The Philadelphia Flyers began their 2024 Training Camp with the dreaded bag skate and stationary bike tests off the ice. John Tortorella put the roster through intense cardiovascular training, pushing his players’ mental fortitude and conditioning.
At 8:30am, the first session began, followed by the second at 9:30am, and the last at 10:30am. The roster was split into three teams to work out during designated sessions. Brad Shaw and Angelo Ricci set out the rope, which is crafting a legend of its own:
“I needed something for them to skate around on the ice, so we put it between the nets. That’s how the rope came about. Putting these tests over their head makes them think about it during the summertime, and that’s the biggest reason for it. When you sprawl on the ice, that’s what I like looking at. You find out what the athlete is about in those types of situations. [It’s] very physical, but more mental for me. Is it like they just won the Stanley Cup [because] they finished it, or is it, ‘alright, we’re done with that, what’s next?’ That’s what it’s about.” – John Tortorella; 9/19/2024
Here is the breakdown of the 2024 Training Camp teams:
Team 1
- Brendan Furry, Sean Couturier, Rhett Gardner, Jacob Gaucher, Cooper Marody, Anthony Richard, Nick Capone, Tyson Foerster, Travis Konecny, Matt Miller, Louie Belpedio, Émile Chouinard, Helge Grans, Rasmus Ristolainen, Ethan Samson, Sam Sedley, Egor Zamula, Sam Ersson, Sam Hillebrandt
Team 2
- Oscar Eklind, Joel Farabee, Rodrigo Ābols, Noah Cates, Morgan Frost, Jett Luchanko, Sawyer Boulton, Olle Lycksell, Matvei Michkov, Owen Tippett, Samu Tuomaala, Emil Andrae, Oliver Bonk, Jamie Drysdale, Adam Ginning, Erik Johnson, Nick Seeler, Carson Bjarnason, Ivan Fedotov
Team 3
- Nicolas Deslauriers, Elliot Desnoyers, Josh Zakreski, Jon-Randall Avon, Scott Laughton, Ryan Poehling, Massimo Rizzo, Bobby Brink, Alexis Gendron, Garnet Hathaway, Zayde Wisdom, Ronnie Attard, Spencer Gill, Matteo Mann, Hunter McDonald, Travis Sanheim, Carter Sotheran, Cam York, Eetu Mäkiniemi, Cal Petersen
Not listed at the 2024 Training Camp is Denver Barkey, who could not participate in the 2024 Rookie Camp. Barkey is recovering from mono but was at the Flyers Training Center to watch along. Included, but less surprising by his absence, is Alexei Kolosov. He intends to remain in the KHL, choosing not to compete for a goaltending role in the AHL against Petersen or in the NHL against Fedotov.
Sean Couturier
Feeling better, Couturier is relieved about his health. His back injury is behind him, but he admitted the bag skate was still strenuous. Couturier fought a core injury in the second half of last season, but now, he feels good.
Couturier credited Konecny and Furry for helping him push through the demanding bag skate. He complimented Furry on his skating but had more great things to say about Michkov.
“He’s [Michkov] adapting pretty well to a new lifestyle, new culture. His English is improving every day it seems, and he seems to just love the game, loves to get out on the ice and work, and play hockey. He seems to be a fun guy to be around and wants to be the best out there. He’s exciting to be with, for sure. He’s a special talent, and [I’m] looking forward to see what he can do.” – Sean Couturier; 9/19/2024
Like many, Couturier watched Michkov in drills, and he praised the skillset of ‘The Mad Russian,’ stating he is ‘up there with the best that I’ve played with,’ such as Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek, but added a critical tidbit:
“I think we got to be careful also not to just judge right away. He’s [Michkov] only nineteen, and he’s coming to a new country. I don’t know how many times he’s been over here, but there’s a lot of new stuff in his life. I think we got to be patient and let him grow into the player he can be.” – Sean Couturier; 9/19/2024
Jamie Drysdale
On the 9:30am bag skate, Drysdale admitted the bag skate was as bad as it was supposed to be. As advertised, it was a grueling mental and physical battle, but Drysdale felt like he put his effort all on the ice. Like Couturier, Drysdale was banged up with injuries last season, too. The closest he came to playing a complete season in the NHL was 2021-2022 (81GP), and after starting a total of 34 games between Philadelphia (24GP) and the Anaheim Ducks (10GP), the aim is to fulfill all 82 on the upcoming schedule.
“It’s not great knowing that you can’t do what you want to do, and know you can do, per se. That’s not ideal. From not being able to warm up properly, just being restricted, [and] doing everything you can to just make it feel decent going into a game. It was what it was. I’ve said this before, ‘everyone goes through things during the year, it’s not just me.’ No one feels perfect probably after game one of the year, to be honest with you. It is what it is. I’m just looking forward to going into this year feeling good.” – Jamie Drysdale; 9/19/2024
Drysdale has played four NHL seasons. Overall, between the Flyers and Ducks, he skated in 147 games. He remained local and arrived at the Flyers Training Center throughout the offseason to rehabilitate injuries, skate, lift weights, and cool down. Drysdale is picking up on valuable nuggets to become a better professional, such as taking better care of his body. Longevity is the aim.
John Tortorella
When it seemed like everyone had their sight set on Michkov, Tortorella said he only watched Michkov during the 2024 Rookie Series versus the New York Rangers. In the first rookie game (and the only tilt to feature Michkov), Tortorella felt he played very well. Ian Laperrière poured on the ice time for Michkov, and Tortorella felt he improved exponentially as the third period went down to the wire. Aside from his game, a vital takeaway is the talking points regarding Michkov mixing in with his teammates.
“He [Michkov] loves playing hockey. He’s a hockey player and wants to be on the ice all the time. Again, I’m not hanging with him, I don’t know him that well; I’ve only spoken to him four or five times in very short little spurts, but he seems like a really good kid that just wants to play hockey. I’m really anxious to see what he is.” – John Tortorella; 9/19/2024
As ‘The Don of The Bag Skate,’ Tortorella witnessed the 2024 Training Camp roster fight through the test. In his opening meeting with the players, Tortorella addressed how much work there is to do with the team but that he would put the locker room against any team in the NHL. A lot went awry last season, on and off of the ice, but Philadelphia exceeded expectations, even if they fell short of a postseason berth. The trend is going in the direction a franchise wants while drafting high-end talent. If you hear how Tortorella talks about Michkov, they are closer to a match than a combination of water and oil, as some feared.
