NEW YORK — In their endless search for a right-handed bat, the Phillies are turning to a well-traveled 38-year-old outfielder.
Tommy Pham, released by two teams in the last three months, has agreed to a minor-league contract with the Phillies, a major-league source confirmed Saturday. He will likely join triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Pham can opt out of the deal if he isn’t in the majors by July 25, nine days before the trade deadline, according to ESPN.com, which initially reported the agreement.
The Phillies bypassed other opportunities to acquire Pham, notably at the 2024 trade deadline. But through Friday, their right-handed hitters combined for a .605 OPS, last in the majors by a wide margin.
Pham is a .256 hitter with 149 homers and a .764 OPS in 13 seasons with 10 teams. Two years ago, he had a 70-game stretch for the White Sox in which he batted .266 with five homers and was 3% better than league average, based on OPS+.
But it’s been a while since Pham was productive at the major-league level. He went 0-for-13 with seven strikeouts in April with the Mets before getting released. In 16 triple-A games with the Orioles, he went 12-for-61 (.197) with four homers and a .696 OPS.
The Phillies are running two outfield platoons. Lefty-hitting rookies Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr. start against right-handed pitchers; righty-swinging Derek Hill and Edmundo Sosa start against lefties.
Entering play Saturday, Phillies outfielders had a .668 OPS, tied for 26th at the position despite an All-Star-caliber season from Brandon Marsh.
NEW YORK — Jacob Misiorowski has The Heater (105.5 mph!), and Cristopher Sánchez had The Streak (50⅔ scoreless innings!), and Shohei Ohtani is, well, Shohei Ohtani!
But at the midpoint of the schedule, there’s another nominee for the best pitching story in baseball: The Comeback, by Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler gave up one run in seven innings here Friday night against the Mets. And although he got a major assist from center fielder Derek Hill, it still marked the eighth time in his last nine starts that he allowed less than three runs.
It’s almost like the 36-year-old righty didn’t have a rib removed nine months ago to relieve a compressed vein near his collarbone.
“Yeah,” interim manager Don Mattingly said, “it’s been pretty remarkable.”
Never mind that Wheeler had the less threatening form of thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s a condition that has derailed many pitching careers. Yet here he is, with a 2.03 ERA that ranks fifth among 100 pitchers with at least 70 innings entering play Saturday.
If you didn’t know what Wheeler went through last summer, beginning with the discovery of a blood clot near his right shoulder after an Aug. 15 start, well, you wouldn’t know.
His average fastball velocity is down a tick to 95.3 mph, but he can still dial up 97. (He scraped 97.7 mph Friday night against Mets star Juan Soto.) And he still changes speeds with a sweeper, splitter, and curveball.
Wheeler won’t admit that he’s surprised by any of this. Then again, he couldn’t allow himself to expect anything less.
“I mean, you almost have to, right?” he said. “You’ve got to have that mindset when you get hurt and you’re going to have surgery. You just build out your plan in your head — what it’s going to be like, and where you want to be at the end — and you kind of just tick those boxes off as you go.
“You’re always going to have your ups and downs. That’s going to happen with the human body. It doesn’t always go your way. But for the most part it went pretty smooth, and, yeah, I always envisioned myself coming back and hitting the ground running.”
Even as he was coming back from surgery and regaining strength after losing “a good bit” of weight, Wheeler said he set the same three goals: “win the Cy Young, win the World Series, and make the All-Star Game.” He could check off the latter next Saturday when the All-Star rosters are announced.
Wheeler was named to the National League team last year and in 2023 but didn’t attend the game either time. This year, with Philadelphia hosting the game, he won’t have to travel. But if the Phillies stay on rotation, he would start the final game before the break, leaving him unavailable to pitch in the All-Star Game.
In any case, Wheeler has never had a lower ERA through his first 12 starts of a season. Even in his runner-up Cy Young finishes in 2021 and 2024, his ERA through 12 starts was 2.51 and 2.32, respectively.
Zack Wheeler is making a strong case to be an All-Star for the third time in the last four years.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
And yet, ever the perfectionist, Wheeler insists his command isn’t as sharp as it can be.
“Something’s still a tick off, and I hate saying that just because it was a good game,” Wheeler said. “But I’m so used to throwing eight or nine pitches out of 10 where I exactly want it. So, when that’s not happening, I feel like it’s just not there all the way.
“But I know things are going well. I’m feeling strong, so I’ll take that for sure.”
One day after grounding into three double plays, as part of a 1-for-19 funk, third baseman Alec Bohm wasn’t in the lineup Saturday against Mets righty Christian Scott.
“He just looked tired last night,” Mattingly said of Bohm. “I thought he was dragging a little bit. It’s just a day.”
Edmundo Sosa started in Bohm’s place.
Extra bases
Reliever Brad Keller (right forearm inflammation) has progressed to throwing a bullpen session within the next few days, Mattingly said. … Andrew Painter is slated to start Sunday for the first time since getting demoted to triple A on June 17. … Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.39 ERA) will start the series finale at 1:40 p.m. Sunday and Mets lefty opener Cionel Pérez (3-3, 4.99).
The West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad, in celebration of their 35th anniversary, endured the weather and took to the streets, drowning out the sound of rain with the beating of drums on Saturday.
Kicking off at 41st and Filbert and circling back around to 40th and Powelton, the Steppers — known by many in the region for their work as the Sixers Stixers — led a parade to start the day, followed by a ceremony renaming the 4100 block of Powelton, which will now be known as West Powelton Steppers Way.
“The West Powelton Steppers and Drum Squad’s drum beat is Philly’s heartbeat,” Jamie Gauthier, City Councilmember of Philadelphia’s 3rd district, said.
