Bobby Clarke had one final assist before he quit the Flyers in 2006. He told ownership it was time to promote Paul Holmgren. "He's ready, he's good," Clarke said. "He's a Flyer." Holmgren was ready to take over for Clarke as general manager and used a string of stellar acquisitions -- Chris Pronger, Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen -- to make the Philadelphia Flyers contenders for the Stanley Cup. With Holmgren calling the shots, the Flyers reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2008, the Stanley Cup finals in 2010 and they led the East this season with 63 points entering Tuesday's action. Holmgren, whose deal was set to expire at the end of next season, was rewarded Tuesday with a three-year contract extension. He's in his 32nd year with the organization, also serving as player, coach, scout, and assistant GM. He said his style toward keeping the Flyers among the NHL's elite has never wavered even as the job description changed. "Part of being a Flyer is bringing your lunch pail," Holmgren said. "That's part of our culture, part of our tradition." Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=6034209
