Author: Jackie Spiegel

How quickly things can change across an 82-game season.

If the Flyers had lost on Saturday, it would have been their fourth in six games. Instead, a quick spurt of goals that started a cascade led to a 6-3 win against the New Jersey Devils, and now they have won three of four.

This time last year, the Flyers were 8-10-2, and two seasons ago, when they came close to a playoff spot, the Flyers were 10-9-1 through 20 games.

At the 20-game mark this season, the Flyers are 11-6-3 and sit in a playoff spot in a supertight Eastern Conference.

Here are seven things we learned Saturday that the Flyers can carry through the next 20 games.

This team can score goals

It’s been a slow process as the team learns coach Rick Tocchet’s offensive systems, but it has been building. Entering the night, the Flyers were ranked 29th in the NHL in goals per game (2.63). However, in the last five games, including Saturday night, they rank 12th with an average of 3.20 goals. And against New Jersey, they set a franchise record with three goals in 26 seconds.

“To get one, and get the building into it, obviously a couple of quick [goals] after that was awesome,” said Noah Cates, who tied the score at 1 and scored the first of four Flyers’ goals in 3 minutes, 32 seconds. “Just keeping our foot on the gas and getting pucks out and being predictable early is kind of what we’re preaching right now, and we’ve just got to keep it up.”

Added Sean Couturier: “Obviously, if we get more shots on net, the odds should be a little more in our favor. But I think it’s more than that. Today, we forechecked pretty well. We created turnovers, and that’s hard to defend for any team. So off of that, we can create some offense, get some shots, and at the same time, when we had our chances, we capitalized.”

Drysdale impresses Tocchet

He is always known as an offensive defenseman, but Jamie Drysdale’s defensive game continues to grow and impress. The second pairing of Drysdale and Emil Andrae was not on the ice together for any goals by the Flyers, but they were also not on the ice for any against.

According to Natural Stat Trick, they skated together for 14 minutes, 6 seconds across all strengths, and allowed 12 shot attempts, including six shots, and six scoring chances. And in the third period, Drysdale combined with Cates to help keep a loose puck in the crease out of the net after a weird carom off the boards took goalie Dan Vladař out of the play.

“Thought Drysdale was our best player tonight. … For defending, he was our best defender by far,” Tocchet said. “I thought Andrae, too. Andrae is not scared of going into corners. I thought those two guys were really defending hard.”

Flyers have depth on defense

Skating in his first game since Nov. 1, Egor Zamula admitted he was “kind of nervous” on his first shift. Makes sense considering he had played in only eight of the Flyers’ first 19 games.

But the blueliner put on an impressive show, skating alongside his old partner Nick Seeler and finishing at plus-5. Although they hadn’t played together this season, across the last three seasons, Zamula played the second-most minutes with Seeler (246:46).

Seeing the Russian slide back into the lineup seamlessly — and showing versatility — is a good sign for the depth on defense.

The top pair of Cam York and Travis Sanheim continues to drive the defense. Noah Juulsen, who sat for the first time this season, has been a steady presence on the third pair, and the Flyers also have Rasmus Ristolainen inching closer to a return from injury.

First blood

Once again, the opposition got on the board first when Timo Meier scored on a wacky sequence during a power play. But, as Tyson Foerster said, “It isn’t great, but we bounced back.”

Indeed. It’s never ideal to fall behind early in games. However, maybe for the Flyers it is. They lead the NHL with eight wins — a reminder, they have 11 total wins on the season — when trailing first.

Balanced offense

Against the St. Louis Blues a week ago, the Flyers won, 6-5, in a shootout, but got all the scoring in regulation from one line. On Saturday night, three of the four lines got on the board.

The uptick comes after the Cates, Foerster, and Bobby Brink line was broken up. Cates and Foerster are still together, but now have Travis Konecny on the right wing. They combined for three goals against New Jersey, with Foerster getting a pair.

