Although it was speculated for a day or two, the Philadelphia Flyers officially returned forward Jett Luchanko to the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League Saturday morning.
Although coach John Tortorella lauded Luchanko during training camp and in the exhibition games he played in, Luchanko didn’t seem to dazzle in the regular season games he appeared in. While not registering a point in the four games he played in, his first game in Vancouver made Flyers history as being the youngest Flyer ever to play in a regular season game. Luchanko was drafted thirteenth overall in this 2024 NHL Draft.
“The decision to send Jett back is something we strongly believe is the right path for him and his development,” general manager Danny Briere said in a statement released by the team. “His work-ethic, preparedness and play during training camp and preseason was something we were extremely impressed with and felt he earned the right to make our roster and start the season with us. Ultimately, we feel it is more valuable for Jett to be put in the best possible position to prepare himself for an NHL career, and right now that is with his team in Guelph.”
While Luchanko appeared in both games against Vancouver as well as contests in Edmonton and Seattle, the fact he didn’t see any action in the home-and-home series this week against Washington was a huge sign that he wasn’t going to stick with the club. Now returning to Guelph Luchanko should be able to get back in action possibly as early as Sunday afternoon when Guelph host Brampton. He posted 74 points for Guelph last year and is also possibly a strong candidate to be a part of Canada’s roster when the World Junior Hockey Championships take place later this year.
Luchanko’s departure should also establish some more steadiness in terms of getting players like Noah Cates ice time while hopefully also creating a bit more certainty regarding line combinations. Hopefully the return isn’t seen as a demotion for Luchanko but just a case of a young player needing more time to develop among players his own age and size. It was a taste of what’s to come for Flyers fans in a season which hopefully gets a bit brighter than it currently is now.