The West Powelton Steppers and Drumline march down the street on Saturday.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Other drumlines and squads, as well as family and friends, joined in the celebration while vendors lined the street in recognition of the group Elsie Wise founded in 1991. Her grandson, Antoine Mapp, is now the director of the West Powelton Steppers.
When Mapp’s grandmother founded the drumline, the hope was to give young people in the community a safe place to go, while instilling core values of discipline and hard work, a legacy Mapp now continues through his work.
Gauthier helped unveil the street renaming and presented Mapp and the steppers with a key to the city. Mapp was also honored with an honorary badge from the sheriff’s office.
“I know that your grandmother is looking down on you right now and is so unbelievably proud,” Gauthier said while addressing Mapp. “You have taken this squad to heights no one could have imagined 35 years ago.”
The West Powelton Steppers march in an event honoring their 35 years entertaining the community. Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
In their 35 years, the Steppers have become the city’s official steppers, as well as the official steppers for the sheriff’s department and the Philadelphia International Airport. As the Sixers Stixers, they became the official steppers for the 76ers in 2013.
Gauthier commended the Steppers for their ability to “electrify” the crowd anywhere they went, from Sixers games to community rallies. Along with their affiliation with the Sixers, the drum squad also performed in the Eagles Super Bowl parade, the Phillies World Series parade and at some Phillies games where they’re billed as the Bass Line. They’ve performed at Philadelphia Union and Philadelphia Soul games, during halftime for Penn basketball and football, and New Jersey Devils games as well.
Outside of the realm of sports, they’ve performed at amateur night at the Apollo, on America’s Got Talent, and opened for Boyz II Men and *NSYNC, along with countless community events, even winning two regional Emmys in the Mid-Atlantic division.
“People used to call James Brown the hardest working man in show business,” Gauthier said “But I think Antoine Mapp is the hardest working man in Philadelphia.”
Antoine Mapp, the director of the West Powelton Steppers and Drumline, cheers during the street renaming ceremony.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
The drumline itself has often been called “the hardest working drumline,” practicing 12 hours and performing at multiple events per week.
Guathier said the multiple ways Philly honored the West Powelton Steppers was the least the city could do to show its appreciation for what has become a staple in the community due to its commitment to “artistic excellence, mentorship, and service.”
“Here’s to an even more impactful next 35 years,” Gauthier said.
Most of us remember the 2010s Obama-era stomp-clap folk music, brought on by bands like the Lumineers, that graced the soundtracks of films like Silver Linings Playbook, sparking an intensely optimistic sound.
But can that even exist today? Can folk music rise in the 2020s, amid rapid social media usage, volatile politics, and a general feeling of uneasiness?
It can and it does.
Often veering into the gloomy and the existential, but somehow still managing to stay romantic and rebellious, thanks to the folk-pop stylings of Noah Kahan.
Kahan and his band performed for a sold-out crowd of 40,000 people.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Kahan released his latest The Great Divide in April. The introspective collection of songs explores the realities of fame and the isolating feeling of leaving home. The tour behind that album brought him to Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.
After the openers — Wayne native Annabelle Dinda, sporting a Phillies shirt, and Gigi Perez — a one-minute countdown popped up on the screen at 8:30 p.m., met with loud cheers from the audience.
When the clock struck zero, a sunset scene of a field appeared on a screen on stage, with The Great Divide displayed across it.
The roof of a house slowly descended from the top of the stage to meet the rest of the barn house in the middle of the stage. Then out came Kahan, with his signature French braids and baggy clothes, ready to bring his woodsy vibe to Philadelphia.
Annabelle Dinda performs an opening set during the Philadelphia stop of Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide Tour” at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Friday, June 26, 2026. Dinda was one of two opening acts performing before Kahan took the stage.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
The audience in the 40,000-plus-seat stadium reacted swiftly, jumping to their feet and screaming for Kahan. The crowd was a mix of Gen Z fans, new to the contemporary folk-pop sound, and millennials, who were undoubtedly jamming out to Mumford & Sons during the aforementioned 2010s folk-rock era.
There were also families with young children in tow. Some appeared to be fans themselves, wearing the tour’s merchandise and singing along.
After performing “American Cars” and “Doors” from The Great Divide, Kahan addressed the sold-out crowd, promising to make the audience very sad with his melancholic music.
“Philadelphia, what a … dream,” he said. “It must be something in the water. How do you all have clinical depression?”
Gigi Perez performs an opening set during the Philadelphia stop of Noah Kahan’s “The Great Divide Tour” at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Friday, June 26, 2026. Perez gained widespread recognition with her 2024 single “Sailor Song” and opened for Kahan on select dates of the tour Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
Kahan continued with “All My Love” from 2022’s Stick Season, with the set around him bringing the music to life, even in the face of the promised melancholy.
Rocks covered in moss sat one side of the stage with an abandoned gas station scene set up on the other, with tall grass scattered throughout. String lights warmed up the setting as it got darker, making Citizens Bank Park feel like a small-town backyard. On the screen behind Kahan, seasons changed and insects crawled around amid visuals from the singer’s home state of Vermont.
The foresty and naturalist aesthetic of both the music and the setting was an homage to Kahan’s childhood spent on a tree farm in rural Vermont.
The concert was Kahan’s first arena show in Philadelphia, on his second arena tour in his career.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
The crowd matched the scenery: flowing skirts, bandannas, cowboy hats and boots, denim, corduroy, and just about every other clothing item you’d see when searching “farm aesthetic” on Pinterest. Everyone attending could easily pop over to the Schuylkill River Trail for a quick hike after the show.
