Cold War in Philly Countdown: 14 Days

The premiere of the Cold War in Philly opening at the Suzanne Roberts Theater in Philadelphia is just 14 days away. Hockey Hot Stove and the Flyers Alumni Association is giving away two passes to the event. How to register for the drawing.

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As we count down to the premiere, here’s a look at Joe Watson, who scored shorthanded in the famous game against the Red Army.

Reliability. Leadership. Hard work. Enthusiasm. Those are the traits that any employer covets and are the qualities that Joe Watson has come to personify in over three decades of nearly uninterrupted employment by the Philadelphia Flyers. Whether preventing opposition scoring chances as a mainstay on the Flyers’ blueline, working as a pro scout or in the organization’s sales and marketing departments, Watson has earned his keep and served with distinction. He was elected to the Flyers Hall of Fame in 1996.

A friendly, gregarious man with a booming voice (hence the nickname “Thundermouth”), Watson has always been a favorite of fans and reporters. He always has a story to tell and his passion for people and hockey runs as strongly as ever. Walk around the Wachovia Center before or during a Flyers game or the home locker room afterwards, and you stand a good chance of seeing Joe Watson there, engrossed in conversation or meeting new people.

The goal

A two-time NHL All-Star, Joe Watson was never know for his goal-scoring prowess. However the most famous play of his Flyers Hall of Fame career was the goal he scored in the Flyers’ famous 4-1 win over CSKA (Red Army) on January 11, 1976.

Frustrated by the Flyers’ defensive wall and more than a bit intimidated by their physical play, the Red Army started to get sloppy. In the second period, Joe Watson found himself doing something to which he was unaccustomed. With the Flyers shorthanded, he followed the play all the way up the ice. The elder Watson brother swept home Don Saleski rebound for what proved to be the game winning tally.

“Freddie told me I had set back Russian hockey twenty years with that goal,” laughs Watson, who says that he still gets asked about that goal more than any other single play in his career. “It wasn’t a fancy goal even, but it was a goal.”