About Joe

Joe Watson was one of the first hockey players drafted during the NHL expansion draft in 1967 for the newly created Philadelphia Flyers. Little did he know when he left the Boston Bruins that this unexpected career change would lead him to play on a two-time Stanley Cup champion team, eventually becoming known as the iconic Broad Street Bullies.

Joe soon earned the nickname “Thundermouth” by Flyers teammate Ed Van Impe, for his strong voice that carried from one end of the ice to the other.

Growing up in the remote town of Smithers, British Columbia, hockey was a way of life so Joe was lacing up skates as soon as he could walk, and never looked back. It was during these formative years that Joe, a left-handed defenseman, was inspired and encouraged by coaches to follow his dream of becoming a professional hockey player, and that’s all he needed. His desire, discipline, and dedication paved the way from there. By age 16, Joe was on his way to Estevan, Saskatchewan where he was selected out of 104 players for the Junior A Estevan Bruins team.

After three years with Estevan, Joe turned pro with the Minneapolis Bruins, a farm team for the Boston Bruins. From there, the franchise moved to Oklahoma City where Joe and his team won the championship and he was selected for the the All-Star team. The following year, he moved up to the Boston Bruins where he became good friends with his teammate Bobby Orr who, according to Joe, is one of the best hockey players of all time.

In 1972, Joe welcomed his younger brother Jim to the Flyers team, and the Watson brothers captivated fans with their signature defense skills. They went on to play together in both the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup Championships, winning two Stanley Cups. At the time, Joe and Jim were only the fourth “brother” combination in the league to win, and the first from Smithers, British Columbia.