After singing another new song, “Downfall,” Kahan pretended to answer a phone call.
“What’s up, Twitter,” he said into the phone. “Oh, Noah Kahan can’t sell out stadiums?” The response was a thunderous cheer as Kahan pretended to hang up.
This is Kahan’s fifth concert tour and his first time headlining a show at Citizens Bank Park, playing for a sold-out crowd. His last tour, “The Stick Season (We’ll All Be Here Forever)” Tour in 2024, didn’t stop in Philadelphia.
A fan sings while Noah Kahan performs at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Friday, June 26, 2026. More than 40,000 people attended the sold-out show. .Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
After singing and playing the guitar for nine songs standing on the main stage, Kahan decided to shake things up a bit. For “Dial Drunk,” he moved to the left side of the stage, where an actor dressed as a police officer arrested him. He performed the first half of the song from inside a police car fitted with cameras.
For “Willing and Able,” Kahan sat upon the roof that came down in the beginning of the show. There, he softly played the guitar and sang the lyrics to the somber song about a strained sibling relationship.
Fans sang along and cheered until Kahan made his gravest mistake of the show: suggesting that Philadelphians be friendly toward Boston.
Noah Kahan merchandise is displayed outside Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Friday, June 26, 2026. More than 40,000 people attended the sold-out show, with some fans lining up as early as 9 a.m. to purchase merchandise.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
“Having lived in Boston, you guys are a lot more alike than you think, and I think you need to reconcile,” Kahan said, citing the tough brotherly relationship in “Willing and Able.” This sentiment was the only thing that was met with boos on Friday.
Fittingly enough, Kahan recalled being heckled at a Philly show.
One hopes the city hosting a sold-out show will soften his feelings toward Philadelphia.
Fans matched the forest aesthetic of Kahan’s music, with flowy outfits and cowboy apparel.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
He also took the opportunity, standing in the middle of the floor seats, to address the backlash he received on Twitter for his original setlist he played in Orlando on June 11. Fans complained about the lack of older songs, as the singer filled the set with songs from his last two albums. The fans who booed Kahan’s online haters were rewarded with his older song “Maine” from the EP Cape Elizabeth, which he called his favorite song he’s ever written.
In addition to the guitar, Kahan’s six-piece band comprised a host of other unique instruments that got to shine. This included a fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and a resonator guitar, all contributing to Kahan’s unique folk sound that blends both rock and pop.
Noah Kahan performs at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Friday, June 26, 2026, during his “The Great Divide Tour.” The Philadelphia concert was part of the North American leg of Kahan’s summer tour Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
As the show went on, Kahan took multiple opportunities to listen to the crowd sing and coyly smile as he expressed his gratitude, often peppering it with his well-known dry humor.
“You guys are gonna make me emotional,” he said to the screaming fans, giggling.
Kahan closed out his main set with “Orange Juice” and “New Perspective” before exiting the stage and reentering it as fans started growing restless. For the encore, sitting at a spotlit piano, he performed the incredibly moody “End of August.”
That was followed by a more upbeat “Homesick.” Of course, he wrapped things up with an explosive extended performance of his biggest hit, “Stick Season.”
Two fans take a selfie before Noah Kahan performs at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Friday, June 26, 2026. More than 40,000 people attended the sold-out show. .Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer
There was no one in the crowd who didn’t sing along.
Kahan made sure to thank his bandmates before one final chorus that culminated in a brief fireworks display over the stage.
And just like that, the woodland escape that is a Noah Kahan concert came to an end for Philadelphia.
Noah Kahan, setlist from “The Great Divide Tour.” June 26, 2026, Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
A law enforcement search continued Saturday at a dilapidated three-story brick twin in Olney, where police are investigating the homeowner’s connection with at least two missing women.
The house belongs to Eugene Albert Horsch, 44, who was arrested June 19 and charged with illegal gun possession and drug-related crimes.
Horsch’s initial arrest sparked questions: Why did he have a fake ID showing himself to be a DEA agent? Why did a woman with Horsch identify herself as someone else who was reported missing in 2023?
More questions unspooled as city police investigators and federal agents looked inside Horsch’s house, where they found hidden compartments, a 55-gallon drum, chemicals, unknown liquids, a woman’s death certificate, and a handwritten letter that seemed to describe hurting people.
On Saturday, Philadelphia police closed off the block and FBI forensic experts entered the property in hazmat suits.
In addition to these questions, there’s an older mystery — the June 2016 disappearance of Amy McHale.
Here’s what we know so far.
What prompted the investigation?
The morning of Friday, June 19, a U.S. park ranger near Independence Hall in Old City heard “a disturbance” coming from a black BMW, Philadelphia Police Department Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said Friday.
The ranger heard a woman say she was concerned that Horsch was going to hurt her, Vanore said.
The woman gave the ranger an identification card bearing her photo but the name of another woman who had been reported missing, Vanore said.
“And the park ranger felt that there was illegal drug activity going on inside the vehicle,” Vanore said.
Other law enforcement officers in the area were called to the scene, he said. In the car, police found cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, two firearms with serial numbers removed, a collapsible baton, a cattle prod, and switchblade knives, sources told The Inquirer Friday.
Eugene Albert Horsch, 44, of Philadelphia.Courtesy of Philadelphia police
Why did Horsch have fake DEA credentials?
Law enforcement also found a fake U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency badge with Horsch’s photograph under the name “Eugene Frederick Steiner” in the car, sources told The Inquirer.
Police haven’t spoken publicly about why they believe Horsch had the fake ID. However, they soon brought real DEA agents to the scene, Vanore noted.
Soon, those agents were among those searching his Olney home.