Brink was moved alongside Matvei Michkov and Couturier, and the Minnesotan scored after receiving a pass from the captain — who kept the puck away from two defenders — in the second period. In the first period, it was Couturier feeding Michkov for a breakaway after the Russian winger read the play properly and sprinted ahead.

“What I like is he backchecked, he was in a good position, and once he saw we got full puck possession, he just took off, which is what we want,” Couturier said of the goal that started the 26-second, record-breaking frenzy. “When you have a guy like that, that you can send alone on a goalie, I like our odds.”

The line of Owen Tippett, Trevor Zegras, and Christian Dvorak was on the ice for one Devils goal but made up for it in the third period with Zegras getting on the board. Zegras now has 21 points in 20 games.

And while the fourth line of Rodrigo Ābols, Garnet Hathaway, and Nic Deslauriers didn’t score, they played a role in keeping the energy up.

“Every time they’re out there, they’re creating momentum,” Couturier said. “They’re three big boys that can shoot the puck in and lay the body; I’m sure it gets tiring for defenders on the other team. So, yeah, even if they don’t score, they bring a lot and help us along the way with the momentum swings.”

Added Tocchet: “I thought the [Ābols] line again, I thought Abs had a good game. … I thought he forechecked well and held onto some pucks. It’s nice when you can get some minutes to those guys. But, yeah, balanced offense was great.”

Vladař is No. 1

Tocchet did say recently that he thought his team backed in more with Sam Ersson in net, which saw him face harder shots, leading to a lower save percentage. The backing in did occur, with less frequency, with Vladař in net, but it has stopped for now — as noted by the rush chances and strong transition game the Flyers had on Saturday. Regardless, it’s clear that the net is Vladař‘s for now.

Among goalies with at least 10 games this season, Vladař ranks No. 4 in goals-against average (2.42) and save percentage (. 912). He is 8-4-1 in 13 games, with 10 of those showcasing a save percentage above .900.

According to Natural Stat Trick, he stopped all 14 low-danger shots he saw from the Devils, nine of 10 mid-danger, and six of eight high-danger. He came up huge in the third period as New Jersey was pressing, stopping Meier off a cross-crease pass on a two-on-one and robbing Nico Hischier between his pair of goals when the Devils captain had two big chances while shorthanded.

One loud arena

In front of a sellout crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the Flyers brought the entertainment. Was it the loudest Foerster has heard? “Yeah, and when Anaheim came to town,” he said with a big grin. That game saw former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier make his debut in Philly.

A former Flyers forward, Tocchet also heard the fans loud and clear.

“I’ve lived it here, this crowd. When they get something to cheer about, it’s loud. … They’re a big part of it,” Tocchet said. “So, we’ve got to continue to push the envelope to get these guys on our side, because they want to believe in our team and that starts on the ice with us.”

Bernie Parent surely liked an easy night or two between the pipes. He probably also liked it when his team staked him to a big lead.

On Saturday night, as the Flyers honored the Hall of Fame goalie, who backstopped the Orange and Black to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975 and died on Sept. 21 at the age of 80, the Flyers put on an offensive show.

In front of an announced sellout, they defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-3, giving them two straight wins and three in the past four.

It’s funny how Bruce Springsteen once sang: “If I should fall behind, wait for me.” Fans should heed that because despite trailing — once again — the Flyers came back.

This time with authority.

First, they trailed 1-0 on a Timo Meier power-play goal that saw Sean Couturier’s clearing attempt go off the leg of Nico Hischier and stay in the zone. It led to sustained pressure by the Devils, with Meier just missing at the right post, before the Swiss forward grabbed a puck out of midair, got a shot on goal, and buried the rebound.

For the record, it is the Flyers’ 11th win of the season and ninth comeback win. But this may have been the flashiest one.

The Flyers scored five straight goals beginning with Noah Cates 83 seconds after Meier’s goal. Devils goalie Jake Allen knocked away the centering attempt by Cates, but defenseman Egor Zamula, skating in his first game since Nov. 2, hopped on it and put a shot on goal. Allen made the save and then swatted the puck away again, but this time right to Cates for his fifth goal of the season and first since Nov. 6.

