Hours before puck drop at the Xfinity Mobile Arena (will never feel weird to type that) as they take on the Boston Bruins for their fourth of seven preseason games, the Philadelphia Flyers have sent a couple of players back to their respective junior teams north of the border.
Announced by the team on Saturday afternoon, the Flyers have returned center Jack Nesbitt to the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, and defenseman Spencer Gill to the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
Transactions: The following two players have been assigned to their junior teams today:
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) September 27, 2025
F – Jack Nesbitt (OHL – Windsor)
D – Spencer Gill (QMJHL – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada) https://t.co/ZrAJSxMmSS
Both of these players had fairly significant training camp experiences that should push them to really make an impact with their junior teams this season. Nesbitt, just drafted and many fans were critical of the team for taking him as high as they did at 12th overall, demonstrated exactly why some were so excited about him. His 6-foot-5 frame is one thing, but the way that he was able to control play and make some smart plays off his stick throughout rookie camp and into preseason, was a very good sign. His one major problem is still his skating, but that will be a work in progress.
Meanwhile, Spencer Gill in his second Flyers training camp since being a second round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, basically used it to show off just how much mass he has been able to put on. Remarkably, in one year’s time, the 19-year-old, 6-foot-4 blueliner gained a total of 25 pounds. He went from a little beanpole of a defender to someone that can potentially throw his weight around on the ice and become a much stronger player overall.
But now they are both heading back to the CHL and potentially for their last season of junior hockey. Gill will be aging out after this season and most likely will play a prominent role for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in his rookie year — as Oliver Bonk is most likely going to do this upcoming season. And for the 18-year-old Nesbitt, he is in a perfect position to potentially level up his competition after this upcoming year. Whether it be the new rule under the CBA where a team can elect to have one 19-year-old from the CHL play for their AHL club, or Nesbitt going off to play in the NCAA, his options remain open and depending on how well he plays in Windsor this season, it might not make sense for him to continue bullying people around in the OHL.
Both Nesbitt and Gill should be featured heavily on their respective teams and both should have some glory in mind. Nesbitt’s Spitfires and Gill’s Armada are poised to be among the best teams in their leagues and could go very deep into the playoffs, and maybe even appear in the Memorial Cup next spring.
Nevertheless, they did enough to leave a positive impression on the Flyers (and us) and now they will go off and play against their peers.