What did police find inside the Chew Avenue house?
Police searched Horsch’s home on the 400 block of West Chew Avenue, where they found a 9mm firearm, ammunition, and a marijuana grow operation on one of the floors, Vanore said.
“The further search of this property produced some other things that we have a lot of questions about,” Vanore said.
Police brought in homicide investigators — who are now leading the investigation with FBI assistance — due to their experience and because several urns, possibly from deceased family members, were found, Vanore said.
Investigators found at least one more fake ID presenting someone as federal law enforcement, Vanore said, as well as “computer evidence” that the DEA took for analysis.
They also found bank cards in the name of the woman who went missing in 2023, and recovered what appeared to be a death certificate for another woman who died last year, The Inquirer reported Friday.
Police have officially blocked off access to the street at 417 W Chew, in Olney home in Philadelphia, June 27, 2026. Residents in the area are unable to access the street since Saturday morning.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Why is the FBI involved?
Investigators also found hidden compartments, “hoses coming from barrels,” and bottles containing chemicals and unknown liquids, Vanore said.
Some of the chemicals, if combined and ignited, could pose hazards, he said. The chemicals are what led investigators to ask for help from FBI experts, Vanore said.
“There’s chemical work being done, but we just don’t know if he was trying to produce narcotics, or some other work,” Vanore said.
What is the handwritten letter investigators found?
Federal investigators also found an unsigned handwritten letter that described references to hurting unspecified people, and references to the serial killer Ted Bundy, The Inquirer reported Friday.
“Acting on emotion is where problems occur. What I don’t think I told you was that the first time it was planned ahead of time. The threat was made before you know who came over and I already had a 2ft zip tie in my pocket and a drum set up,” the letter said.
“I had been ready and waiting and I damn sure showed no hesitation. And it was fun,” the letter said, according to an affidavit of probable cause for a search of the home obtained by The Inquirer.
Law enforcement sources said investigators were working to learn who wrote the letter and whether it may be part of a work of fiction.
Have police found bodies at the house?
Rumors spread quickly online Friday, with one of the most widespread ones being that human bodies or remains had been found at the house.
Speaking to reporters, Vanore dismissed these rumors.
“There’s no apparent bodies inside the house,” Vanore said. “Now, we’re going to further search. There’s a sump pump that looks like a hole in the ground, but there’s no bodies.”
Who are the missing women?
Police have not released the names of any missing women connected to Horsch.
The woman whose name was on the fake ID went missing in February 2023 from the Kensington area, sources told The Inquirer Friday. The woman who was with Horsch when he was arrested told police she used the fake ID because she had outstanding arrest warrants. She didn’t know the missing woman, but feared that something bad happened to her.
Vanore said he didn’t know if the missing woman had known Horsch.
“I have nothing to say she was ever inside the house, but of course, that’s why we’re still holding it and we’re still going to look,” Vanore said.
Vanore noted that Horsch had enough information about the missing woman to create a convincing fake ID.
Another woman who disappeared was Amy McHale, of South Philadelphia, who went missing in June 2016. McHale was the ex-wife of Horsch’s father, R.C. Horsch. Police questioned R.C. Horsch about the disappearance at the time.
Who is Eugene Albert Horsch?
Horsch has a long criminal record including a May 2025 arrest for possession of marijuana and amphetamines, which got him three years’ probation.
In March, he was charged with aggravated assault after police said he stabbed a man in the stomach at Eighth and Market Streets. Prosecutors withdrew the charges in May after a witness failed to appear in court, court records show.
Horsch had at least 10 previous arrests for drug possession, dealing, assaults, and drunken driving. He was sentenced to four to eight years in prison after police discovered $1.9 million worth of cannabis inside the Chew Avenue home in 2013, court records show.
Horsch appeared to be living at his house on Chew Avenue, despite its boarded-up windows and rundown look. Vanore said Friday that the woman who had the fake ID also was believed to have been staying there.
What do we know about R.C. Horsch, Eugene Horsch’s father?
R.C. Horsch, born Raymond C. Hoersch, was an erotic photographer and filmmaker who was convicted of forgery and drug manufacturing. R.C. Horsch changed the spelling of his last name.
R.C. Horsch pleaded guilty to passing bad checks in South Carolina in 1973 and the following year was charged in Doylestown by the Secret Service with passing nearly $180,000 in fake 10-dollar bills and possessing phony drivers’ licenses.
In 1977, federal agents raided what was described as R.C. Horsch’s home laboratory, seizing equipment they alleged was meant to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. But R.C. Horsch absconded to New Zealand, later returning to California, and operating under the alias “Richard Harris.”
Eugene Horsch was born in 1981, while his father was still a fugitive.
R.C. Horsch was captured by authorities in Florida 1985. A psychologist hired by his defense attorney said he had an 140 IQ but had “deep rooted emotional problems.”
He was sentenced to three years imprisonment, plus probation, and settled into a home in Chalfont, Bucks County.
What was R.C. Horsch’s connection to the Chew Avenue house?
R.C. Horsch acquired the Chew Avenue house after the death of his sister, Helen M. Hoersch, in 2004. In 2007, R.C. Horsch used power of attorney to legally transfer ownership of the property to his son for $1.
In 2009, R.C Horsch was indicted in Chalfont for growing 455 marijuana plants. Investigators also seized two shotguns. The feds seized his suburban home and he was sentenced to 54 months in prison.
Federal inmate records show he was released from prison in 2013.
Are investigators examining R.C. Horsch’s role?
R.C. Horsch died in 2025, and Vanore told reporters Friday that investigators were looking at a lot of different angles. Vanore declined to go into specifics about R.C. Horsch, and said he wasn’t going to name “other missing people” potentially connected to the house.
