It was one of many reasons that Hextall was such an enormous NHL attraction during the 11 seasons he spent in orange and black.

"I've been asked that about Philly," Hextall said last night at the Wachovia Center before to his induction into the Flyers Hall of Fame. "When you come and see 15,000 screaming people there, if you're not ready for the game, you get pumped up in a hurry.

"Conversely, on the road, you either love the Flyers or hate the Flyers, and we all knew that. We were hated in every building. I did feed off it. Quite frankly, I loved it. It was like us against the world. What better way to unite a team than everybody in the crowd hating and throwing things? It was terrific."

Hextall, now the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, is the 19th Flyers Hall of Famer. During his induction ceremony between periods, each of the four face-off circles had a rotating No. 27 projected on it in orange. Among the guests were former teammates Dave Poulin and Mark Howe, both Flyers Hall of Fame inductees.

Hextall might be best known for playing the puck. He was the one of the first goalies to do it, and he became one of hockey's best at it.

New generations of goalies emulated him, forcing the league's competition committee to change the rules, forbidding the goalie to handle the puck outside the trapezoid that now marks the ice.

"I remember as a kid when my dad [Bryan] played, I was at practice and saw [goalie] Jimmy Rutherford skating around . . . and he got the puck and shot it at the boards," Hextall said. "He lifted it three feet and I said, 'Wow, that's really cool.' When I started, part of it was my personality. I had some energy, and I liked to be involved in the game."

He became a huge part of the Flyers' game for more than a decade. Last night, he told the crowd he was fortunate to "pursue his passion" in the game of hockey and talked about playing in a city with passion where "excellence was expected."

Hextall choked up a few times in his speech. He called general manager Paul Holmgren "a true friend," bringing tears to Holmgren's eyes.

"Life's experiences take you on many great journeys, but there is always somewhere that you call home. Philadelphia will always be my home. . . . Once a Flyer, always a Flyer."