A substantial number of rookies made positive impressions on the Philadelphia Flyers last weekend. The 2024 Rookie Series versus the New York Rangers featured two games (Game 1 and Game 2) requiring more than regulation time.
Yesterday, the Flyers resumed rookie camp. Splitting the 2024 Rookie Series, 1-0-1, versus the Rangers, provided rookies with their first taste of an NHL exhibition ahead of next season. Matvei Michkov, Jett Luchanko, and Oliver Bonk are a few names highlighted before the puck dropped, but others like Sawyer Boulton, Spencer Gill, and Samu Tuomaala snatched their share of attention. Between the pipes, Carson Bjarnason and Sam Hillebrandt turned in extended, solid performances versus New York at the PPL Center.
“Last night [Friday], after the first period, I got used to the play; the bigger, faster, [and] stronger guys, and I think playing with a guy like Emil [Andrae] last night, it really helped me a lot to get used to the pace.” – Spencer Gill; 9/14/2024
An extension of the weekend leaked into Sunday. Michkov and Luchanko continued drills with Elliot Desnoyers. But, after the exhibitions, returning to on-ice camp sessions meant a slight preparation for things to come.
On-ice conditioning sets the tone, and each session becomes more critical for prospects on the cusp of earning a spot in Philadelphia.
2024 Rookie Camp: Day Five
Tuomaala did not practice on Sunday. He was ruled day-to-day after the 2024 Rookie Series. Denver Barkey and Carter Sotheran were two other rookie camp attendees who dealt with health conditions and missed sessions.
“My energy [has] come back. The first couple [of] weeks, I was pretty fatigued and tired. I’ve slowly been working back; just working out, up the tempo of my workouts, stuff like that. Watching practices, you know it’s not fun. Then watching the games, you kind of go really crazy. You just want to get out there, be a part of it, and have fun. I’m trying to work to get back at it and just taking it day by day.” – Denver Barkey; 9/15/2024
All eyes remain on Michkov on the fifth day of rookie camp. In a drill where Luchanko defended low on Alexis Gendron, Michkov accepted an open pass in the faceoff circle and buried his chance. Everything about Michkov is very decisive and quick. His hands and positioning, when receiving passes, create an ideal position to pick an open target for a shot.
Luchanko commanded the attention of the brass during the 2024 Rookie Series. His performances were poised and mature. On the powerplay, Luchanko linked with Michkov on Friday. Then, on Saturday, Luchanko drew a penalty, prompting a Matteo Mann powerplay goal, and secured a secondary assist on the overtime game-winner by Tuomaala. Brent Flahr praised Luchanko:
“He’s [Luchanko] a really mature kid for his age. He knows what he is. He knows what he has to do. We don’t ask him to be anything more. Obviously, he’s going to be a big leader on that team [Guelph Storm], he’s going to play a ton of minutes in all situations, which is great, but again, we don’t want him to be anything that he’s not. Just make sure he’s taking care of himself [and] getting better every day, and that’s his focus.” – Brent Flahr; 9/15/2024
Ian Laperrière labeled a future top-six featuring Michkov and Luchanko as ‘special.’ Since the beginning of the 2024 Flyers Rookie Camp, both skaters ignited chemistry, and it translated on the ice.
Tomorrow is the final session of rookie camp at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, NJ, at 11am.