“We’re certainly looking into the activities that went on at the house, even before he was there,” he said, referring to Eugene Horsch.
Police have officially blocked off access to the street at 417 W Chew, in Olney home in Philadelphia, June 27, 2026. Residents in the area are unable to access the street since Saturday morning.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
What’s the latest from the investigation?
Under a gloomy sky Saturday, about 15 FBI agents went in and out of the boarded-up home, some wearing protective suits.
Next to the tent installed Friday outside Horsch’s home were four portable fabric shelters, with all sides shielded from public view.
Neighbors walked around the sealed perimeter asking for information, while men in protective suits came and went from Horsch’s backyard shed.
“They’ve begun processing the scene,” Vanore said Saturday. Forensic experts now are determining what evidence had to be sent away for scientific analysis, he said. “It’s going to take some time.”
Inquirer staff writers Max Marin, Ellie Rushing, Barbara Laker, Michelle Myers, Chris Palmer, and Isabel Maney contributed to this article. For more details, read this story.
Meeting the media over Zoom for the first time after the Flyers called his name in the second round (No. 53), the defenseman was already decked out in a Flyers jersey, and so were at least six of his family members. He joked that the total number at his draft party might even be closer to 30.
Liske’s father is a die-hard Flyers fan and raised his son the same way, so they already had a stack of jerseys at home to celebrate.
“I’ve never heard him yell so loud,” Liske said. “He’s wearing his Flyers jersey, he’s very proud right now. I think he’s a little bit more in awe than I am right now.”
Liske is from Winnipeg, and so is his dad, but he became a Flyers fan in the 1980s watching the Broad Street Bullies, and passed that love on to his kids, even after the Jets returned to Winnipeg in 2011.
“I’ve asked him multiple times, he doesn’t know,” Liske joked when asked how his dad became a fan. “Just when he was younger, I think with the team in the ’80s, the Bullies, he just liked how they played, so no specific reason.”
Liske’s dad even drove an orange Flyers-themed Jeep with a Philly license plate and a Flyers logo tire cover.
Liske’s father may have fallen in love with the Broad Street Bullies, but Liske said his childhood favorite player was Claude Giroux, whose name was on the back of many of the jerseys at Liske’s cabin.
“I was a big Giroux fan, my number was 82, which I flipped around from 28,” Liske said.
His dad was such a huge fan of the Flyers that he made multiple unsuccessful attempts to name Liske after his favorite players.
“If he was a girl, his name would have been Brin or Brindy after Rod Brind’Amour…” said Liske’s father, Lonnie, per the Everett Silvertips. “[Mom] would not agree to the likes of [Rick] Tocchet, [Chris] Pronger, [Bobby] Clarke, or [Peter] Zezel as a middle name. I fought for Brek Tocchet Liske.”
Now, his son will have the opportunity to achieve his lifelong dream of playing in the NHL, and potentially do so while suiting up for their shared favorite team.
ATLANTIC CITY — After making a “big” splash on Day 1 by selecting 6-foot-7 London Knights defenseman Maksim Sokolovski with the 27th pick, the Flyers were back at it early Saturday with five picks.
They picked twice in the second round and once each in the fourth, fifth, and seventh, adding depth primarily on the blue line and in goal.
Here’s a running list of the Flyers’ Day 2 selections:
Second round
No. 53: Brek Liske, RHD, Everett (Western Hockey League)
A teammate of Luke Vlooswyk with the Silvertips, the defenseman was paired in the playoffs with projected 2027 No. 1 pick Landon DuPont for the Memorial Cup finalists. Before Tarin Smith got hurt, Liske was paired with Vlooswyk, the Flyers’ fifth-rounder last June.
A 6-2, 190-pound right-shot defenseman from Manitoba who can play the left side, he had 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 52 games but broke out in the playoffs with four goals and 17 points in 18 games as Everett won the WHL.
“He has nice size, and he has some maturation and growth to come,” said Flyers amateur scout Mark Greig, who is based out west.
“It’s a two-way game, and he is sound on both sides of the puck. He really took a step in the second half of the season … [and] he flourished right through to the Memorial Cup. We like the two-way game and the trend he finished the season with.”
According to Elite Prospects, he does have to — wait for it — work on his skating. But he is a versatile, well-rounded blueliner who projects to be a third-pair guy down the road.
This pick is not just about adding a good defensive prospect. Liske grew up a Flyers fan because his dad, Lonnie, is a fanatic Flyers fan.
“I’ve never heard him yell so loud. There was a big cheer, but I could distinctly hear my dad’s voice,” Liske said via Zoom from his draft party while wearing a Flyers jersey. “He’s wearing his Flyers jersey, very proud right now. I think he’s a little bit more in awe than I am right now.”
No. 62: Martin Psohlavec, G, Karlovy Vary (Czechia junior league)
Stop if you’ve heard this before: A 6-5 goalie from Czechia donning orange and black. No, this isn’t Dan Vladař; meet Martin Psohlavec.
The size and athleticism are surely what enticed the Flyers to make the pick, along with his performance at the U18s. Philly has a long-standing trend of taking players who have excelled at the spring tournament, and Psohlavec is no different, posting a 3-1-0 record with a 1.68 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.
That came after he went 31-11-0 with a 1.92 GAA and .928 save percentage at the Czech junior level in the regular season and won five of eight games in the playoffs with a 1.78 GAA and .925 save percentage.
