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  • Flyers NHL draft updates: Philly picks giant Russian defenseman after trading down; latest moves and rumors; a new alternate logo?

    Flyers NHL draft updates: Philly picks giant Russian defenseman after trading down; latest moves and rumors; a new alternate logo?

    // Pinned

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 10:46pm

    New Flyer Maksim Sokolovskii is a big guy who’s mean on the ice

    Maksim Sokolovskii meets with the media remotely at the Flyers’ 2026 NHL draft party in Atlantic City Friday.

    The Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel predicted the Flyers’ first-round pick of Maksim Sokolovskii, a year after she called Shane Vansaghi to the Flyers in Round 2.

    From her final mock draft on Friday morning:

    “Meet Sokolovskii, who checks several boxes for the Flyers’ usual modus operandi at the draft and is the targeted pick for several outlets and insiders.

    …

    After spending the 2024-25 season with the Atlantic Coast Academy, Sokolovskii played this past season for London of the Ontario Hockey League. Yes, that London, where Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk won a Memorial Cup one June ago. That London where team president Keith Jones has a connection with Mark and Dale Hunter. The Flyers like the system and how they prepare players. Could this be a match just for that reason?

    And then there’s the height. And Sokolovskii is, to put it mildly, a big boy at 6-foot-7¼, 240 pounds. The Flyers like tall dudes, drafting 6-5 Jack Nesbitt, Carter Amico, Luke Vlooswyk, and Matthew Gard all last year. Since Flahr took over, 31 of 50 players are over 6-feet, and 17 of those were taken with Brière as GM.

    The biggest difference compared to several previous prospects is that Sokolovskii is a pretty good skater for a guy his size.

    “He’s 6-foot-8, and he skates like he’s 5-foot-8,” Mike Taylor, the owner and one of Sokolovskii’s coaches at Atlantic Coast Academy, told The Inquirer recently. “… He came here, and I had a skating coach once a month come up and do power skating with our guys, and he does it like with UMass Amherst, and all these other schools. And he saw him skate, and he’s like, ‘Oh my God.’ He couldn’t believe how good his edge work was, and stuff, for being the size that he is.”

    Considered a mean guy with some bite on the ice, Sokolovskii likes to be physical, throw the body around, and play tough. Although Taylor says there is an offensive dimension to his game — as seen from his numbers at Atlantic Coast — he is considered a shutdown defender.

    Flyers draft towering defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii after trading back in Round 1

    — Jackie Spiegel

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 11:06pm

    Every pick from the first round of the 2026 NHL draft

    Penn State star Gavin McKenna was taken by the Maple Leafs with the No. 1 pick.
    1. Toronto Maple Leafs: Gavin McKenna, LW, Penn State 
    2. San Jose Sharks: Ivar Stenberg, LW, Sweden
    3. Vancouver Canucks: Caleb Malhotra, C, Brantford (OHL)
    4. Buffalo Sabres: Daxon Rudolph, D, Prince Albert (WHL)
    5. New York Rangers: Alberts Smits, D, Finland
    6. Calgary Flames: Carson Carels, D, Prince George (WHL)
    7. Seattle Kraken: Chase Reid, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
    8. Winnipeg Jets: Viggo Björck, C, Sweden
    9. San Jose Sharks: Keaton Verhoeff, D, North Dakota
    10. Nashville Predators: Wyatt Cullen, RW, USA U-18
    11. St Louis Blues: Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University
    12. New Jersey Devils: Alexander Command, C, Orebro (U20 Nationell)
    13. New York Islanders: Malte Gustafsson, D, Sweden
    14. Columbus Blue Jays: Oscar Hemming, LW, Boston College
    15. Anaheim Ducks: Nikita Klepov, RW, Saginaw (OHL)
    16. St. Louis Blues: Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
    17. Utah Mammoth: Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL)
    18. Washington Capitals: Oliver Suvanto, C, Finland
    19. Los Angeles Kings: Elton Hermansson, RW, Sweden
    20. Buffalo Sabres: Ilia Morozov, C, Miami (Ohio)
    21. San Jose Sharks: Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver (WHL)
    22. Pittsburgh Penguins: Liam Ruck, RW, Medicine Hat (WHL)
    23. Detroit Red Wings: JP Hurlbert, LW, Kamloops (WHL)
    24. Vancouver Canucks: Adam Novotný, LW, Peterborough (OHL)
    25. Ottawa Senators: Jonas Lagerber Hoen, RW, Sweden
    26. Montreal Canadiens: Gleb Pugachyov, RW, Russia
    27. Philadelphia Flyers: Maksim Sokolovskii, D, London (OHL)
    28. Anaheim Ducks: Marcus Nordmark, LW, Sweden
    29. Las Vegas Golden Knights: Juho Piiparinen, D, Finland
    30. Calgary Flames: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown (USHL)
    31. Nashville Predators: Thomas Bleyl, D, Moncton (QMJHL)
    32. Ottawa Senators: Jaxon Cover, LW, London (OHL)

