Flyers end Development Camp with eccentric fan festival: Takeaways from the final day of camp

The Philadelphia Flyers held a fan festival Saturday afternoon before the prospects took the ice for the final time at Flyers 2024 Development Camp. After a long week of skills training and practices, many of the fans who enjoyed the mid-summer ice hockey action had the chance to meet those players up close for an autograph signing session on the unfrozen floor of one of the rinks at the Flyers Training Center. 

Fans delighted by Flyers Fan Fest at Development Camp

The event brought out all levels of Flyers fans to Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, New Jersey. Some fans came for the meet-and-greet to speed off into the 100+ degree sun with a freshly signed poster, bucket hat, or hockey stick. Others met the draft pick and camp invites before hanging around for the upcoming hockey action. 

A young woman named Megan arrived in a fully bedazzled Jaime Drysdale jersey that took “way much longer than I thought” to complete. One can imagine the impression that craftsmanship and detail on a bejeweled jersey give these younger players coming into the Flyers organization. 

The Philadelphia Flyers provided a Philadelphia staple (water ice) for the fans who took the ride to the practice facility on a brutally hot summer day. Kickstarted by an appearance from the one-and-only Gritty, fans were treated to entertainment from a DJ, party games like washers and table tennis, and a shooting target for the kids to take some shots at an inflatable netminder. 

Suzanne Meyer, a New Jersey Devils fan from Tom’s River, made the hour-long journey to watch the Flyers scrimmage session for the benefit of her grandson. Vinny just started playing hockey over the last few seasons. Meyer is a football fanatic, now falling in love with the sport of hockey. 

Flyers host 5-on-5 scrimmage

Following the Fan Festival, the 5-on-5 scrimmage took place between Team Briere and Team Jones to conclude camp. After an entertaining 45 minutes of in-game action, Team Jones claimed the victory, 7-3. A shootout commenced before goalie hugs and handshakes officially ending the 2024 Development Camp experience for these young prospects. 

Team Jones skated in white jersey and dominated the first of the three 15-minute periods. Defenseman Hunter McDonald, a 2022 6th-round pick, opened the scoring for the Jones squad before camp invitee Josh Zakreski doubled the lead at 2-0 to end the first period of play.

Flyers fourth-round pick in 2024, center Heikki Ruohonen, was impressive all night. Ruohonen was responsible for the 3-0 lead for Jonesey after a smooth forehand-backhand deke move that opened up space along the ice to slide the puck home past the sliding right pad of the goalie.

The player that turned heads the most during camp, Northeastern’s Jack Williams, scored the 4-0 goal. Williams rifled a shot to the top corner of the net from the slot on a great feed from 2023 third-rounder pick Denver Barkey. Defenseman Cooper Wylie capped off the 5-0 scoring stream from Team Jones before Team Briere counterpunched late in the second. 

Camp invite and Michigan Wolverine product Mark Estapa put Team Briere on the board with an unassisted goal to make the score 5-1. Ryan MacPherson, a 2023 7th-round draft choice, found the back of the net to make the score 5-2 on a penalty shot attempt concluding the scoring in the second 15-minute timed session. 

The third period was broken down into eight minutes of 4-on-4 action followed by seven minutes of 3-on-3 play. In the 4-on-4 play, only one goal was scored by Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ defenseman Ethan Samson, a 6th-round pick in 2021. The score technically made the game 6-2 in favor of Team Jones, although, I am not sure who was even counting at the point in the exhibition contest. 

In the 3-on-3 session, two pucks crossed the red line with Alex Ciernik scoring Team Jones’ seventh goal of the evening to make the score 7-2. Team Briere’s Alexis Gendron, a 7th-round choice in 2022, scored unassisted to put a cap on the scoring at 7-3. 

A three-round shootout commenced following the final buzzer. Third-round draft selection, goaltender Carson Bjarnason, stopped all three attempts he faced from Oliver Bonk, Devin Kaplan, and Jack Berglund. Team Jones sent out Jett Luchanko who was stopped on the first attempt before Alex Bump and Denver Barkey scored for a 2-0 shootout finish. 

The traditional hockey finish of goalie hugs and handshakes commenced among the friendly competitors to the applause of an appreciative Flyers crowd excited for the summertime action. Next up for the Philadelphia Flyers will be Matvei Michkov’s expected arrival at 2024 Training Camp on Sept. 18 to begin the process for the start of the 2024-25 NHL season.