Philadelphia Flyers Fan Fest Draws Throngs, Caps Development Camp with ExcitementPhiladelphia Flyers Fan Fest Draws Throngs, Caps Development Camp with Excitement The Philadelphia Flyers’ 2024 Development Camp culminated yesterday with a festive afternoon, offering fans a chance to mingle with prospects and celebrate the sport of hockey. Fan Fest Delights Attendees The event catered to Flyers enthusiasts of all ages. Fans eagerly lined up for autographs from their beloved players, regardless of the sweltering summer heat. Others reveled in the entertainment provided, which included performances by Gritty, DJs, and inflatable games. The Flyers also treated fans to complimentary frozen treats to combat the oppressive temperatures. One standout attendee was Megan, who showcased her impressive, handmade Jaime Drysdale jersey. Her dedication and craftsmanship left a lasting impression on the young prospects. 5-on-5 Scrimmage Caps Camp Following the Fan Fest, Team Briere and Team Jones faced off in an electrifying 5-on-5 scrimmage. After a dominant first period by Team Jones, both teams traded goals in the second and third periods. Northeastern’s Jack Williams and Michigan’s Denver Barkey impressed with their offensive prowess, while goalie Carson Bjarnason showcased his exceptional skills in the shootout. Flyers Fans Eager for Upcoming Season The Development Camp provided a glimpse of the future for Flyers fans. The team’s prospects displayed their talents and passion, leaving attendees brimming with excitement for the upcoming 2024-25 NHL season. With the anticipated arrival of Matvei Michkov at training camp on September 18, the Flyers are poised for a promising season. The Fan Fest and Development Camp have further fueled the enthusiasm of Philadelphia hockey fans, who are eagerly anticipating the start of the new campaign.
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The Philadelphia Flyers held a fan festival yesterday afternoon before their prospects took to the ice for the final time during the Flyers 2024 Development Camp. After a long week of skills training and drills, many fans who enjoyed the mid-summer hockey action got a chance to get up close and personal with the players for an autograph session on the unfrozen floor of one of the rinks at the Flyers Training Center.
Fans happy with Flyers Fan Fest at Development Camp 2024
The event brought Flyers fans of all levels to the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, New Jersey. Some fans came for the meet and greet, only to run out into the 100+ degree New Jersey sun with a freshly signed poster, bucket hat or hockey stick. Others met the draft pick and camp invites before sticking around for the upcoming hockey action.
A young woman named Megan arrived wearing a fully decorated Jaime Drysdale jersey that took “a lot longer than I thought” to complete. You can imagine the impression that craftsmanship and detail on a decorated jersey gives these younger players coming into the Flyers organization.
The Philadelphia Flyers provided a Philadelphia staple (frozen ice) for fans who drove to the training facility on a scorching summer day. Fueled by a performance by the one and only Gritty, fans were treated to entertainment from a DJ, party games like washing machines and ping pong, and even a target ball for the kids to take some shots off an inflatable netminder.
Suzanne Meyer, a New Jersey Devils fan from Tom’s River, made the hour-long trip to watch the Flyers scrimmage session for her grandson. Vinny has just started playing hockey the past few seasons. Suzanne was a soccer fanatic who now falls in love with the sport of hockey through the critical firsthand experience of watching the game. You just love watching it.
Flyers organize summer evening 5-on-5 practice match
An hour after the Fan Festival at the 2024 Flyers Development Camp, the 5-on-5 match between Team Briere and Team Jones took place to close out the camp. After an entertaining 45 minutes of in-game action, Team Jones claimed the victory, 7-3. A shootout began before goalie hugs and handshakes officially ended the 2024 Development Camp for these young prospects.
Team Jones skated in a white jersey and dominated the first of three 15-minute periods. Defenseman Hunter McDonald, a 2022 sixth-round pick, opened the scoring for Team Jones before invited forward Josh Zakreski doubled the lead to 2-0 to end the first period of the game.
Flyers fourth-round pick in 2024, center Heikki Ruohonen, was impressive all night. Ruohonen was responsible for Jonesey’s 3-0 lead after a slick forehand-backhand deke move that opened up space down the ice to slot the puck past the goalie’s sliding right path.
The player who opened my eyes the most during camp, Northeastern’s Jack Williams, scored the 4-0 goal. Williams fired a shot into the top corner of the net from the slot on a great pass from 2023 third-rounder Denver Barkey. Defenseman Cooper Wylie capped Team Jones’ 5-0 scoring streak before Team Briere countered late in the second half.
Michigan Wolverine player and camp invitee Mark Estapa put Team Briere on the board with an unassisted goal to make it 5-1. Ryan MacPherson, a 2023 seventh-round draft pick, found the net to make it 5-2 with a penalty kick to close out the second 15-minute timed session.
Third period and shootout entertain Flyers fans to finish camp
The third period was split 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 2021 6th round pick. The score technically made the game 6-2 in favor of Team Jones, although I’m not sure who even counted at that point in the exhibition match.
In the 3-on-3 session, two pucks crossed the red line, with Alex Ciernik scoring Team Jones’ seventh goal of the night, making the score 7-2. Team Briere’s Alexis Gendron, a 2022 7th round pick, scored without an assist, making the score 7-3.
After the final buzzer, a three-round shootout began. Third-round draft pick, goalie Carson Bjarnason, stopped all three attempts he faced from Oliver Bonk, Devin Kaplan and Jack Berglund. Team Jones sent in 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 began among the friendly participants to applause from an appreciative Flyers crowd eager for the summer action. Next up for the Philadelphia Flyers is the expected arrival of Matvei Michkov on September 18 at the 2024 training camp to begin the process for the start of the 2024-25 NHL season.