But that was on a U20 team, and the expectation is he will be a bit of a project — yes, he needs to work on his skating and is a little raw, according to Elite Prospects — and that makes sense for the Flyers with Aleksei Kolosov, Carson Bjarnason, and Egor Zavragin rising in the pipeline.
The Flyers acquired this pick when they moved down in the first round.
“Martin’s a big goaltender for a young guy,” Flyers goaltender scout Ryan Cyr said. “He’s very athletic for a goalie of his size, with really good feet, and we just feel the upside that he has is very high and high assuming. We’re looking forward to seeing how he can develop over the next few years.”
Fourth round
No. 120: Marek Sklenička, G, Seattle (WHL)
Assistant general manager Brent Flahr said the Flyers would, more than likely, take a goalie as it had been a few drafts since they took Bjarnason and Zavragin in 2023. He should have added an “s” to the end because in the fourth round, with another pick acquired from moving down, they took another netminder — and another from Czechia, although he’s “only” 6-4.
A teammate of Flyers’ 2025 second-rounder Matthew Gard, Sklenička went 20-12-6 with a 3.21 GAA and .902 save percentage for Seattle. His save percentage rose in the playoffs to .913, but it was at U18s, in tandem with Psohlavec for Czechia, that he shone the brightest. He had a 1.91 GAA and a .921 save percentage in three games. In the bronze-medal game, he made 21 saves in a 4-1 win against Latvia.
“Marek’s a goalie who just continually got better throughout the course of the year. Physically, he started to develop, and you could see it in his game. He competes very hard. He is on an OK junior team, and he had a really good run with them to get them into the playoffs,” Cyr said.
“Next year, we hope to see continued development. We hope Marek continues to take steps in his game, adds a few pieces of the technical element, and continues to develop on the curve we know he’s going toward.”
Fifth round
No. 136: KJ Sauer, C, Andover (Minnesota HS)
The Flyers definitely have a type. Sauer is a 6-3, 203-pound center drafted out of Minnesota high school hockey in the fifth round. Alex Bump was a fifth-rounder drafted out of the State of Hockey’s high school system. Noah Cates was also plucked from Minnesota high school hockey in 2017 in the same round, although that came under the previous regime.
Sauer had 25 points in 15 games with Andover, helping lead them to the state tournament. His season started late after he tore his posterior cruciate ligament in April 2025, and didn’t play in a game until Jan. 6. He finished the season playing for Lincoln of the United States Hockey League.
“I’d say I’m a big power forward,” he said via Zoom. “I work both ways. Like to be gritty, … like to get into greasy areas and not afraid of anyone.”
Sauer said he models his game after Brady Tkachuk’s and will be playing for Edmonton of the WHL this season. Sauer has pedigree, with his uncles Kurt and Michael having played in the NHL, and his dad Kent Sr. playing in the minors.
“KJ’s a sizable center that can really skate. … We really like the upside of this player,” said Flyers scout Shane Fukushima, who is based in Minnesota and was given credit by Flahr for the pick. “… He has a physical side to his game, and if we can round out a little bit more offense, we really like where his game’s going,”
Seventh round
No. 213: Max Laatikainen, RHD, K-Espoo Jr. (Finland-Jr.)
The youngest player in the draft, born one day shy of the cutoff for next year’s draft, the 17-year-old Laatikainen is small at 5-11, 185 pounds, but brings the skating the Flyers want to add on the blue line.
He spent the majority of the year playing juniors but did notch two assists in Liiga, Finland’s top men’s league, for Kiekko-Espoo. At U18s, he played five games and had a goal and an assist.
“He needs to get physically stronger, but he’s an energetic, offensive guy who likes to have the puck. He moves it really well,” Flahr said, giving amateur European scout Sami Sandell credit. “Playing with the national team, he was very effective, and we’re hoping he can maybe catch an inch still. But, at the same time, he’s got a lot of juice, lots of energy.”
Breakaways
Winger Blake Zielinski, who hails from Berlin, Camden County, was selected in the third round by the Los Angeles Kings. … Berwyn native Ryan Cameron was drafted in the seventh round by the Edmonton Oilers. Last July, the then-17-year-old goaltender participated in the Flyers’ development camp. … Victor Plante, whose father Derek played for the Flyers, was selected in the second round by the Detroit Red Wings.
ATLANTIC CITY — Noel Cronon and Sarah Colon, both native Philadelphians and devoted Flyers fans, had never met in person before the Flyers’ draft party in Atlantic City on Friday night.
The two first connected through Flyers Nation, a Facebook group with more than 67,000 members where fans discuss the team and post updates. Cronon saw Colon in the group and reached out, and asking if she wanted to go to the draft party together.
“There aren’t a lot of female Flyers fans, so it’s nice that we found each other,” Cronon said. “There are a lot of women here tonight, though, which is good to see.”
Several hundred Flyers fans came together as a fan base at the Sound Waves Theatre at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City to watch the 2026 NHL draft. Orange balloons, streamers, and Flyers memorabilia decorated the venue while fans came decked out in their best Flyers merchandise.
Flyers fans watch the 2026 NHL draft during a party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Friday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
To kick off the night, past and present broadcasters Jim Jackson, Tim Saunders, and Steve Coates took the stage to share their thoughts on what general manager Danny Brière might do with the team’s first-round pick and energize the crowd.
“We are back,” Coates said when he addressed the crowd. “Remember, this is a team that is going places.”
The Austin City Nights band started the party, while the beginning of the draft played from monitors above the stage. Forward Porter Martone joined the band onstage and Gritty, the beloved Flyers mascot, posed for selfies and photos while Jackson went around the audience speaking with fans and taking photos.
Father and son Grant and Trent Kitchenman have been season ticket holders since 1992 and said that they never miss events like this.
