The 5 Biggest Villains in Philadelphia Flyers History

The Philadelphia Flyers surely have their fair share of haters, and they have made a number of enemies during their existence.

Flyers fans are a notoriously combative and obnoxious group, and the Flyers style of play has often been branded as one of the toughest and most vicious in the league.

With fans and teams like that, it's no wonder that plenty of players and coaches have rallied back and put themselves in the spotlight of Philadelphia.

Those particular individuals found themselves becoming villains in the Flyers' eyes, and I found the top five here.

Glaring Omission: Tie Domi

I don't know how I forgot Tie Domi, but he was one of the most loathed players in all of the NHL during his long career, and was especially hated in Philadelphia.

There are so many instances with Domi, from cheap shots to verbal altercations and straight-up dirty hits, and it seemed like playing against Philadelphia always brought out the best (or worst) in Domi.

5. Bob McCammon

Flyers fans loathed Bob McCammon for a number of reasons—most of which was three straight losses in the division semifinals even with a talented roster, leading to fans eventually chanting at games for his firing.

McCammon had two stints as head coach, and he was also GM at the same time as his second coaching gig, which fans resented. He also traded away Paul Holmgren, which was an extremely unpopular decision at the time.

This is an interesting news clip that has a lot of damning evidence against McCammon. He was called "Machiavellian," Holmgren found out about the trade on the radio, and McCammon even said he should have taken the Penguins job. 

4. Darius Kasparitis

Darius Kasparitis played for the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, so it's pretty easy to see why he became a villain in Philadelphia.

The rough-and-tumble defenseman with the obnoxiously long hair always seemed to mix it up with the Flyers, and Philadelphia fans disliked him no matter which division foe he played for. 

3. Martin Brodeur

Martin Brodeur was the ultimate Flyers killer and was basically the road block on the Flyers' way to the Stanley Cup in almost every year of his career, especially during his prime from the mid-'90s to mid-2000s.

Philadelphia and the ultra-competitive Brodeur have battled one another for roughly 20 straight years, and things will be as competitive as ever in 2013-14.

2. Sidney Crosby

Sidney Crosby helped revitalize the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, which in turn renewed their heated rivalry with the Flyers.

There have been too many instances to count over the past few years, but the Flyers and their fans hate Crosby with a passion, and there are always fireworks when the cross-state rivals play each other.

1. Scott Stevens

I'll never forget being at this game when I was a little kid and seeing Scott Stevens line up Eric Lindros' head and blow him up with a hit that would get him suspended in today's NHL.

Stevens was one of the dirtiest players in NHL history, and his clashes were always of epic proportions. Flyers fans will never forget the battles Stevens and the Flyers had in the 1990s and early 2000s.