On another picture-perfect September afternoon in Voorhees, New Jersey, the Philadelphia Flyers rookies took to the ice at the Flyers Traning Center before traveling to Allentown, PA this evening. In a brief half-hour warmup skate, Philly worked on some special teams and defensive zone breakout drills and finished up working on special teams as a group. Philly battles the New York Rangers rookies in an exhibition contest this evening at PPL Center—the home of the Flyers’ minor league affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Flyers – Rangers Battle in Lehigh Valley Tonight
It should be approximately a two-hour bus ride from South Jersey to reach the destination in Allentown for Flyers players and staff. Matvei Michkov, Jett Luchanko, and Elliot Desnoyers were paired up in the warmup skate this morning, so the expectation is that those three prospects should see the ice together tonight. The roster of participants in tonight’s game is available via the Flyers’ website.
All eyes were on the special teams’ setup towards the end of the skate. Michkov (#39) should see first-line Powerplay duties tonight should the Rangers commit a penalty infraction. The Flyers young winger is expected to be joined by Jett Luchanko (#17), Santeri Sulku (#80), Emil Andrae (#36), and Oliver Bonk (#59). Look for Sulku, a 6’3 winger from Finland, to provide a net-front screen in front of the crease, similar to what James Van Riemsdyk did for many years on the Philly with the man advantage attack.
As for New York, Brennan Othmann is the highest profile name participating on the Rangers rookie camp roster. Othmann (#78) was selected 16th overall by New York in 2021 and is generally considered one of the top prospects in the Rangers organization. In his first pro season, the 21-year-old winger scored 21 goals in the American Hockey League for Hartford. As of press time, the New York Rangers
Carter Sotheran Joins Day #2
Flyers prospect Carter Sothern (#65) joined the team on the ice this morning after missing the first day of camp yesterday. We covered his W-P-W medical condition yesterday in Observations Day 1 on Philly Sports Network. Southern is not listed on the game roster for this evening’s contest in Lehigh Valley. There is still a chance he could see game action on Saturday evening during the second game of the exhibition series.
Sotheran is a 6-foot-3, right-handed shooting defenseman who was drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 NHL Draft. The Manitoba-born defenseman has played two seasons for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League. In his post-draft season, Carter scored 13 goals and provided 27 assists for 40 points. Portland finished the season at 48 wins last season to reach their first championship final in a decade. They were swept by the Moose Jaw Warriors in four games.
How To Watch the Flyers This Weekend
The two exhibition games in Allentown, PA, between the Philadelphia Flyers rookies and New York Rangers youngsters will be available via stream on the Flyers website. Jason Myrtetus and Brian Smith will call the action from PPL Center for both games. Tonight’s contest begins at 7:05 pm, while Saturday’s game starts a bit earlier at 5:05 pm.
With the Flyers rookies on an adventure to the Lehigh Valley, there is no skate schedule tomorrow in Voorhees, New Jersey. Flyers fans who are unavailable during weekdays will get their first chance to see Matvei Michkov on Sunday morning when the rookies return to the ice at the Flyers Skate Zone. Practice is scheduled for 11 am for the remainder of Flyers Rookie Camp on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Doors have opened half an hour before the start of the on-ice practice sessions during Flyers 2024 Rookie Camp.
