Ty Murchison’s 2025-26 season ended in January with a shoulder injury he suffered in the middle of a scrum while playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
On Saturday, after seven months out, he jumped right back into the fray, ending the Flyers’ Rookie Series game by dropping the gloves with 6-foot-7 New York Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck.
The game ends with some extracurriculars, highlighted by a tilt between Dylan Roobroeck and Ty Murchison.
“The fight at the end was great for my mindset, personally,” the 6-2, 212-pound Murchison said. “That’s how I got hurt last time, so to be able to get one out of the way early, especially against a 6-foot-7 guy, and know that my shoulder felt good and felt ready, it was a great way to start.”
Murchison, 23, made an impressive NHL debut last season, playing in three December games and averaging 15minutes a night and impressing coach Rick Tocchet. But just as the 2021 fifth-round pick was starting to really push for more consideration at the NHL level, that injury ended his season. Murchison spent the rest of the spring rehabbing and said he was full-go starting in May, allowing him to have a full summer of training heading into the 2026-27 season.
In the AHL last year, his first full pro season — the Californian played four games after finishing up his career at Arizona State the year prior — he scored two goals and added four assists for six points in 29 games. He said he spent the summer working on developing the offensive side of his game, in hopes of contributing a bit more on the scoresheet in his second pro season.
Flyers defenseman Ty Murchison had an impressieve showing this past weekend at the team’s Rookie Series.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
In order to earn a full-time spot out of camp, Murchison will likely have to beat out former No. 6 overall pick David Jiříček, former No. 21 overall pick Oliver Bonk, and Hunter McDonald, among others. Bonk and Jiříček project to have more offensive upside, but in a third-pairing role, Murchison could prove he is a better fit with his defensive versatility, physicality, and penalty-killing upside. Murchison said he wants to prove he can be trusted in “big situations” and show off his impact regardless of how many minutes he gets.
If he doesn’t make it, he’ll return to playing big minutes for the Phantoms in the American Hockey League and await a potential call-up down the line.
He’s already setting himself up well with his performance in rookie camp. Murchison wore the “C” in the first Rookie Series game and popped with his skating and steadiness on the back end, in addition to that fight.
“I didn’t want to force anything in the first game back,” Murchison said. “I was still feeling it out a little bit with some of the physicality. I just didn’t want to get caught in the wrong spots, but I thought it was a good game, good first game back.”
General manager Danny Brière lauded Murchison’s performance in the Rookie Series on Tuesday, pointing to him as an example of a player who is pushing for an NHL role this season and already impressing in a shortened camp.
“Guys might have one chance, they might have one game to prove themselves,” Brière said. “The message is, get noticed. That’s why I mentioned Ty Murchison and Noah Powell, that’s what they did on the weekend.”
Breakaways
Forwards Denver Barkey and Jett Luchanko returned to the ice for the final day of rookie camp practice after taking a maintenance day on Monday. … The TNT crew will be on-site for the Flyers’ home opener on Sept. 30 for a special pregame show at Stateside Live!, featuring panelists Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bissonnette, Anson Carter, and Henrik Lundqvist. … The Flyers announced their 2026-27 promo schedule, including Gritty blanket and Flyers goalie glove oven mitt giveaways, not to mention a Peanuts Halloween Spooktacular on Oct. 27. The full schedule can be found here.
As the Flyers prepare to take to the ice again, Gritty made a typically chaotic appearance Tuesday via the team’s social media to announce the theme nights and promotional schedule for the 2026-27 season.
The theme nights include some returning favorites, like the Peanuts’ Halloween Spooktacular (Oct. 27 vs. Columbus), as well as departures — the Flyers are forgoing Star Wars Night this season. The team also announced dates for giveaways and deal days, starting with a T-shirt for the season opener on Sept. 30 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Fans can expect a goalie-themed oven mitt (Nov. 15 vs. Edmonton), a Gritty blanket (Feb. 24 vs. Buffalo), and dollar dog nights (Oct. 19 vs. Colorado and March 2 vs. Vegas) as well as a $1 pretzel game (Oct. 13 vs. Seattle).
Dec. 11 against the Calgary Flames is the Marvel superhero game, and the holiday spirit begins Dec. 21 with the holiday spectacular against Columbus. The first 10,000 fans receive a Flyers ugly sweater beanie.
The new year will bring Kids Day on Jan. 30, against the Winnipeg Jets and a “Business Person Special” for the rare weekday matinee on Feb. 22 against the Montreal Canadiens.
Flyers fans can’t expect the giveaways to continue across a number of themed nights this season.Tim Hawk / For The Inquirer
As spring approaches, the PECO Go Green Game is March 16, against the Detroit Red Wings, with a Flyers corduroy hat giveaway, and the season’s promos wrap up with a Keystone Rivalry game on March 30 against Pittsburgh, featuring a Flyers sweatshirt giveaway.
The Flyers also will have several community games. The first is the Flyers Carnival Game, which will commemorate the 50th season of the Flyers Charity Carnival, on Oct. 17, against the Ottawa Senators. The game will feature specialty pucks and tickets to the annual Flyers Charities Carnival will be for sale. Other nights include Military Appreciation Night (Nov. 17 vs. Buffalo), Hockey Fights Cancer Night (Nov. 28 vs. New York Islanders), the Ed Snider Legacy Game (Jan. 7 vs. Toronto), and Pride Night (Jan. 21 vs. Nashville).
General manager Danny Brière walked into the press room on the second floor of the Flyers Training Center on Tuesday morning for his annual preseason media news conference.
The room is lined with windows on one side, and below, as he answered questions for approximately 20 minutes, players went through drills. But these weren’t the rookies, who had been in camp since Friday and were skating in the afternoon; these were the big boys in presumably their final captain’s practice before they officially hit the ice Thursday for the fourth training camp of Brière’s tenure.
Among those on the ice were forwards Owen Tippett and Noah Cates, two players whose seasons ended early due to injury, and new guys like goaltender Joseph Woll.
Here are the major topics the GM touched on before Thursday.
On Matvei Michkov
Coming off a roller coaster sophomore campaign, Matvei Michkov has acknowledged several times that he did not prepare properly entering last season, and it affected his game.
Although he played better following the Olympic break, finishing with 20 goals and 51 points in 81 regular-season games, Michkov was scratched in the playoffs, struggled with the pace, and had just one assist in eight postseason contests.