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 10:33pm

    Flyers take defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii with No. 27 pick

    The Flyers selected Maksim Sokolovskii after trading back to the No. 27 overall pick in the first round of the NHL draft.

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 9:56pm

    Flyers should have some good options at No. 27

    A couple of good options should be there at No. 27 when the Flyers now pick.

    The list of prospects could include Maksim Sokolovskii, Brooks Rogowski, Jack Hextall, Ryder Cali, Tommy Bleyl, and maybe the first goalie off the board, Tobias Trejbal.

    I wouldn’t sleep on Casey Mutryn or William Håkansson, either.

    — Jackie Spiegel

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 9:48pm

    Flyers trade down

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 9:43pm

    Flyers on the clock

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 9:33pm

    Best players still available

    Here’s Jackie Spiegel’s list of the best players available in the draft as the Flyer’s No. 21 pick approaches:

    1. Ryan Lin, D, Vancouver (WHL)
    2. Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown (USHL)
    3. Tommy Bleyl, D, Moncton (QMJHL)
    4. J.P. Hurlbert, RW, Kamloops (WHL)

    — Jackie Spiegel

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 9:26pm

    Danny Brière finishes 7th for GM of the year

    Flyers GM Danny Brière finishes 7th for general manager of the year. He got one first-place vote.

    — Jackie Spiegel

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 8:55pm

    Mason McTavish traded to St. Louis

    Ducks center Mason McTavish has been traded to the St. Louis Blues, using their No. 15 and No. 29 overall picks.

    McTavish was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, and signed a 6-year extension worth $7 million annually ahead of the 2025-26 season, but he fell out of favor in Anaheim with the emergence of Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson.

    McTavish had been linked with the Flyers over the past two summers given his pedigree, the team’s need at center, his north-south game, and the team’s well-documented trade history with the Anaheim Ducks.

    — Gabriela Carroll, Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 8:39pm

    Top remaining center prospects for Flyers

    Swedish center Alexander Command, who at one stage was probably someone the Flyers thought they had a shot at but had been rising, goes at No. 12.

    With Tynan Lawrence and Command gone, Oliver Suvanto, Ilia Morozov, Jack Hextall, and Brooks Rogowski make up the next group of centers if the Flyers choose to go that route.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 8:38pm

    Wyatt Cullen’s father, a three-time Stanley Cup champ, had him in skates early

    Wyatt Cullen, the son of three-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen, is headed to Nashville Predators with the No. 10 pick.

    At the NHL combine earlier this month, Cullen told The Inquirer his father had him in skates when he was just “two years old.”

    “Growing up, I’ve just always loved the game,” Cullen said.

    “[Sidney] Crosby and my dad were pretty good friends, so he’d be over at our house sometimes [to] play mini-sticks.”

    Who won mini-sticks?

    “He did.”

    — Jackie Spiegel

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 8:24pm

    Top defensive prospects off the board

    Keaton Verhoeff is heading to San Jose.

    With Keaton Verhoeff off the board at No. 9 to San Jose, that closes the book on the top tier of defensive prospects in a draft class heralded for its blueliners.

    Expect a run of forwards to come now with Malte Gustafsson and Ryan Lin highlighting the next tier of defensemen. As Jackie Spiegel noted earlier, Tommy Bleyl, Maksim Sokolovskii, and Xavier Villeneuve are among the defensemen the Flyers could consider at No. 21.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:51pm

    First major upset of the draft

    The first major surprise of the draft came at No. 4 as the Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Daxon Rudolph from the Prince Albert Raiders.