Then from 12:06 to 12:32, the Flyers set a franchise record with three goals in 26 seconds.

Matvei Michkov gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead with his fifth of the season and fourth in seven games. Couturier tipped a cross-ice pass by Meier inside the Flyers’ blue line, forcing Hischier to skate past the puck. Couturier then sent the puck to Michkov as the Russian winger, skating in his 100th NHL game, split through the defense and outskated three Devils before beating Allen stick-side.

In the blink of an eye, technically nine seconds later, it was 3-1 Flyers. Off the faceoff, won by Cates, they transitioned the puck up the ice with Travis Konecny sending the pass across to a flying Cates. He dipped the shoulder on Juho Lammikko and sent the puck from the right face-off circle to Tyson Foerster in the left circle for the one-timer.

Foerster scored again, 17 seconds later, this time from the right circle. Defenseman Nick Seeler poked the puck away in the neutral zone, and Cates scooped up the puck, creating a three-on-two for the Flyers. Cates dished the puck over to Foerster, and he sent a blistering wrister past Allen. He now has seven goals on the season.

In the second period, Bobby Brink added to the goal total with his sixth of the season. Along the boards in front of the Flyers’ bench, Couturier protected the puck from Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton and then forward Connor Brown before finding Brink as he looped in the neutral zone. The Minnesotan skated in and appeared to use Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler as a screen to beat Allen and give the Flyers a 5-1 lead.

Hischier did score in the middle frame to make it 5-2, taking a pass from defenseman Luke Hughes. And he scored again with 6:33 left in regulation when he deflected in a Šimon Nemec point shot.

But goalie Dan Vladař also came up big in his own right. In the third period, he stopped Meier off a cross-crease pass on a two-on-one and robbed Hischier between his pair of goals when the Devils captain had two big chances while shorthanded. And he got some help on a weird carom, with Jamie Dyrsdale and Cates keeping a loose puck in the crease out of the net.

Trevor Zegras then put the game away when he roofed his shot on a breakaway. In the Flyers’ end, Christian Dvorak knocked the puck away from Brown, and Owen Tippett tracked it down to feed Zegras. It was the seventh goal of the season for Zegras, who scored just 12 times last season and bested his high from 2023-24 when he was held to 31 games due to injury.

Breakaways

Zamula and Seeler each had a plus-minus of plus-5. … Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim skated in his 599th NHL game.

Up next

The Flyers begin a four-game road trip on Monday against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m., NBCSP).

There’s been a bit of a shake-up to the Flyers’ defensive corps.

The top pairing of Travis Sanheim and Cam York is still intact, but the bottom four are looking a little different right now. During Thursday night’s win against the visiting St. Louis Blues, Nick Seeler and Jamie Drysdale were split up, as were Emil Andrae and Noah Juulsen.

After speaking with assistant Todd Reirden following the first period, and with the Flyers trailing by two, coach Rick Tocchet said, “Let’s make the switch here.”

So Andrae was moved into the top four alongside Drysdale, and Seeler was switched to play with Juulsen. It seemed to work as Andrae and Drysdale were on the ice for both of the Flyers’ goals in regulation before Travis Sanheim won the game in overtime.

Based on who stayed out late for the team’s optional morning skate at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, before facing the New Jersey Devils, it looked like Juulsen will be a healthy scratch for the first time this season, and he was. Therefore, Egor Zamula slotted in alongside Seeler for his first game since Nov. 1.

It’s an interesting dynamic putting Drysdale and Andrae together. Both are puck-moving defensemen who are known for their offensive upside. “We don’t complicate it that much,” Andrae said on Saturday.

According to Natural Stat Trick, Andrae and Drysdale played 54 minutes, 21 seconds together last season. They had a 54.26% Corsi For and were on the ice for 31 scoring chances for the Flyers compared to 25 by the opposition. But, while they were also on the ice together for four goals by the Flyers, five were scored against with a .762 save percentage.