But Brière said that the winger is walking around the training center with “a different swagger” right now and wants to “prove that last year was just a little hiccup.” Through social media posts, pictures, and interviews with Russian media, it appears the 21-year-old also had a different mindset preparing for Year 3.
One video posted on X features Michkov speaking about a member of the Flyers’ training staff, Lorne Goldenberg, who was hired in May as a performance development coach, going to Russia over the summer to work with him. According to Brière, it was Michkov and not the organization who requested that.
After an up-and-down sophomore season, Matvei Michkov has a lot to play for, including a new contract, in Year 3.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“I believe so,” Brière said when asked if he learned and responded well to how last season went.
“I think we saw him mature as the season went on last year. Everybody has a different path. You all wish that guys were all like Sidney Crosby, and they were at 16 years old a total pro. But the reality is, those are really rare.
“Everybody has a different path along the way. But what I was excited to see was, I think his maturity level increased as the season went on. In the offseason, seeing him here, he’s got a pep in his step. He feels good. He looks good. So I’m excited about Matvei’s season.”
Unlike last year, the Flyers are no longer allowed to conduct fitness testing, with a new collective bargaining agreement going into effect at midnight on Tuesday. The CBA also has new rules regarding contracts, as teams are no longer allowed to sign players to eight-year deals; seven years is now the max. For Michkov, it is a big year as he will be a restricted free agent come July 1. The GM said there have been talks, but they are not close to signing an extension.
“He’s a polarizing player, his personality and everything. He’s been a superstar since he was 14, 15 years old. I think he’s comfortable in the spotlight; that’s just who he is,” Brière said when asked about Michkov maybe having a quieter year off the ice.
“But yeah, definitely things were overblown, and it goes both ways. They’re probably going to be overblown when it’s good; they’re going to be overblown when it’s bad. I think a lot of it is his personality. He’s very polarizing, and I think it’s not all that bad because he strikes me as one of those guys who, when things are good and he’s in the spotlight, he’s not afraid of the big moment.
“So, I try to see the positive in it, but … I thought last year was overblown in his case.”
Flyers general manager Danny Briere clarified one of his previous comments about “taking a step back” and stated that the goal remains making the playoffs.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
No complacency
On July 1, the GM said: “We took a big step forward last year, and there’s a chance, a good chance, that we take a little bit of a step back this year. We’re ready for that. But I’m excited where this young group of guys are going.”
On Tuesday, he softened the blow of “a step back.” Brière said he didn’t explain himself properly, stating the foundation of it was that he did not want the young players to be complacent because they made it to the NHL and had a good start. Although he knows it’s a young team, he doesn’t want the players to take a step backward in their development.
“Today the goal is to make the playoffs,” he said later. “The most important part for me, and that’s where you’re [the media] not going to like my answer, but we hope our young guys take another step. And if they do, I think we’ll be very competitive.
“I think last year going into the season, we were just hoping to be competitive. We were hoping to be in the mix, in or out of the playoffs, was going to be a good season. I see us as more competitive than we were last year, and a better team than we were last year, so that’s where it leaves us. Time will tell, but certainly I’m hoping that after the players tasted the playoffs last year, and that they’re eager to get back there once again.”
The complacency message goes for rising stars, like Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey, and the veterans, too. Despite a shortened camp and the roster seemingly largely set, Brière is expecting some battles for spots, not just in the lineup but also for added responsibilities like the power play — which he said coach Rick Tocchet and his staff devoted toward trying to figure out how to pull it out of the NHL basement — and penalty kill.
“We talked about the power play,” he said. “I said it last year, I expect our penalty kill unit to be better. So don’t get complacent. Don’t think that because you’ve been on special teams the last three or four years, that you’re automatically going to be on it. We have a lot of guys fighting for positions. So that’s kind of the message. Not just about roster spots; it’s also about responsibility within the roster.”
Breakaways
Brière said forward Nikita Grebenkin’s status for the start of training camp is a little up in the air and he could “miss the first couple days of camp.” He said the winger, who suffered an upper-body injury in March and missed the rest of the season and playoffs, “had a little flare-up last week.” Grebenkin spent the entire 2025-26 season in the NHL, a first in his career, and had four goals and 14 points in 55 games. He is the only player, Brière said, who, as of publish time, could miss the start of things on Thursday.
Nikita Grebenkin (upper body) is the only member of the Flyers who might not be on the ice to start training camp.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“The Great One” is coming to Philadelphia to kick off the NHL season, and he’s bringing a few friends with him.
TNT is renting out Stateside Live! and bringing it’s full NHL studio crew — including Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky — for the Flyers’ opening night matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins (Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.), the latest edition of their Battle of Pennsylvania rivalry.
Liam McHugh will host the festivities beginning at 6 p.m. He’ll be joined by TNT analysts Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter, Paul Bissonnette, and Gretzky, who signed a multi-year extension with Turner Sports last year.
Gretzky joined TNT as a hockey analyst in the 2021-22 season after it secured its media rights deal with the NHL. He appears on TNT’s coverage infrequently, but is there for all the major events, including the Winter Classic and the Stanley Cup playoffs.
TNT’s NHL studio crew (from left) Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh, Anson Carter, and Henrik Lundqvist.Turner Sports
“This city lives and breathes sports, and the passion of Flyers fans creates an incredible atmosphere that you can feel the moment you arrive,” said McHugh. “We’re excited to bring NHL on TNT back on the road, celebrate the start of another season, and give fans a front-row seat to all the energy, intensity, and personalities that make this sport so special.”
It could be a busy night in South Philly. In addition to the Flyers’ opening-night game, it’s possible the Phillies could be hosting a wild-card game.
TNT is scheduled to get nine of those, including two matchups against the Washington Capitals in what could be Alexander Ovechkin’s final NHL season.
Ross Tucker shines amid Tony Romo CBS drama
Eagles preseason announcer Ross Tucker will call Sunday’s Eagles-Commanders game on CBS.CBS
Ross Tucker shined in his debut in CBS’s No. 2 booth Sunday, which he’ll remain a part of for at least the next few weeks.
CBS announced its broadcast schedule for Weeks 2 and 3, and the Wyomissing native and former NFL offensive lineman will continued to be paired with veteran play-by-player Ian Eagle.
On Sunday, Eagle and Tucker will call a Week 2 matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos. In Week 3, the pair will broadcast an AFC North battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tucker, who also serves as the Eagles preseason announcer, impressed fans and critics Sunday during CBS’s broadcast of the Buffalo Bills’ narrow win against the Houston Texans.