    Rudolph, who was projected to be a top-10 pick, was expected to go behind the likes of fellow defensemen Chase Reid, Alberts Šmits, and Carson Carels.

    The Sabres have pulled off several shockers this week with the Bowen Byram trade and now the selection of Rudolph.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:35pm

    Pavel Dorofeyev reportedly heading to the Rangers

    Pavel Dorofeyev is headed to the Rangers.

    The New York Rangers are making a big addition on the wing, reportedly acquiring Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas for the No. 26 pick, the No. 92 pick and a conditional 2028 first-round pick (condition on the pick is top-10 protected).

    Dorofeyev is a restricted free agent who scored 37 goals this past season, and 35 the season prior, plus 12 goals in Vegas’ Stanley Cup Finals run. Dorofeyev is a restricted free agent, joining the Rangers after they finished last in the Metropolitan Division in 2025-26.

    Vegas is reportedly one of the teams on Red Wings center Dylan Larkin’s no trade list. Could they be compiling assets to make a run at the Olympic gold medalist? Or even for Stars winger Jason Robertson? The Stars wouldn’t – would they?

    — Gabriela Carroll

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:34pm

    Another big trade sends JJ Peterka to the Bruins

    Utah Mammoth right winger JJ Peterka is heading to Boston.

    The Boston Bruins are acquiring forward JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for two first-round picks, including the No. 23 pick in the 2026 draft.

    Peterka, 24, managed 25 goals this past season for the Mammoth but his first season in Utah went anything but smoothly. The fit never quite worked out and now Boston will take a chance on the German who has a longstanding connection with Bruins coach Marco Sturm.

    Peterka’s best season came in 2024-25 when he notched 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games for the Sabres. He is signed for four more seasons at a cap hit of $7.7 million.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:19pm

    Penn State star Gavin McKenna taken by Maple Leafs with No. 1 pick

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:10pm

    Another potential power play QB off the board for the Flyers

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 6:30pm

    Blue Jackets reportedly taking calls on Zach Werenski. Could the Flyers be interested?

    Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski could be on the move.

    The Flyers have said they want to become a destination for top players and believe that Rick Tocchet can help in that aim.

    Well, another one seems destined to soon hit the market, as the Columbus Blue Jackets are fielding trade calls on Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski, according to Pierre LeBrun.

    The report comes after recent rumblings suggested that Werenski, who turns 29 next month, was growing unhappy in Columbus and was not keen to extend with the Blue Jackets when his contract expires in two seasons.

    The Flyers will assuredly check in on Werenski, as he is exactly the type of offensive difference-maker they’ve long lacked on the blue line. Werenski has averaged 23 goals, 82 points, and 23 power-play points over the past two seasons and is universally considered one of the best three defensemen in the NHL. Center and a bona fide No. 1 power-play QB are the Flyers’ two biggest needs, and Werenski would certainly check the second box and then some.

    The two big questions are would Werenski be open to Philadelphia – he has a full no-move clause and would need to approve any potential destination – and do the Flyers have the pieces to acquire him? Only Werenski knows the answer to the first question, while the Quinn Hughes trade would be a comparable trade to get a sense of Werenski’s value. In that deal, Minnesota traded the equivalent of four first-round picks with Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick going to Vancouver for fellow Norris winner Hughes.

    The Flyers to this point have said they are unwilling to move Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov, but this is the type of player that would likely require one to go the other way. Danny Brière’s plan all along was to go “big-game hunting” this offseason, let’s see if the Flyers’ GM gets aggresive here.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 6:17pm

    Could the Flyers actually target someone under six feet tall?

    Tommy Bleyl (right) is coming off an impressive first season in the QMJHL where he was named the top defensive rookie.

    The Flyers have prioritized size when drafting – and not drafting – defenseman the past few seasons, but with the 21st pick, and a couple of interesting undersized defensive prospects in that range, could they be more apt to consider someone under six foot this year?

    While GM Danny Brière and assistant GM Brent Flahr tried to pour cold water on that idea at their recent pre-draft news conference, could the trade of Emil Andrae have changed things slightly. The Flyers don’t have a truly dynamic offensive defensemen in the system, and Ryan Lin, Tommy Bleyl, and Xavier Villeneuve, while all under six feet, would all fit the bill in some regard.