Drysdale has changed his game, becoming better in the defensive zone. As noted by the stat site, when he is on the ice, Corsi For percentage has risen from 46.22% to 51.97%, expected goals against has drop (49.14% to 12.49%), and save percentage has risen from .876 to .893

He’ll now be skating with Andrae, and when the Swede is on the ice the Flyers have an expected goals against of 5.69 along with a .914 save percentage.

But, in a game dominated by big men with teams across the league hyper-focused on adding size, they are a smaller pairing; Drysdale is listed at 5-foot-11 and Andrae at 5-9.

But as the saying goes: It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

“I think Emil, he’s shown ability to go in a corner, and he’s not afraid to squash a player or hit a guy,” Tocchet said Saturday morning. “He’s a small guy, but he’s built pretty good, so I don’t see that being a problem.”

Tocchet likes Andrae’s abrasiveness and his ability to use his brain, body positioning, and quickness to read plays and be smart on the puck in the defensive zone. When the bench boss was playing, it may have been taboo to let a guy get the puck first in the corner, but he’s OK with seeing a defenseman like Andrae let the heavier opponent get the puck and then defend after that.

New to the organization, Tocchet’s seeing what the Flyers front office has noticed for a long time about Andrae: his competitiveness, grit, and determination.

“I’ve never been the biggest guy and I’ve always had to find a way to get around that and to play the style of game that I can with my size,” Andrae said. “I’m strong on the walls, strong on the puck. I think it comes with a lot of competitiveness, too. I like to use that to my advantage. Maybe it’s a little surprising for the guys out there that I play against.”

In May 2024, Flyers general manager Danny Brière told The Inquirer that Andrae is “a special package” and “patience is the key.”

That’s coming to fruition.

Breakaways

Forward Nikita Grebenkin stayed on late during the optional skate and was a healthy scratch again. “It’s tough because in our position right now, we’re looking for a fourth line identity, and he’s kind of stuck in the middle there,” Tocchet said. “We’re trying to find out what is Grebby, in a sense. But that’s a process, a 23-year-old. Eventually, we’ve got to make a decision; he’s got to play. Trust me, we’re talking about it all the time, Danny and management about it, the best way to handle him if he’s not going to play much. So we’ll figure that out as it goes.”

Across the Flyers’ long practice on Friday, Nikita Grebenkin spent a lot of time skating with fourth liners Garnet Hathaway and Rodrigo Ābols.

It’s too soon to determine whether or not that means he will be in the lineup on Saturday when the Flyers host the New Jersey Devils (7 p.m., NBCSP).

But it is fair to say the young Russian winger needs to get consistent playing time.

Grebenkin did not play in the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, a game in which the head coach said afterward that he wanted to see his team be better at wall work and puck possession, two things Grebenkin often does well.

“He did early in the season and training camp, but he’s been OK with that [since],” Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said Friday, adding he can be a “hashmark down guy.”

Noted Hathaway, “He’s really good at controlling the puck, working through guys, battling with guys. His puck possession, I think it helps any line that he’s on. He can hold on to and then he can make plays out of it, too. And he’s not shy to get in the mix and go win a puck battle.”

Grebenkin, 22, has skated in 12 of the Flyers’ first 19 games, averaging 9 minutes, 35 seconds. It is consistent with the other players on the fourth line, including Nic Deslauriers, with whom he rotates.

And the rotation, formulated by Tocchet and his staff, does follow what the head coach said on Nov. 1: “I like that we played him a couple of games, work with the coaches when you can really work with them, get him back in — hopefully he can string some good games together for us.”

Added Tocchet on Friday when asked what he needs to see from Grebenkin to play consistently. “We’re trying to make him an NHL player. He spent a lot of time with the coaches. More predictable to his game, good angles, being a good first forechecker. [When] he’s more predictable, it’ll help the line in general. It’s hard, I get it, 9-10 minutes, but there’s only so much ice to go around. It’s the world we live in right now.”

