Bully for Avalon! Flyer Alums Love Spending the Holidays Here
Hall of Fame goaltender Bernie Parent and his wife Gini. Bernie starred for the Flyers’ Stanley Cup champions in 1974 and ’75.
Through the decades, South Philadelphia has been the home of the Philadelphia Flyers. But once the Flyers leave the constant winter of an NHL season, chances are pretty good they will make Avalon their forever home.
So, it should come as no surprise that so many Flyers and other NHL players have made Avalon not just a destination for the offseason, but a landing spot for their retirement. It should also come as no surprise that they also make Avalon a treasured tradition during the holiday season.
If you ever needed a hat trick of Flyers alumni who truly love Avalon at any time of the year, consider the trio of Bernie Parent, Don Saleski and Paul Holmgren. Each of them has learned that one of the best perks of playing hockey in Philadelphia is the opportunity to make a real home by the sea.
It’s no surprise that an athlete who grew up in Saskatchewan, Minnesota or Quebec would appreciate the warm days at the beach. But there also is the warm feeling of being at the shore for the holiday season.
“We brought our granddaughter down for Christmas, and it was wonderful,” says Saleski, who has spent summers and special times in Avalon with his wife Mary Ann since 1998. “Avalon does a great job decorating; all the streets are lit up, they’ve got carolers, bands, and you can take pictures with all the cut-out characters. The kids love it. The whole holiday time is just great down here.
“Anybody who has not spent some time down here for the holidays is really missing something. In fact, the whole winter season is can be a treasure. Sure, sometimes you can shoot a cannon off down the streets, they look so empty, but the place jumps to life for the holidays.”
Saleski, who grew up in Saskatchewan, remembers Christmas mornings in the frigid Canadian winters.
“Like most kids, I got hockey stuff for Christmas,” he says. “Couldn’t afford the expensive skates; I think I got a lot of tape. And one of the big surprises were the old shin guards with cardboard insides. They got wet and you had to stand on them to get them back in shape when they dried out.”
Indeed, it’s a whole lot different at the Jersey Shore.
“We don’t get to spend Christmas Day there,” says Holmgren, who grew up in the land of 10,000 (frozen) lakes in Minnesota, “but we always seem to get there at some point during the holidays.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve watched the world junior championships from my TV down there. It seems like the U.S. against Canada game is always around New Year’s Day.”
Holmgren can thank his wife for even considering a place in Avalon.
“It was in the mid-’80s,” he says. “Like so many families, her family had always spent that week or so at the shore, so we did that.
“And I can thank her for keeping up the pressure to look for a place. Boy, am I glad we did! This has turned into one of the best family decisions we have ever made, and I can thank her for that.”
You’ve heard about “we need a bigger boat.” Well, in the Holmgren’s case, it was “we need a bigger house.”
“We’re now in our second house down here,” he says. “When we had three grandchildren and it was obvious there would be more, we decided we just needed to get a bigger place.”
Well, the number of grandchildren has grown to nine, and Holmgren couldn’t be happier.
“This is a great place for the family to all get together,” he says. “And the community is terrific, it’s anything you want.
“If you just want to get away, nobody will bother you. But if you want to socialize, there are all kinds of events and places to go. Even if it’s just fishing, you can relax and go for flounder in the bay, or you can go all-out for marlin or whatever you like, it’s all there for you. Having a home here has turned into one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.”
Nobody has to tell Parent about what a good decision it is to live in Avalon. The Hall of Fame goaltender has often taken Holmgren and fellow Flyers legend Bob Clarke out fishing in his boat. For a kid who grew up in the frigid winters in the province of Quebec, this is a piece of heaven.
“I love it here,” says Parent, who married his wife Gini on the beach in Avalon. “You know, there are a lot of beautiful places in the world, and there are a lot of beautiful places you can spend the holidays.
“So, if you ask me what makes Avalon so special, yes, it is so beautiful, the ocean, the beaches, and around the holidays the decorations and the shops.
“But when you really come down to it, what makes Avalon so special is all of that is truly appreciated by really nice people. You know, can’t beat that, can you? Beautiful place with really nice people, all year-round.
“It’s a beautiful thing, right?”
You’ll get no argument from the Flyers, or anybody else who has enjoyed Avalon with their families, season after season, and generation after generation.