Early on, during a failed fourth-down run by Josh Allen, Tucker was quick to note offensive lineman Dion Dawkins “took too big of an angle” on Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter, allowing him to undercut the block and make the play.
“The Bills would have had it if Dawkins could have sealed that block,” Tucker said.
Later in the game, when a pass went right through the fingertips of Texans receiver Xavier Hutchinson, Tucker pointed out the often-overlooked difficulty in making that type of catch.
“That’s a tough spot to catch a football, right above your helmet, because your arms are restricted a little bit by the shoulder pads,” Tucker said. “It’s one of the tougher places to catch than you would think.”
Going unmentioned in CBS’s announcement of its upcoming schedule was Romo, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback who remains suspended after pleading no contest to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. J.J. Watt will remain in the No. 1 booth alongside Jim Nantz for at least the next two weeks.
The network has yet to respond to Romo’s statement tjat he plans to return to CBS “in time,” leading to speculation the network might be looking to part ways with its highly paid top NFL analyst.
“What feels on the horizon is the use of the morals clause and other language in Romo’s contract to try to reach a settlement on the final $72 million on his contract,” wrote The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand. “It could end up in a legal fight to determine how much Romo will receive to leave.”
Quick hits
Hall of Famer Drew Brees is in his second season with Fox as a color analyst. Tyler Kaufman
Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees will call his first Eagles game Sunday when the Birds take on the Tennessee Titans on Fox. Brees was run out of NBC in 2022 after a bad performance calling his first NFL game — a wild-card game — but has since rebounded in his second year with Fox.
Former Penn State football coach James Franklin is coaching Virginia Tech this season, and after Monday’s win against Old Dominion, he really wanted to know how Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Howes was doing.
James Franklin really wanted to know how my day was this morning.
Couldn’t see him on Zoom and thought the audio was glitching. My apologies, James. pic.twitter.com/tIAOGa4dzm
97.5 The Fanatic program director Scott Masteller is retiring following a 45-year career, the last three spent in Philly. Masteller’s last day will be Dec. 31, and it’s unclear where the station will turn after that. The last few years have seen a number of notable departures, including John Kincade, Anthony Gargano, and Mike Missanelli, who was unceremoniously dumped last year.
Starting Thursday, Owen Tippett will begin preparations for his seventh full NHL season and fifth in Philly. For the 27-year-old, the memories aren’t always at the forefront, but now and then, a picture pops up and reminds him of his days skating as a kid in Toronto.
This is why the Flyers winger is also entering his third straight season serving as an ambassador for the Flyers Learn to Play Rookie Program.
“Obviously, that’s how a lot of hockey careers start, is in learn to play. Anytime you get a program that kind of helps out the way the Flyers do, it’s always nice to help them out when you can, and to have your name behind something like that means a lot,” said Tippett. His wife, Taylor, who also grew up playing hockey, is joining him as an ambassador.
“We all started out at that point, and I can still remember playing and learning how to skate, too. So to pay it back in any way is always special.”
Launched in 2017, the Flyers Learn to Play Rookie Program has introduced more than 6,700 kids to hockey. Last year saw a record-breaking 33% increase in registration and more than 200 girls participating.
Many of those girls first got a taste of the sport on World Girls Hockey Weekend, where young women can try hockey for free. This year, the weekend will be held Oct. 16-18 at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees or Havertown’s Skatium.
“If you’re a kid that’s growing up playing hockey in this area, odds are you’re going to be a Flyers fan — we hope that’s the case — but we try and make sure that we’re always present in the rinks and in the hockey community, sort of at every step of development, so that they always feel that pull and they feel that connection to the Flyers,” Rob Baer, the team’s senior director of community relations and hockey development, told The Inquirer. ”It starts at the very beginning.”
The Flyers’ Learn to Play program costs $299 and outfits each kid from head to toe with equipment.Courtesy of the Flyers
To grow the game and make participating in the sport easier despite the steep cost, each player in the program gets outfitted from head to toe with hockey equipment — including skates and a bag to carry all the gear — a personal welcome message from the Tippetts, a certificate of completion signed by Owen, and the chance to meet Flyers alumni at select sessions.
This season, the program, which costs $299, will operate at 20 rinks across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Families seeking financial assistance can apply for the 2026 Flyers Charities Scholarship.
On Monday, after wrapping up his own hockey session — he said he is “all good” and ready to go after missing the second round of the playoffs due to an internal bleeding issue and an unrelated sports hernia — Tippett met two graduates of the Learn to Skate program. Tessa Kobal, 7, from Voorhees, and 8-year-old Eleanor McDermott from Cherry Hill. Both were brand new to the sport this past spring.
“There was this birthday party; it was an ice skating birthday party, and I liked ice skating, so my parents signed me up for Learn to Skate, and I decided I wanted to do hockey, not figure skating,” said Eleanor, who, like Tessa, participated in a girls-only session of the Learn to Play program this spring.
“She hadn’t touched a hockey stick — we did skating — and then she said, ‘Well, I kind of like hockey,’” added Eleanor’s father, Travis McDermott. “Then Learn to Play came up and she did that once and [it was like], ‘Oh, yeah, tryouts are next week.’”
Without much preparation, Eleanor and Tessa each tried out and made the Philadelphia Liberties under-10 and under-8 teams, respectively. The Liberties are an all-girls hockey club based out of the Flyers Training Center.
The pair finished out the Learn to Play program, and now the dynamic duo is tearing it up on the ice in No. 1 (Tessa) and No. 99 (Eleanor) jerseys. Tessa is enjoying scoring goals — she also plays dek hockey and proudly recalled the time she scored four during a game in Medford. — and Eleanor, a speedy player who likes to play defense and already has a game under her belt, is excited to work on her crossovers.
“It’s great,” Tippett said about his involvement. “Obviously we’re super busy, and anytime you get the chance to, not only with this, but we’ve gone to children’s hospitals, and around the holidays we’ll do extra stuff. It’s an easy ask, and it’s an easy answer to say yes, to get out in the community and meet people.
“Obviously, [with] what we do, it’s nice to get a break and get away from the game a little bit and give back. The fans do so much for us, and the least we can do is be out in the community, showing how much we appreciate them.”
