We knew it was happening this week but the Flyers officially announced the schedule as well as the 27-man roster for their Rookie Camp which kicks off Thursday at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, New Jersey.
The camp opens up Thursday with a 90-minute practice, one of four throughout the camp which concludes Sept. 17. A morning skate on Friday takes place before the Flyers travel to Allentown for their opening game of the Rookie Series against the Rangers Friday evening. The second of the back-to-back games happens Saturday afternoon. From there the Flyers will hold a practice a 90-minute practice for three straight days to round out the annual camp.
In terms of the roster for the Rookie Camp there are no huge surprises.
Obviously two of the bigger names to keep watch on are Matvei Michkov and 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko. It’s almost a certainty Michkov makes the roster for opening night but it will be interesting to see what Luchanko does over the course of a few days. Other forwards making their Rookie Camp debut include Sawyer Boulton, Nick Capone and Matt Miller (all three on AHL contracts), Massimo Rizzo, 2022 seventh-round pick Santeri Sulko (who played in Finland last season) and Josh Zakreski who is here on a amateur try-out. Zakreski played for Portland of the Western Hockey League last season where he put up 21 goals and 28 assists in 62 games.
Rookie Camp invitees who are forwards and also appeared at last year’s version include forwards Denver Barkey, J.R. Avon, Elliot Desnoyers, Jacob Gaucher, Alexis Gendron, Samu Tuomaala and Zayde Wisdom.
Meanwhile on the back end the Flyers making their Rookie Camp debuts include Emile Chouinard, an imposing 6’5″, 200-lb blueliner who played for Baie Comeau in the QMJHL last year. Another tower outside of Hunter McDonald is Matteo Mann, a 2023 seventh-round pick by the Flyers who is a mere 6’6″ and 242 lbs and split last season between Saint John in the QMJHL and Reading of the ECHL. And of course Spencer Gill, the 2024 second-round pick who played with Rimouski last season. The remaining defensemen all attended last year’s Rookie Camp including McDonald, Oliver Bonk, Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, Ethan Samson, Sam Sedley and Carter Sotheran.
In goal Carter Bjarnason returns for a second consecutive Rookie Camp while Sam Hillebrandt, who played with the Barrie Colts last season in the OHL, is here on an amateur try-out. Overall there are two more forwards this Rookie Camp versus last year but with an equivalent number of defensemen and goalies. The biggest question tomorrow is how many of the 27 will be left standing if head coach John Tortorella introduces them to his notorious bag skate.
