brett Hull and Adam Oates, and will have more next season.
The Kings celebrated the anniversary by wearing their vintage gold sweaters Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. They also unveiled a special 50th anniversary logo; it features their current logo outlined in gold and featuring a crown similar to the one worn in their first season. The logo will be painted at center ice at Staples Center next season and worn as a patch on Kings sweaters. They also will have 50th anniversary jerseys for special occasions next season.
"We wanted to pay homage to our past and our heritage with the use of the original Kings crown, but at the same time celebrating the importance that our current logo means to our franchise and fans," said Jonathan Lowe, the Kings' senior vice president of marketing. "The gold tone is of course the traditional way to celebrate a 50th anniversary and we hope our fans love the logo as much as we do and we are going to be rolling out a number of exciting usages around the logo."
In addition, the Kings next season will unveil a 35-foot tall bronze, granite and glass monument outside Staples Center honoring the 50th anniversary of the team.

"It is a great opportunity for the L.A. Kings organization to look back at our long, storied history," Kings COO Kelly Cheeseman said. "You only get one chance to celebrate something as incredibly significant as a 50th anniversary, and we believe we have a lot to offer our fans as we give back and say 'Thank you' for the tremendous support we have received and continue to receive."
The Penguins' 50th anniversary logo features a skating Penguin on a gold triangle and three Stanley Cups. They'll start their celebration at a fan fest to be held Aug. 27-28.
"We're looking forward to a season-long salute of a half-century of Penguins hockey," Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse said. "We're excited to honor our history, and we think our fans will enjoy the many activities that we have planned."