Grebenkin was a big piece of the return in the trade that shipped Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Flyers organization is OK with how things are going in terms of the winger’s development. If he does start sitting out stretches, Grebenkin, who is waiver-exempt, could get sent back to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League to play a ton of minutes.

But that shouldn’t be the case. Grebenkin deserves a chance to work things out at the NHL level. He brings energy and jam to the lineup with some skill.

And, for now, the Flyers are trying to find him time in Philly. But is he a fourth liner or should he play up higher? Grebenkin has the skill to play higher in the lineup; he just needs to play more consistently. And the crux is, is there really anyone he can supplant in the top nine?

Across his first six games, when he often skated on the fourth line, he averaged 8:53 of ice time, picked up one assist, and logged a plus-minus of minus-4.

After sitting out for a pair of games, he averaged a minute more in the next five, posting a goal, an assist, and a plus-1 rating. When Tyson Foerster was out, the Russian winger was often deployed higher in the lineup. He skated a season-high 12:24 in the Flyers’ loss to the Dallas Stars on Nov. 15, and wasn’t on the ice for a goal against despite the Stars scoring four at even strength.

Tocchet has said that Grebenkin has communicated to him that he’s been thinking too much on the ice. He wants him to be “sticky” and stay in piles. The winger can also bring skill to a fourth line that has not scored a goal this season when on the ice together.

“Especially at the start of the year, feel like you can’t get him off the puck down low, or if two guys go on him, you feel like he’s going to lose it, but he comes out with it,” Ābols said. “I think that’s one of his strong attributes, and obviously, quite skilled with the puck. It’s maybe, at some points, [something] we lack on our line, realistically. Once he’s on his game, he can make those little plays and bring some skill.”

Ābols has also played a key role in helping Grebenkin work on his game. The Latvian speaks several languages, including Russian, and told Tocchet in training camp that he can help translate.

The bench boss said the center even helps during games, something he was often spotted doing last season with Matvei Michkov.

“Yeah, those situations you can see when they talk to their coaches, and you kind of see their lost face, then I kind of slide in,” Ābols said. “I’m going to try any way I can, whether it’s translating or helping anyway I can.”

Breakaways

Forwards Owen Tippett and Foerster did not skate on Friday. Tocchet said they are a “little banged” up. Both had maintenance days, and Tocchet expects them to play on Saturday.

After four days off from NHL action, the Flyers returned to the ice on Thursday night.

Although they — once again — didn’t have the best start, they battled back and skated away with a 3-2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues.

Here are two big things we learned.

Rookie on the rise

It feels like every game lately has been a career game for Emil Andrae, and Thursday night was no different. The defenseman played a key role in tying the game and saving it, all after being promoted to the second pairing alongside Jamie Drysdale.

“When you’re playing more, the more confidence you have. I think me and Jimmy played great when we played together those shifts we had,” Andrae said.

Andrae started the game with Noah Juulsen on the third pair, but according to Natural Stat Trick, played 11 minutes, 48 seconds with Drysdale at five-on-five — and it did feel like they were out there every other shift in the third period. They were on the ice for 11 chances for and eight against, and each of the Flyers’ goals in regulation.

“I was talking to [defensive assistant coach] Todd [Reirden] after the first. I said, ‘Let’s make the switch here,’” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. “I just felt, Emil, he’s been playing pretty good for us, right? And he’s one of our better guys who goes back and wheels the puck and makes an outlet pass. Even on the blue line [he was] faking, jukin’ players and stuff like that. So, keep working with him; he’ll get some more ice time.”

On the goal by Rodrigo Ābols, the Swedish blueliner had just hopped on the ice. But on the tying goal by Tyson Foerster, Andrae read the play properly before using his quickness to track down a desperation clearing attempt by Robert Thomas. He did a quick 180-degree turn and fed an open Foerster for the one-timer.

“Yeah, he’s making a bunch of great plays, D zone, and transitioning into the offensive zone,” Foerster said. “He made a great play to me, and [Noah Cates] had a great screen. But, yeah, Email’s been playing great.”