Owen Tippett’s wife, Taylor, played hockey growing up and is also heavily involved in the Learn to Play program.Courtesy of Flyers
For the first time, Oliver Bonk is entering training camp with a bit of NHL experience.
He made his NHL debut in the Flyers’ final regular-season game of the year, scoring his first NHL goal against Montreal a night after the Flyers clinched a playoff berth. He spent the playoffs practicing with the big club and returned to the lineup for Game 4 against Carolina, in the game where the Flyers were eliminated from the postseason.
That experience is a “confidence booster” heading into this year’s training camp, but it hasn’t changed the 21-year-old’s approach as he looks to make the opening night roster for the first time.
“You can’t just come out saying, ‘Oh, I played one game in the NHL last year, I’m good. I can take this rookie camp off,’” said Bonk, whose hopes to make last year’s team were derailed by a preseason injury. “I think every game has been my best, and I’ve got to keep building on it.”
Bonk joked that he attempted to improve “everything” this summer, but said he spent significant time working on his skating. Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach John Snowden praised Bonk for his transition game and ability to jump into the play at the right time.
With Rasmus Ristolainen still with the organization despite persistent trade rumors, there’s only one spot on the Flyers defense that doesn’t return an NHL regular from last year. Bonk, along with David Jiříček and newcomer lefty Simon Benoit, who was acquired in the Joseph Woll trade, will be among the biggest contenders.
“Where he ends up is up to Bonker,” Snowden said. “I think he’s done everything to put himself in a great situation to fight for a spot on that team.”
Phantoms coach John Snowden believes Oliver Bonk has taken a step in terms of his skating this offseason.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The NHL season is now 84 games, which means a shortened training camp for all players. Snowden said that at the start of rookie camp, he told the Flyers prospects to treat rookie camp like their training camp. There will be limited runway to make an impression in main camp and in the four preseason games.
That’s why the Rookie Series games took on increased importance. Bonk assisted Denver Barkey on the first goal of the Flyers’ 4-1 win over the New York Rangers’ rookies on Sunday. He also was in the bumper spot on the power play.
🚨 GOAL! 🚨
Denver Barkey gets the game’s first goal off the feed from Oliver Bonk! Jett Luchanko had the other helper.
“In the rookie games, it’s that time to test yourself and see how far you can go, see how many plays you can make, see how well you can do,” Bonk said. “It’s kind of like the test before the big dance.”
If Bonk doesn’t earn that third-pairing spot out of camp, which begins Thursday in Voorhees, he’s likely to return to Lehigh Valley to play every night. He’d likely be one of the first AHL call-ups in case of injury or a trade.
“It’s just continuing to teach and find the moments that are going to help him be an everyday NHL player,” Snowden said. “He’s got the right mindset, he’s got the right attitude, and he works the right way to give himself a chance for that.”
Breakaways
Denver Barkey and Jett Luchanko were not on the ice for skate Monday. Snowden said it was “maintenance” and that both players will be back on the ice Tuesday for the final day of rookie camp. Luchanko played in both Rookie Series games, while Barkey only played Sunday.
ALLENTOWN — Although it started feeling like the Flyers’ youth were living in Allentown, having been there since Friday for the start of rookie camp, they showed why everyone has a pretty good shot with an impressive set of games over the weekend.
The prospects worked hard and won Game 1 on Saturday, 3-2, before a decisive 4-1 victory in Game 2.
Here are our observations of the Flyers prospects from the Rookie Series:
Denver Barkey (left) scored in Sunday’s Rookie Series game.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Serving as captain, Denver Barkey played Sunday, and was in midseason form. The high-motor forward — “That’s what makes me an effective player,” he said postgame — was flying all night. He used his speed and quickness to effectively keep the Rangers defense on their heels as he drove to the net, notably on his goal. In the first period, Barkey streaked down the left side of the ice, receiving a feed from Oliver Bonk, his teammate of five years (four of them with London of the Ontario Hockey League), as he cut across the crease and dipped the puck around Rangers goalie Danai Shaiikov. Barkey later added an assist when he unselfishly passed up another goal to set up Porter Martone’s empty-netter.
Martone also looks ready to hit the ground running when the Flyers’ main camp opens Thursday in Voorhees, as he displayed his high-octane, edgy game on Sunday. A betting favorite to win the Calder Trophy this season as the NHL’s top rookie, Martone did have one bad turnover in the second period, leading to the Rangers’ lone goal, for which he apologized to his goalie, Marek Sklenička. He said after the game Sunday that he told the 2026 draft pick, “We’ll get it back here.” That wasn’t the only moment he was there for his teammates. He went after 6-foot-7 Rangers forward Dylan Roobroeck when he nailed Barkey. Martone, who looked more than ready for the NHL’s fast pace, posted a game-high five shots and also had an assist.
Alex Bump played only on Saturday but set the tone early following a disappointing main camp last year that stalled the start of his NHL career until March. Wanting to make an impression, Bump came out flying, showcasing his quickness and deftness with the puck, especially on the boards, his hockey IQ, and his willingness to drive to the net, finishing with two points. His goal was nice; his assist was dazzling as he sent a seam pass to Cole Knuble, who was driving to the net backdoor.
Knuble was also impressive in his one game on Saturday, showing a high-end motor akin to Barkey’s. He played physically, was active around the net, and used his feet and body well to protect the puck and create plays.
“Since the day I was drafted, I wanted to be a part of this organization,” said Knuble, who is about to begin his first full season as a pro. “I grew up loving this team, so it’s a dream come true. Every practice, every game, every offseason, that was the goal: to get one step closer to this.”
Jett Luchanko played both nights centering the top lines — Bump and Knuble were his wingers on Saturday and Barkey and Martone lined up with him on Sunday — and looked even better in Game 2. On Sunday, he was a play driver, carrying the puck up the ice and using his speed to wreak havoc in the Rangers’ defense. The recently turned 20-year-old had two assists, with his second coming on the goal by Barkey when he made a nice chip pass off the wall in the neutral zone while taking a hit.
“Showed us the flashes of what he really can become and what he’s going to be. That speed through the neutral zone and his ability to get on top of guys quickly,” Phantoms coach John Snowden said on Sunday. “… Back-to-back, too, right? His legs were still flying, and he was competitive and hard in situations. He had a little bite to his game.”
