They came from all over, young and old, rich and poor, and paid tribute to Ed Snider, the man who gambled 50 years ago that Philadelphia would become attracted to hockey.
Snider, 83, the Flyers' chairman and cofounder, died at 83 on April 11 after a two-year battle with bladder a cancer, and a celebration of his life was held Thursday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center, home of the team he loved like one of his six children and 15 grandchildren.
In a heartfelt 1 hour, 50-minute ceremony that included speeches from three of his children, business associates, friends, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Mayor Kenney and former Flyers great Bob Clarke, Snider was remembered as a man of passion and wisdom.