Yes, Andrae’s nickname is “Email,” but he’s not mailing anything in. He may just stand at 5-foot-9, but Andrae doesn’t shy away from contact, plays the proper body position on bigger guys, and as Travis Sanheim said, “he makes good reads” and is “not afraid to make them.”

In fact, he sacrificed his body to stop a sure-fire goal by Dalibor Dvorský with three minutes to go. On the play, he was probably on the wrong side of Pavel Buchnevich atop the crease, which allowed the big Russian to get a Grade A scoring chance. However, because he was not on top of Buchnevich, he was able to turn and block the shot with goalie Dan Vladař sprawled on the ice.

“I probably owe him some steak, for sure,” Vladař said.

After skating in 42 games last season, Andrae has now played in nine games and has three assists and a plus-minus of plus-4. Across the past three games, as the new coaching staff gains confidence in the defenseman, he is averaging 19:34 of ice time; his season total is 14:31.

“I think, still, I have stuff that I can improve from tonight,” Andrae said. “I think the things I did well was get up in the play. I created a lot of offense and moved the puck quick. But I think just overall defense and being strong on the walls can be a better improvement going from here. But yeah, I think it was a step forward.”

The fourth line is alive

There’s no denying the fourth line has been struggling. And considering the four guys who have played on that line, Ābols, Garnet Hathaway, Nic Deslauriers, and Nikita Grebenkin, entered the night with 131 goals across a combined 1,363 NHL games, they are not expected to bury the biscuit every night.

But, they still need to do what they do best: pressure, forecheck, wreak havoc.

“I mean, that should be our motto as a line,” Ābols said when asked about their uptick in pressure against the Blues. “I think, obviously, nothing fancy, just tilt the ice that we’ve been talking about.

“We had some good meetings this week where we talked about it. Todd grabbed us yesterday, said we should play more predictable, and I think we did that today, where it was quite easy to read off each other and just kind of put constant pressure on their D.”

According to Natural Stat Trick, the fourth line had the best Corsi For percentage (86.7%) with 13 chances for and just two against. They had seven scoring chances to none — none — for the Blues. And it gets better. While it is subjective what determines a high-danger shot, the statistics site had the line notching four high-danger chances and zero against.

They threw the body around, with Deslauriers leading the way with six hits. And Ābols scored his first of the season, albeit on the ice with Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett after jumping on the ice when Christian Dvorak went for a change.

“Fourth lines especially have to play predictable; everyone knows where the puck is going,” said coach Rick Tocchet. “You watch, they were on the forecheck. They were connected, right? I think in the past, they were a little too wide. Tonight, they were connected. More predictable.

“They had some big shifts there for us when the game kind of went the other way, and they got to regain the momentum. For us, they did a nice job.”

About two weeks ago, Jason Myrtetus received a phone call from the Flyers.

The team was figuring out its plans for the annual Hockey Fights Cancer night and wanted to know if the Flyers broadcaster and host of the “Flyers Daily” podcast would be interested in dropping the ceremonial puck.

“I said, ‘Let me think about it. Yes,’” said Myrtetus without much pause. “So, yeah, my reaction was pretty humbling.

“As somebody who grew up here, and the love of the game and the love of the team, and what it’s meant in my life, and to be asked to do that is a huge honor. I think of my dad when I hear that, if he were still here, what would his reaction be?” added Myrtetus, whose father died of lung cancer in 2016.

“My dad had season tickets at the Spectrum in Section R, Row 7, back in the day, and what would his reaction be to me dropping the ceremonial puck? All the early morning car rides to rinks all over the Northeast, going to games with me, that hits you a little bit.”

The call from the Flyers came around the same time the 53-year-old Myrtetus, who grew up in West Chester, learned his recent scans and tests showed no evidence of the Stage 3 colorectal cancer he was diagnosed with just before Christmas 2024.