Maksim Sokolovskii continued to show this weekend why the Flyers made him a first-round pick. Despite his 6-7 frame, he is a smart, quick, fluid skater who can defend well while also creating time and space offensively. He broke up several plays on Sunday at the blue line with his long reach, while also using that same reach to protect the puck as he carried the puck around opponents. Sokolovskii had one assist in the game and has already been invited to the main Flyers camp.
Maksim Sokolovskii used his 6-foot-7 frame and reach to make plays on the puck during Saturday’s game.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Noah Powell, who Snowden called a “pretty raw, uncut diamond” that the Flyers can shape in an interview with The Inquirer back in May, may finally be coming into focus. The forward enjoys being a pest and played a hard, physical game all weekend. Oftentimes, his hits rattled the boards, and he got into it at the end of the game with the Rangers’ Jacob Battaglia before dropping the gloves with Jackson Dorrington.
“Hockey is a violent game. I’m not saying I’m a violent person, but when I get out there, I definitely do like to play a violent, vicious style of hockey,” said Powell, who noted he likes to blend Kiefer Sherwood’s motor and relentlessness with Tom Wilson’s toughness and heavy hitting to play his game.
Sklenička and Martin Psohlavec were solid on Sunday, but all eyes were on goalie Carson Bjarnason, who had a rocky first year as a pro with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. The goalie, who turned 21 in June, acknowledged a learning curve with the AHL being faster and his reads needing to be quicker, but said he has put the past behind him. On Saturday, his lone start of the weekend, he looked sharp, stopping 27 of 29 shots — both goals were on a Rangers power play — while flashing the leather on several attempts. His best save came after Luchanko sent an errant pass right onto Roobroeck’s stick for a Grade-A chance in the third period.
“I thought today he looked big in the net,” Snowden said on Saturday. “He looked composed in the net, didn’t really get scrambly at times and just tracked the puck the way he needed to track the puck. If he couldn’t see through traffic at times, he stayed big and pucks hit him. Overall, I thought it was a good step in the right direction for him.”
Matthew Gard scored the Flyers’ first goal of the Rookie Series.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Breakaways
Not long after he was drafted last year, Matthew Gard did not stand out at his first Rookie Series, but 2026 was different, especially in the first of two games. The press box was buzzing about the 6-5, lanky centerman who showed some pop — he scored the Flyers’ first goal of the weekend — and smarts. … Brek Liske said before Saturday’s game that he was looking forward to not just wearing an NHL logo on his jersey but to bringing the Flyers vs. Rangers video game matchup that he used to play on NHL 15 to reality. The Flyers’ 2026 second-rounder had a fantastic series, and one scout told The Inquirer that he and Luke Vlooswyk, his defensive partner with Everett of the Western Hockey League and a fellow Flyers prospect who he played with on Sunday, are underrated. Liske scored the go-ahead goal from the goal line on the second night with less than five seconds left in the middle frame after a Spencer Gill blast hit the end boards. Liske said he learned a great deal about communication at the Rookie Series and said after the game on Sunday, “I’m going to try and bring that back with me [to Everett], get everyone talking a little more, and make sure the rinks never quiet.” … Despite missing months after undergoing surgery on an upper-body injury in late January, Ty Murchison looked great in his lone game on Saturday, showing his smooth skating, hockey IQ, leadership — he wore the “C” — and grit as he dropped the gloves and went blow-for-blow at the end of Game 1 with Roobroeck.
ALLENTOWN — Jett Luchanko carried the puck up the ice with Alex Bump and Cole Knuble on his flanks during Friday’s drills. He passed it to Bump on the right side and drove to the net as the winger sent the puck back to the crashing forward for a scoring chance.
Later in the first practice of the Flyers’ rookie camp at PPL Arena, the right-handed center cut across the slot and sent it past the glove of 2026 second-round pick Martin Psohlavec for a goal.
Known for his high hockey IQ and his speed — “His name is Jett, so he should be fast,” as Lehigh Valley Phantoms coach John Snowden said jokingly — the knock on the Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick has been his lack of goal scoring. Part of that is down to his low shot total. He’s put only 21 shots on goal across a combined 25 American Hockey League and NHL regular-season and playoff games. Last year he managed just seven goals in 38 regular-season games in the Ontario Hockey League split between Guelph and Brantford.
“I think the one thing that we all talk about is we want to squeeze that offense out of him,” Snowden said. “Obviously today seeing him shoot the puck and scoring goals from a distance in some different scenarios, that’s a huge plus.”
Snowden, who is expected to have the newly 20-year-old in Allentown for the 2026-27 season, wants to see Luchanko take chances this weekend in the Rookie Series games against the New York Rangers. He wants to see his offensive game, which he believes he has, bubble to the surface.
But the reality is that just having Luchanko on the ice is a big step. After putting on a show two years ago while skating with Matvei Michkov at the Phantoms’ arena, the centerman missed development camp and rookie camp last year because of a groin injury.
He also missed development camp this summer after undergoing a procedure on his core approximately a month prior. According to Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, the issue had been lingering for a year and a half.
Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko has broken camp with the big club the last two seasons. This year, he might be better suited developing with Lehigh Valley.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“Yeah, I feel good, ready to go for sure, and just excited to take part in his camp,” said Luchanko, who got back on the ice soon after development camp and looked like he was in midseason form on Friday.
The hope was that having the summer to prepare would help Luchanko’s confidence. After back-to-back seasons of four-game NHL stints before returning to juniors, he is a full-time pro this year. Luchanko has yet to register a point in the NHL but has nine assists in 16 AHL contests and skated in the Flyers’ final playoff game last season. It was an eye-opening experience, as he learned firsthand the intensity the Stanley Cup playoffs bring.
“We’re excited to see him turn pro. I think that’s great. … Stability will probably be a good thing for him,” Flyers general manager Danny Brièretold The Inquirer at the beginning of June. “… The big thing with Jett is he has an elite skill in skating that is almost unmatched from anyone in the organization, other than maybe Owen Tippett. So that’s always going to have a lot of value for anybody to have a player like that.”
This season, the hope is he will take the next step, and with a shortened preseason for the Flyers, the time for him to showcase his skills is now.
At development camp, Luchanko spoke about using his speed and attacking with the puck. He noted that over the summer, every time he got on the ice, he put intent into working on those skills. He flashed that on Friday.
“He’s a great player. He can fly; he’s a really good skater, so [he] opens up more space for me and he can make plays,” Bump said of Luchanko. “So just got to be ready and in the slot or be ready for when he can make a play and just put them in the back of the net.”