“It’s really cool that they allow fans in on the draft night experience,” Grant said. “It makes it more personable and you get to see some of the players which is cool.”
Garett Babik couldn’t have imagined watching the draft anywhere else.
His dad took him to a playoff game against the Boston Bruins in 2010, and he’s been hooked ever since. During this year’s playoff run, Babik attended games dressed as Darth Vader to show his support for goalie Dan Vladař.
“I’ve been a fan my entire life,” Babik said. “This is my life. I love this team from the bottom of my heart, and I can’t express that enough.”
Fans (from left to right): Zack McErlain, Tug McErlain, Thomas McErlain and Stephen Dellaquilla react after the Flyers picked defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii with the 27th overall pick during the Flyers’ 2026 NHL draft party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Friday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
When it came time for the Flyers to make their first-round selection, the band stopped playing, and the theatre became quiet. Fans turned their attention to the monitors and anxiously waited for the announcement.
When the trade alert came up on the screen and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the trade, the crowd booed.
Babik was not thrilled with the move either, he said.
“I’m going to be totally blunt. I didn’t like it,” he said. “[Dallas Stars winger] Jason Robertson has been on the market, and I was hoping they would’ve got him. Don’t get me wrong, I understand we only have four picks in this draft, and they wanted to get more.”
After they traded the 21st pick to the San Jose Sharks, moving down to No. 27, some fans immediately left, leaving the true diehards to wait until their pick.
Among them were Eddie Bertino and Scott Parker, childhood friends from South Jersey who grew up playing hockey together and played in under-30 and under-40 leagues.
Flyers Porter Martone signs his autograph for fans during the Flyers’ 2026 NHL draft party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on Friday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Bertino started playing hockey when he was 5 years old, with Parker’s dad as his coach. Both became lifelong Flyers fans thanks to their fathers, who had season tickets and attended the Flyers’ Stanley Cup victory in 1975.
When Bertino secured the tickets for the draft party, he knew Parker was the right person to accompany him.
“He is one of my few diehard Flyers fan friends,” Bertino said. “ I didn’t want to be here with some poseur, I wanted to be here with another diehard.”
By 10:20 p.m., with the Flyers still waiting to pick and it being a Friday night in Atlantic City, Bertino was surprised so many fans decided to leave, but he wasn’t surprised by Brière’s trade.
“The past two years he’s made some sort of trade, it’s kind of his thing,” Bertino said.
However, a similar sentiment was shared with fans throughout the night — the future of Flyers hockey is bright, and they are proud to be a part of the fan base.
When Gov. Ed Rendell first championed casino gambling in Pennsylvania more than two decades ago, the promise was straightforward: Regulated gaming would boost the economy, modernize the state’s entertainment industry, and create jobs. For years, it did exactly that.
But something went wrong along the way. Skill games, devices that look, sound, and function like slot machines, spread to thousands of bars, restaurants, gas stations, and clubs across Pennsylvania, completely unregulated and untaxed. Meanwhile, as brick-and-mortar casinos paid their fair share to the commonwealth and submitted to oversight from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, skill game operators avoided both. The playing field wasn’t level. It was tilted, and Pennsylvania workers at licensed casinos paid the price.
This was always a fairness problem. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has now confirmed it is also a legal one.
On June 15, the state’s highest court ruled that skill games are slot machines under Pennsylvania law, “several times over,” in the court’s own words. The justices found that Commonwealth Court’s previous rulings to the contrary were “deeply flawed” and “incorrect on both points.” What the skill games industry spent years arguing in court, that their machines were fundamentally different from slots, was rejected at the highest level.
Unregulated gaming devices known as “skill games” in a barbershop in Hazelton, Pa., in August.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
This is not a surprise to anyone who has watched these machines proliferate across the commonwealth while casinos absorbed the competitive damage.
The Philadelphia region knows this story well. Between 2019 and 2025, Harrah’s Philadelphia lost 616 jobs, a 51% decline. Rivers Philadelphia lost 446 jobs, a 28% decline. Valley Forge Casino lost 627 jobs, a 62% decline. Parx Casino lost 344 jobs, a 15% decline. Combined, these four Philadelphia-area casinos shed more than 2,000 jobs during a period when skill games were expanding freely across the state without paying a dollar in gaming taxes or answering to a single regulator.
These are not abstract figures. These are men and women in this region who lost livelihoods while an unregulated industry built a 70,000-machine footprint across Pennsylvania.
Between 2019 and 2025, Rivers Casino, pictured here, lost 446 jobs, a 28% percent decline. Casinos, writes David Black, accepted state regulation, paid taxes, and employed thousands of people in good-paying jobs while forced to compete against an unregulated industry that played by none of the same rules.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Statewide, the picture is equally stark. From 2019 to 2025, the 12 casinos operating in Pennsylvania during that period saw a 27% reduction in employment, dropping from 15,400 employees to 11,200. More than 4,000 jobs gone across the commonwealth, in cities and rural communities that could least afford to lose them.
While the Supreme Court has provided a 120-day window to act on skill games, the practical reality is far more urgent. Pennsylvania’s budget deadline of June 30 is rapidly approaching, and skill games are already part of that conversation.
Lawmakers don’t have until October to figure this out. They have a matter of days to decide whether this year’s budget will finally bring skill games into the same regulatory and tax framework that governs licensed casinos, or whether the issue gets punted again while the clock the court has set continues to run in the background.
But getting it right means more than finding a tax rate that fills a budget gap. Gov. Josh Shapiro has projected more than $2 billion in annual gaming revenue if skill games are brought into the fold, and that revenue is badly needed. Republicans in the state Senate have proposed a 35% tax rate; Shapiro’s budget calls for 52%, closer to the 55% casinos already pay. That debate is legitimate and worth having.