Working with Penn Medicine and his oncologist, Dr. Daniel Altman, Heather Levinsky, CRNP; and his surgeon, Dr. Erica Pettke, Myrtetus underwent an aggressive treatment plan that included eight chemotherapy infusions over 16 weeks, followed by 28 oral chemo and radiation treatments. The members of his care team will drop the puck alongside him before the Flyers host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

Founded in 1998 by the NHL and the NHLPA, Hockey Fights Cancer has raised more than $44 million since its inception and more than $12 million in the past two seasons.

Before the game, Layton Kovol will read the starting lineup. The 15-year-old goalie was the top fundraiser in Pennsylvania for the 2025 October Saves campaign, raising over $6,000 for cancer research. Alongside him will be his mother, Jamie, who has faced a long-term battle with brain cancer.

“My brother went through a form of cancer, he beat it, so it means a lot,” said coach Rick Tocchet of his brother Dan, when asked what tonight means to him. “You forget about that, right? You’re in the day-to-day [as a] hockey coach, and you forget about what’s really more important in life, and the awareness and all that stuff really kind of clues you in a little bit.”

Players will wear lavender jerseys into Xfinity Mobile Arena and sign them for an auction that runs through Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.

Several Flyers will also wear custom SkateSkins and goalie helmets in warmups. The items were designed by players in partnership with children, ages 8-19, battling cancer. The rest of the team will wear generic Hockey Fights Cancer SkateSkins, which allow them to write who they fight for.

“It’s honestly just awesome to always meet those kids. They’re always the happiest guys and girls in the room, so, just taking it from their perspective, they always have the best attitudes you’ll ever see, and just enjoying every moment,” said defenseman Jamie Drysdale, one of nine players who worked with the children.

“I had a blast. I know all the guys had a blast. Some pretty cool skins we made, and one of the kids gave me this bracelet, and I’ve been wearing it since. Really cool experience for us to be a part of it. We’re the lucky ones to be able to design with them, so it was awesome.”

The orange bracelet Drysdale sports on his right wrist says “Aiden Strong” and “Leukemia Awareness.” Aiden, 8, was first diagnosed with leukemia at age 5 and rang the bell to finish his treatments in March. He started playing hockey last year and is now a Junior Blue Hen.

Aiden worked with Dan Vladař, who will start on Thursday, to design the mask the Czech goalie will wear during warmups. Sam Ersson will also wear a mask he created with 11-year-old Brayden, a two-time cancer survivor who plays for Team Philadelphia 12U in West Chester. Langhorne’s Franny Drummond of Paint Zoo Studios, who is the artist behind Vladař’s game mask, brought their designs to life.

Noah Cates, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, Trevor Zegras, Garnet Hathaway, and captain Sean Couturier will each wear the specialty skins they helped create.

“He did a nice job,” said Couturier of 14-year-old Emile, who was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma and hails from Quebec. “He drew a lot of stuff about the Flyers, hockey, and stuff like that. But I told him to draw something about himself, and he likes nature, likes climbing, fishing. So he put a fishing [rod and reel].”

Konecny said ideas bounced around on what to put on the skates but 11-year-old Frankie, who was diagnosed at 10 with Ewing sarcoma, “was the one doing it all.” Drysdale is a fan of how the design came out and is looking forward to sporting the skates as all the kids who designed the skins watch warmups from the bench.

“We’re fortunate that we get to do things like this and be around those kids because they’re troopers. They’re awesome. Their attitudes. Perspective is the biggest thing,” said Drysdale, who worked with 10-year-old Chase.

“Obviously, they’ve battled much harder than any of us. So, yeah, just puts things in perspective. It’s really cool that we get the opportunity to work with them.”

The writing has been on the wall.

Five days ago, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet was asked about defenseman Adam Ginning, who has not suited up for a game since Oct. 25.

“I talked to [Flyers general manager Danny Brière] today. We’ve got to figure something out here, because we can’t have this guy [without] activity,” Tocchet said then. “I hate having guys sit long periods of time, wherever it is, so we talked about it. We have to have a game plan.”