Reading between the lines
Although Snowden wouldn’t commit to line combinations or defensive pairings — not everyone can or will play both games this weekend (7 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday and streamed on the Flyers website) — there were some interesting looks.
Outside of Luchanko, Bump, and Knuble together on a line, Denver Barkey — who said he put on a few pounds over the summer — and Porter Martone paired up with Phoenixville native Owen McLaughlin. Like Bump, Martone and Barkey are expected to make the Flyers’ roster. Martone said Brière and his agent, Paul Capizzano, spoke, and they decided that participating in rookie camp was the best thing to get him ready for the Flyers’ season opener.
After missing out on the NHL roster initially last year, Alex Bump wants to hit the ground running in 2026-27.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
Alex Čiernik and Noah Powell, who will be in Lehigh Valley, had 2025-second rounder Matthew Gard between them; Gard will head back to Seattle of the Western Hockey League before attending Michigan State next fall.
Ilya Pautov, a sixth-round pick in 2024 making his North American debut, skated with fellow Phantoms Riley Thompson and Devin Kaplan. Defenseman Ty Murchison, who could push for an NHL spot, was paired with first-year pro Spencer Gill, and second-year pro Oliver Bonk was with fellow London Knight Maksim Sokolovskii, the Flyers’ first-rounder in June.
It’s starting to feel like the Flyers are forever young, which is not a bad thing in a league that is continuously showing “youth’s like a diamond in the sun, and diamonds are forever.”
After years marred by a limited prospect pool, the Orange and Black have restocked the cupboard with promising youngsters who are either looking to make their mark in the NHL this season or take the next step in their development.
Compared to a year ago, the list has seen movement, with some players graduating, some moving up, and others falling. Three notable absences from this year’s list include Hunter McDonald and Helge Grans, who have aged out at 24, and Karsen Dorwart, who did not re-sign. Matvei Michkov has played too many games to qualify, as we are using 100 NHL contests as our cutoff.
With several Flyers prospects converging on Allentown and Voorhees this week for rookie camp, here’s our updated top 20 prospect rankings.
1. Porter Martone, RW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: No. 1
There was some huffing and puffing when the Flyers did not take a center with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL draft, but Martone, who will turn 20 at the end of October, quickly quieted the naysayers. The Calder Trophy betting favorite this year, Martone put together a dominant freshman campaign at Michigan State and made a scintillating NHL start last season. He tallied 10 points in nine regular-season games before adding five points, including two game-winning goals, in 10 playoff contests. A 6-foot-3, 208-pound winger, Martone brings size, strength, a big-time shot, playmaking ability, and an edge. He’ll play a significant role this season for the Flyers in the top six and on the power play.
2. Denver Barkey, C/LW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 8
What a start to Barkey’s pro career. After just 26 games with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, he found himself in the NHL and never looked back. The 21-year-old used his high-end motor and responsible 200-foot game to stake a spot in the lineup, and posted 17 points in 43 regular-season games. Although he only put up two points in 10 playoff games, the 5-9 winger stepped up in the postseason, showing his relentless play style and willingness to be aggressive on pucks despite his small frame, especially when called upon by coach Rick Tocchet in the second round of the playoffs to play center. Barkey played so well as a pivot that some are penciling him as a bottom-six centerman instead of a winger.
3. Alex Bump, LW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 2
Where Martone and Barkey go, so goes Bump, and the 22-year-old will round out the trio of expected NHLers at rookie camp. This was the consensus belief last year, but the winger fell short and started the year with the Phantoms. The difference now? Bump has learned what happens if he doesn’t showcase his innate high-end offensive attributes and goal-scoring prowess at camp, and now has a full year of pro hockey — and a taste of the NHL — under his belt. After being recalled following the trade deadline, the Minnesotan played 23 games between the regular season and playoffs, racking up seven goals, 11 points, and a team-best shooting percentage of 21.2%.
Flyers winger Alex Bump, 22, has one of the best releases in the system.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
4. Oliver Bonk, RHD, Flyers/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (NHL/AHL)
2025 rank: 5
The top blueline prospect in the organization, Bonk showed why during his NHL debut in the Flyers’ regular-season finale and his lone postseason appearance. A well-rounded defenseman, Bonk notched his first career goal and assist in April and has the tools to be an everyday top-four blueliner in the NHL. “I think you just have to be confident and believe that you’re good enough to be there, because you are there, and that’s pretty much it for me,” he said of the experience. “Just kind of working on that and realizing that I’m a good player and I should be there.” Last season he sustained an injury early in rookie camp and didn’t suit up until December; this year, a healthy Bonk, despite a short September, should strongly push for a spot with the main club.
5. Jack Berglund, C, Färjestad BK (Swedish Hockey League)
2025 rank: 11
The Swede skyrocketed up the Flyers’ prospect depth chart this season with his impressive play in Europe, Allentown, and for his country at World Juniors, where he captained Sweden to its first gold since 2012 and was one of the tournament’s standout players. Berglund linked up with the Phantoms for five games at the end of the season, and while he will return to the SHL this season on loan, he left quite an impression. “He drove play, he was around the puck, and his ability to play below the dots with the puck is exceptionally good,” Phantoms coach John Snowden told The Inquirer in May about the 6-4, 217-pound center. “He understands how to use his body and his frame to get guys on his back and get out of situations.”
6. Jack Nesbitt, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)
2025 rank: 6
After a strong season with Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League in which he scored at a 1.05-point-per-game clip, Nesbitt is off to the University of Michigan this fall. Tall and lanky, Nesbitt said at development camp he gained 10-15 pounds after the season by hitting the gym, and the 6-5, 193-pound centerman should only get stronger with the college hockey schedule. He’ll need that extra muscle to play his game of driving to the net and creating time and space with his body. Nesbitt has nifty hands for someone his size and is a player the organization believes has a long runway to develop as he grows into his frame.
The Flyers have high hopes for towering center Jack Nesbitt.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
7. David Jiříček, RHD, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: NA
The upcoming season will be a big one for the 6-4 blueliner who is on his third team despite being drafted just four years ago. A coveted right-shot defenseman with size, puck skills, and a booming shot, Jiříček is a bit of a project but will likely get a chance right away this season at the NHL level since he is no longer waiver-exempt. He impressed with the Phantoms after being acquired at the trade deadline — getting a chance to play at all strengths — and made his Flyers debut in the season finale. The Czech defender is someone Snowden says has “all the tools” to transition to the NHL, and the expectation is his “absolute missile” of a shot will get a chance to bolster the Flyers’ dismal power play.
8. Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (Ontario Hockey League)
2025 rank: NA
When the Flyers selected Sokolovskii 27th overall in June, it turned a few heads. But watching the 6-7 defenseman play the body and skate like someone a foot shorter at development camp, it showed why he may prove to be a steal. Sokolovskii is still growing into his game as a mean shutdown blueliner, but the upside is tantalizing. Now that he’s no longer constrained to focusing only on his defensive game, he’s already shown in preseason action for London that he has an untapped offensive side. The 18-year-old, who will be at rookie camp this week, also showed that his confidence has skyrocketed evidenced by his heads-up plays through the neutral zone and in the offensive end for the Knights.
Here is another view of Maksim Solokovskii’s 1st Assist Yesterday against Erie. What a skater he is. @Flyers_Clips
9. Yegor Zavragin, G, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Kontinental Hockey League)
2025 rank: 4
When will Zavragin come to the U.S.? It likely won’t be any time soon, as the goalie’s contract was extended by a year when he was traded to Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League in June. Last season the netminder split time between the KHL and the VHL, Russia’s second-highest league, but this season he should stick in the top flight. Zavragin, 21, has posted a .918 save percentage in 56 career KHL games, and in his first start of this season with his new team, he stopped 16 of 17 shots in a 2-1 win.
Russian netminder Egor Zavragin is the Flyers’ No. 1 goaltending prospect.Sipa USA via AP
10. Carter Amico, RHD, Boston University (NCAA)
2025 rank: 13
If anyone on this list has made the biggest transformation in the past year, it is Amico. This time last year, the 6-5 defenseman was still rebuilding his game after suffering a broken kneecap that sidelined him for most of his draft year. This past season, he left Boston University halfway through to get more playing time with Muskegon of the United States Hockey League. After a productive spell with the Lumberjacks, the Maine native will rejoin the Terriers this season, and if what he showed at development camp this past summer with his smooth skating and ability to close is any indication, it’ll be a good year. “He looks like a different player; he really does,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo told The Inquirer in June. “It was great for him to go there [to Muskegon] and just find his game again.”
11. Brek Liske, RHD, Everett (Western Hockey League)
2025 rank:NA
Taken in the second round in June by the Flyers, Liske is a versatile, well-rounded defenseman who needs to keep building his game, and he will do so this year alongside fellow Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk with Everett of the Western Hockey League. The son of a diehard Flyers fan from Manitoba, Liske is a strong skater and plays with confidence and smarts in his own end while adding some offensive punch. According to Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, “he’s got some swagger,” and it has shown on and off the ice, notably when he was elevated to the top pair alongside projected 2027 No. 1 pick Landon Dupont amid the Silvertips’ run to the Memorial Cup final.
Brek Liske (left) will team up with fellow Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk this season with the Everett Silvertips.Courtesy of Luke Vlooswyk
While Amico and Berglund may have risen several spots, Luchanko fell considerably after a disappointing year in junior in which he scored just seven goals. There’s no denying there is talent within Luchanko, notably his speed and hockey IQ, but it was a tough slog for the center who was traded from Guelph to Brantford in the OHL and played sparingly for Canada at World Juniors. Luchanko has played in nine NHL games (including playoffs) but has yet to notch his first point. Expected to be a full participant at the rookie and main camps after undergoing core muscle surgery in June, this will represent a big year for the 20-year-old as he looks to get back on the trajectory that made him a lottery pick in 2024.
After two disappointing seasons at the junior level, Jett Luchanko, 20, is entering a massive season for his development.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
13. Spencer Gill, RHD, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank:7
Since getting drafted in 2024, the 6-4 Gill has dealt with several major injuries — a broken ankle two years ago with Rimouski of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and a wrist ailment that required surgery last year with Blainville-Boisbriand — that limited his playing time. But now the 20-year-old will turn pro and is projected to spend this season with Lehigh Valley, where he can expand his 200-foot game and get acclimated to the speed of pro hockey. “I really love the way he was able to kill the play effectively in the D zone along the boards. Once he put his hands on someone, that player was not going anywhere,” Armada coach Alexandre Jacques told The Inquirer in June, noting the blueliner is good offensively at the blue line and [at] getting shots on goal “ … I think where he needs to improve to play at the pro level, and he knows it, is explosion of his first few steps backward and forward. So, if he’s able to improve that, which I know the Flyers have been working really hard with him … I think you can become a good player for the team.”
Projected to be a bottom-six forward, Ruohonen had a solid freshman season at Harvard, chipping in 19 points in 28 games while also playing for Finland — wearing an “A” — at World Juniors. A shutdown forward and pass-first center, he is hard on the puck and has started to sprout his wings offensively. It’ll be interesting to see how he does this upcoming season under a new coaching staff for the Crimson
15. Nikita Grebenkin, LW/RW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 10
The 23-year-old Russian spent his first full season in the NHL in 2025-26, serving as a pest and a powder keg regardless of where he slotted in the lineup. He scored his first NHL goal in an early-season nail-biter the Flyers won in overtime, finished with 14 points in 55 games, and dropped the gloves a few times in defense of his teammates. Grebenkin has an infectious personality, and it translates to the ice, making him invaluable on and off the ice. The winger suffered an upper-body injury in late March that kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, but if he can bring some pop and energy this season, he could become a mainstay in the bottom-six.
16. Cole Knuble, C/RW, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: NR
Despite being one of Flahr’s favorites in the system, the son of former Flyers forward Mike Knuble may not have drawn eyes in the past. But at this year’s development camp, the 22-year-old looked like a man on a mission to stand out. The forward, who has been playing more center, showed off his improved skating, a good motor, aggressiveness, high hockey IQ, and vision as he followed the advice from his dad: “He used to say, ‘If you have 12 eggs in your pockets, they should all be broken.’”
Cole Knuble is a prospect that the Flyers have long been higher on internally compared to the consensus rankings.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
17. Carson Bjarnason, G, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: 9
As Snowden put it, it was a roller coaster season for the goalie who made the jump to the pros and suited up for the Phantoms for most of the season — he had a short stint in Reading of the ECHL — and posted 14-11-3 with a 3.43 goals-against average and .877 save percentage. A confident kid who should hit the ground running in Year 2, he will split this net in Allentown with Aleksei Kolosov. “It’s a good league, and you can’t guess; you have to understand the situations, and I thought he had a little bit of a stretch where it became pretty hard for him,“ Snowden said. ”But Brady [Robinson, Lehigh Valley’s goaltender development coach] did an incredible job with him, continuing to push him and teach the moments of where we’ve got to clean up.”