What cannot get lost in that debate is the human cost of the last several years. Pennsylvania’s casinos did everything right. They accepted regulation, paid taxes and employed thousands of people in good-paying jobs. They were then forced to compete against an unregulated industry that played by none of the same rules. The Supreme Court has now said that was wrong. Lawmakers have the opportunity and the obligation to correct it.
This is the time for lawmakers to address not just the problems with skill games, but to address the broader policy inequities as it relates to how gaming policy impacts economic development, job creation, and community impact.
The four major forms of gaming in Pennsylvania — casinos, online gaming, sports betting, and skill games — have dramatically different tax rates and economic impact. The fact is that only casinos create major economic development through employment, local spending on goods and services, and community engagement. Our state policy should encourage this type of economic development.
As this year’s budget negotiations intensify, I urge the General Assembly to prioritize the workers who built Pennsylvania’s gaming industry and who have borne the cost of unfair competition for too long. A fair tax structure is a start. But the final product should be judged not just by how much revenue it raises, but by whether it begins to reverse the job losses that should never have happened in the first place.
The court did its job. Now it’s time for the legislature to do its job.
David Black was a deputy secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development in the administration of former Republican Gov. Tom Ridge.
Not to be left behind, Walmart has touted a “store of the future” concept for years as it opens and remodels hundreds of locations, including 32 in Pennsylvania this year, to have better layouts and services that aim to make the shopping experience seamless.
“By modernizing our stores, we’re making shopping faster, easier, and more convenient, all while empowering our teams to serve customers better and creating local opportunity,” said Annie Walker, senior vice president of the East Business Unit at Walmart, in a statement announcing the Pennsylvania investments this year.
The Walmart Supercenter in Warminster is the latest “store of the future,” unveiling its remodel this month.
I tried it out to see what the future holds for shoppers. Spoiler alert: It’s nothing out of The Jetsons, but a handful of customers told me they liked the improvements nonetheless.
“A lot of stuff is different, but it’s easier to find things,” said Cuong Kim, 41, of the new layout, walking out with a bag of toiletries.
Sparky, where are the fiber gummies?
Walking in, the store doesn’t feel that different from counterparts in South Jersey or Philadelphia. The polished concrete floors remain the same and there are an Auntie Anne’s and a Subway near the entrance.
Still, I could see the company followed through on its “elevated assortment of healthy foods” promise. There were meat and cheese snack packs galore, along with a wide range of ready-to-eat salads and sandwiches in the grab-and-go section.
Because better online/in-store integration is part of the company’s “store of the future” pitch, I brought an admittedly specific grocery list with me to test out Sparky, the company’s generative AI shopping assistant launched last year, another trend major retailers are adopting.
Though the Walmart app provided a handy static map of the store, Sparky was not helpful in helping me find mango pulp for a cheesecake I’m making or my fiber gummies, which I will need if my rich dessert plans move forward.
A static map of the Warminster Walmart in the app.Screenshot by Ximena
While Sparky pointed me to several fiber gummy brands, it was less helpful in telling me what aisle they were in.
“Your best bet is to ask a store associate or check the Walmart app’s store map when you arrive,” Sparky said.
Sparky, Walmart’s AI shopping assistant, doesn’t know what aisle the fiber gummies are in.Screenshot by Ximena
On the mango pulp front, Sparky showed me several options, which got my hopes up because I’d never used this item and was worried it might be hard to find.
Alas, none of Sparky’s suggestions were in the store, but could be shipped by the next day — helpful information if I weren’t already on site.
To be fair, one shopper told me that while Sparky doesn’t have a 100% hit rate, it is not a total dud.
He was right. Seltzer, another item on the list, was in aisle A22.
As I walked around the store, I noticed some aisles, like the beverage sections, could fit three shopping cartsacross. That’s some Costco-level width and another “store of the future” feature.
Even so, wider lanes, a semi-useful shopping assistant, and more snack packs didn’t make my shopping experience feel that futuristic, so I asked Sparky: “What’s new about my Walmart? I heard it’s the store of the future but not sure what’s changed.”
It reiterated some of what I’d already seen and highlighted the enhanced pickup and express delivery services. I recently had a laptop charger delivered from a different Walmart location and I can confirm it arrived in less than an hour.
Sparky lays out the store of the future upgrades.Screenshot by Ximena Cn
Ol’ Sparky, however, warned me “not every feature is at every store yet.” For example, Walmart plans to roll out digital shelf labels that allow rollbacks and price changes to appear in real time, but were nowhere to be found in Warminster.
I also asked an employee what was new with the store to fact-check Sparky.
“It’s little things,” said the cheerful associate. “There’s more [grab and go] coolers, more cash registers, and a bigger electronics section.”
A reminder that no one knows a store better than the people who work there.
What we learned
It seems the people who would get the most use out of Sparky are those ordering online for delivery or planning their haul ahead of time, checking to see if their desired items are in store. These features, however, are not exclusive to the 32 Walmarts up for a makeover.
Yet while not exactly futuristic, shoppers in Warminster certainly appreciated the less tech-centered changes, such as the added breathing room as they shopped in clearly labeled sections.
Kim, the shopperwho traveled from Northeast Philadelphia for his haul, also reminded me that sometimes the most seamless shopping experience is pretty simple. He’s not an app user like some of the other customers I talked to. But he travels to Warminster because very few items require waiting for an associate to unlock them from glass cases.
“It’s easier to shop here,” he said. “In Philly, they lock everything up.”