The game plan materialized Tuesday, when Ginning was assigned on a conditioning loan to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. Conditioning loans are for 14 days, and the Phantoms play five games between now and Dec. 2, including playing host to the Rochester Americans on Wednesday.

Ginning still counts toward the active NHL roster, so it does not open a spot for a call-up.

The Swedish defenseman, who turns 26 in January, has played in five games this season for the Flyers on the third pair. Averaging 15 minutes, 20 seconds — although that dropped to just over 12 in his last two games — he did not register a point but did have two shots on goal and is one of 11 skaters with at least an even plus-minus (minimum five games played).

A big defenseman at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Ginning said that he wants to “be a steady defensive defenseman who can make hard plays and be a guy you can trust.” An unrestricted free agent on July 1, who now has 16 NHL games under his belt, he was a surprise out of training camp after having a disastrous one in 2024.

“I think I learned a little bit from it,” he told The Inquirer in September, “because I felt like I was trying to do a little bit too much last year maybe. And tried to prove myself in the wrong way instead of just doing what I’m good at — I tried to do maybe a little bit too much. So I tried to not do that this year.”

With Ginning in the AHL, it all but solidifies Emil Andrae’s spot in the lineup as the team’s fifth defenseman.

The 23-year-old has played in eight games this season — notably, all six since his latest call-up on Nov. 3. He has two assists and is one of five players on the team with a positive plus-minus (plus-3).

“I think I’ve been doing better and better every game here. … I think I’ve tried to start my game a little bit more simple, hard,” Andrae told The Inquirer on Nov. 9. “There’s a new coaching staff, so you’ve got to build up your trust, and I’ve got to be more reliable and consistent. And I think I’ve done a good job so far.”

The Swede is averaging 13:54 of ice time this season, but don’t let that number fool you. As he builds that equity and trust with the coaching staff, he has been given more time. In the past two games — a back-to-back — he is ranked third on the Flyers at 19:36. That is more than Jamie Drysdale.

Back on Nov. 9, Tocchet said Andrae was chasing consistency and had to put together consistent games. That tune has now changed. Andrae got an overtime shift Friday in the 6-5 win over the St. Louis Blues.

“Andrae deserves to play,” Tocchet said Monday. “He’s trying to become an everyday NHL defenseman, and he’s chipping away at that.”

Last season, Andrae played 42 games and notched seven points (one goal, six assists). He looks more confident this season, and while known for the ability to be a puck mover and an offensive player, he has been solid at both ends of the ice.

The biggest knock on Andrae has always been his size. At 5-f9, 189 pounds, he’s not a big blueliner. But he plays without fear and won’t back down from anyone on the ice, especially when battling along the boards.

The duo of him and veteran Noah Juulsen has played the third-most minutes together this season (87:50); Egor Zamula and Ginning also played alongside Juulsen. According to Natural Stat Trick, Juulsen and Andrae have been on the ice for more chances for the Flyers than the opposition (51.26% Corsi For) at five-on-five, while the Flyers have outscored their opponents 3-1 with that duo out there.

Andrae isn’t getting time on special teams — although he has power-play capabilities — but he is making his mark at five-on-five. According to Natural Stat Trick, despite playing just eight games, when Andrae is on the ice, the Flyers have a 55% Corsi For (first on the team), 63.8% of the shots (first), and 71.4% of the goals (first) and have scored two high-danger goals without allowing one.

And he is tied with Christian Dvorak for No. 2 on the team with a 1.034 PDO, which combines shooting percentage and save percentage. The Flyers have a .920 save percentage when he is on the ice.

Breakaways

The Flyers and Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education are hosting a Bernie Parent Celebration of Life at 6 p.m. Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. It is free and open to the public, but fans need to secure a ticket for admission via Ticketmaster. … The Flyers placed defenseman Maxence Guenette, whom they acquired Monday in a trade with Ottawa, on waivers Tuesday. If he clears, he will report to Lehigh Valley.