Flyers, fans celebrate life of Ed Snider

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - The Philadelphia Flyers honored heir late owner and co-founder Ed Snider in South Philadelphia Thursday afternoon.

PHOTOS: Ed Snider Memorial Service

At 1:00 p.m. the Flyers hosted a public celebration of life at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia.

The Flyers were joined by Comcast Spectacor and the Snider family in invited fans and friends to join them for the celebration Thursday.

Snider passed away on April 11 th at the age of 83, following a two-year battle with bladder cancer.

Snider was arguably the most influential executive in Philadelphia sports history. He was chairman of the 76ers, was once a part-owner of the Eagles and had a hand in founding both Comcast's local sports channel and the city's largest sport-talk radio station.

Upon hearing that the National Hockey League was going to expand from its original six teams to 12, Snider petitioned the league and was awarded an expansion club in 1966.

Snider's "Broad Street Bullies" went on to become the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup.

Snider, chairman of the Flyers' parent company, Comcast-Spectacor, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.

He also worked to introduce children to the game of hockey through the Ed Snider Youth Hockey; a program that is at 7 area rinks, and provides free ice time and equipment for inner city youth.