Another player who has snuck up the rankings is Quinn, who is coming off a 73-point season with the Remparts. He had 25 points on the power play and was tied for 10th in goals (34) and 17th in points in the QMJHL. Former Flyers forward Simon Gagné, who is now the general manager for Québec, expects a big year from the 5-11, 184-pound center he calls a force before he heads off to Northeastern University for 2027-28. “Quinners, more, maybe I’m going to say more passer … [but] he could surprise you,” Gagné told The Inquirer in June. “He’s got a really, really good wrist shot. He knows how to score a goal as well. He’s really a skilled player, really good high IQ, and is flying on the ice.”
19. Ty Murchison, LHD, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: NR
Murchison hasn’t been quiet about his growth this past year. In his first full season in the pros — it lasted only 32 games due to an upper-body injury — he left impressions across the organization. So much so that in December he made his NHL debut and stuck around for three games, skating an average of 15 minutes a night. At 6-2, he plays a big, physical game while also being efficient with the puck, and is a strong skater despite a late start on the ice because he was a roller hockey player in his youth. “I think Ty Murchison is a guy you should keep on the radar,” Snowden said. “Obviously, an injury shortened his season, but he was trending in an incredibly good direction.”
Before transitioning to the ice, Ty Murchison got his start on rollerblades.Courtesy of Murchison family
20. Jack Murtagh, C/LW, Boston University (NCAA)
2025 rank: 12
Like most true freshmen, Murtagh struggled to find his footing in college hockey going up against bigger, stronger players. The Upstate New Yorker called his season at BU “a little bit inconsistent” and a “little bit rocky.” He learned he cannot take a single shift off, and the expectation is that the 6-1, 198-pound forward will put up more than the 11 points in 35 games he managed last season. “He needs to be consistent, shift after shift, game after game, like those are the big things for younger players, just learning to be consistent in everything you do,” Pandolfo said. “ … That’s the one thing that he’s gotten better at over the course of the season, and we expect him to have a really big jump in his play coming into his sophomore year.”
10 more to watch (alphabetical order)
Alex Čiernik, LW, Phantoms (AHL), Matthew Gard, C, Seattle (WHL), Max Laatikainen, RHD, Sport (Finnish Liiga), Ilya Pautov, LW, TBD, Noah Powell, RW, Phantoms (AHL), Martin Psohlavec, G, Saskatoon (WHL), KJ Sauer, C, Edmonton (WHL), Max Westergård, LW, Frölunda (SHL), Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA), and Luke Vlooswyk, RHD, Everett (WHL)
Two images, which were created by Populous, the global design firm responsible for the arena’s conception, showed fans attending basketball and hockey games in the new state-of-the-art digs. But somefans say the Flyers’ rendering was missing one key detail: female fans. What ensued was a Where’s Waldo? level of analysis by people on the internet. The Flyers have sinceupdated the rendering.
The original Sixers rendering had a handful of what appeared to be female-presenting fans, wearing crossbody purses over their jerseys, with long hairstyles and ponytails. The Flyers version was more ambiguous. There appeared to be some women sitting toward the top of the image, in clusters across the stairs, but none wearing Flyers gear.
A Populous spokesperson said the company accepted responsibility for the oversight and worked quickly to update the rendering as soon as it became aware of the issue.
“The website now reflects the updated image,” the spokesperson said.
Camille Barrière was one of the initial critics who pointed out the apparent lack of women via an X post. Barrière, who lives in Paris, studied architecture and is pursuing her master’s degree inmedia design at the School of Design Nantes Atlantique, with a focus on the delegitimization of women and non-male sports fans.
When the renderings came out, Barrière saidonline that it was “new source material” for her thesis. Her post has been viewed nearly 200,000 times on X and has since spread to other social media platforms, particularly Reddit and Instagram among women’s sports pages.
Some fans worry the lack of visibly female fans in the original rendering was more than an innocent mistake and is actually indicative of the male-centric way sports fandoms are still stereotypically viewed. Others say it’s not that serious and this much intense dialogue based off a rendering is laughable.
“As a woman, I’m hyper aware of the amount of men in public spaces, and it’s for that reason that the image struck me. I continued searching and couldn’t find a single woman in Flyers gear in that picture,” Barrière told The Inquirer.
no women in the flyers render …. new source material for my masters thesis just dropped https://t.co/FppeyyaJEO
Creating architectural renderings is not one size fits all and the process can vary considerably, but the final product can help represent the future of a space and who it belongs to, says Rashida Ng, an architecture professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
“I wouldn’t presume to know how or why the particular Flyers image was produced, or suggest that the omission was intentional,” she said. “But something can be unintentional and still be meaningful. If an image of a major public venue inadvertently leaves out a substantial part of the public, I think it’s worth asking how that happened.”
The Gist and Togethxr, two popular women-founded sports media brands, called out the original renderings on Instagram. Reports show women are one of the fastest-growing audiences in sports.
“They’re buying season tickets, filling arenas, creating fan communities, and shaping sports culture across every major league. The future of sports already includes women,” the Gist wrote in its post. “The renderings should too.”
Ng says she sees the rendering debacle as a “teachable moment.”
“Design is not neutral. The spaces we create — and the images we use to imagine and communicate them — both reflect and shape ideas about who belongs, who is welcome, and whose experiences matter,” she said. “That doesn’t mean every design decision or omission is intentional, but it does mean that designers have a responsibility to think critically about the worlds their work helps to envision.”
Thursday morning, the Flyers updated the rendering on its website with a new version, one that added many new visibly female fans.
As for Barrière, she’s shocked that a non-fan’s observation from across the world sparked discussion.
“If my silly tweet that was just meant for my 40 followers can initiate a discussion on the issue, then I’m all for it,” she said. “I think inclusivity in hockey spaces, whether online or in real life, still has a long way to go, and calling out the teams directly is one of the ways we can help move the conversation forward in a positive direction.”
And thinking about those women fans is particularly pertinent for the new arena — it’s also the future home of Philadelphia’s new WNBA franchise.
