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Bobby Clarke on NHL teams tanking: 'It pisses me off'

Adam Hunger / USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Clarke is not a happy camper.

The always irascible former Philadelphia Flyers great - and member of the Broad Street Bullies of the '70's - doesn't agree with teams intentionally losing, or tanking, to improve their draft status.

"It pisses me off that teams try to lose continually to come up with the (Sidney) Crosbys ... and (Evgeni) Malkins," Clarke told Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"The Flyers have never intentionally tried to lose. That would put a foul taste in my mouth," Clarke, an executive with the Flyers, said. "Who wants to be a part of any organization like that? I wouldn't want to be."

Clarke's comments are obviously directed at the Pittsburgh Penguins, having used the names of their star players.

He could, however, also be pointing fingers at a numbers of teams, such as the Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs, all of whom fielded less-than-impressive squads this season with Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel headlining a strong draft class.

Philadelphia fielded what they considered a competitive team - while having one of the NHL's highest payrolls - yet still ended up 14 points shy of the playoffs.

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