    Jackie Spiegel took a deeper look at the three polarizing defenseman and whether the Flyers could break their mold and target a future potential QB for their power play on Friday night.

    Flyers draft: Tommy Bleyl, Ryan Lin, and Xavier Villeneuve are smaller defensemen. Will they get passed over by Philly?

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 5:17pm

    Did the Flyers just tease a new alternate logo?

    While fans have been rapidly refreshing X with the NHL hot stove on fire and the clock ticking closer to the NHL draft on Friday night, the Flyers might have teased something.

    At around 2 p.m., the team posted a picture of the team’s draft headquarters in Atlantic City with the following caption:”Ready for action in AC.”

    On the floor in the middle of the room was a black Liberty Bell outline in highlighter orange trim. Could this be a new alternate logo for the team’s City Connect jerseys? Hmm …

    Let’s hope.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 4:44pm

    Sabres acquire Zellweger

    The Flyers are looking for a power-play quarterback, and with very few available as unrestricted free agents beyond 36-year-old John Carlson, they may need to get creative to find one.

    Two days after Bowen Byram was traded from Buffalo to Chicago, another young defenseman came off the board with the Sabres acquiring Olen Zellweger, seemingly as Byram’s replacement, for a second-round pick and forward prospect Anton Wahlberg. The dynamic 22-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent and will need a new contract from Buffalo.

    Known for his effortless skating and silky puck skills, the 5-foot-10, 193-pound Zellweger had seven goals and 22 points last season and has PP1 upside. With Byram and Zellweger off the board, the Flyers will have to look elsewhere if they want to add to their blue line this summer.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 4:16pm

    Likely No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna on what he learned at Penn State

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 3:35pm

    Watch our Gameday Central draft preview

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 1:59pm

    Maple Leafs deal Sam Ersson to Senators

    Goaltender Samuel Ersson is with his third team in the last two weeks.

    Sam Ersson is on the move again.

    Ten days after being traded alongside defenseman Emil Andrae to the Toronto Maple Leafs for goaltender Joseph Woll and depth blueliner Simon Benoit, the former Flyers goaltender’s rights were traded across Ontario to Ottawa on Friday.

    The Leafs recouped a fifth-round pick for Ersson’s rights, while Ottawa will now likely qualify the restricted free agent goaltender. His minimum qualifying offer is $1.6 million.

    Ersson, 26, amassed a 65-50-17 record and .884 save percentage in four up-and-down seasons in Philadelphia. Last year, he posted 14-11-5 record with a .870 SV%, but he was excellent after the Olympic break with a .912 save percentage in nine games. In Ottawa, he could form an all-Swedish tandem with Linus Ullmark.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 1:51pm

    Jackie Spiegel’s final mock draft

    Maksim Sokolovskii (center) tied forward Brooks Rogowski for the tallest players measured at this year’s combine.

    Who the Flyers will actually select in the first round is now just hours away from being revealed.

    Philly picks at No. 21, so there is a lot of intrigue to see who they can get that deep in the draft. And that’s the crux and the reasoning behind why, in the fourth and final draft for The Inquirer, we have the Flyers picking a fourth different player.

    First round: Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (OHL)

    Meet Sokolovskii, who checks several boxes for the Flyers’ usual modus operandi at the draft and is the targeted pick for several outlets and insiders.

    For background, since assistant general manager Brent Flahr took over, he has drafted 50 players, with general manager Danny Brière by his side for 26 of those.

    The position Flahr has drafted the most across his tenure is defense, at 15, and he did mention during his sit-down in Buffalo that the Flyers need defensive depth. He added during his pre-draft presser last week that the Flyers could use some more depth down the left side in particular — he did add “not necessarily being the first round” — and Sokolovskii is a left-handed defenseman.

    And then there’s the height. And Sokolovskii is, to put it mildly, a big boy at 6-foot-7¼, 240 pounds. The Flyers like tall dudes, drafting 6-5 Jack Nesbitt, Carter Amico, Luke Vlooswyk, and Matthew Gard all last year. Since Flahr took over, 31 of 50 players are over 6-feet, and 17 of those were taken with Brière as GM.

    The biggest difference compared to several previous prospects is that Sokolovskii is a pretty good skater for a guy his size and isn’t the big project that other draft picks have been.

    Click here for a more in-depth breakdown of Sokolovskii and a look ahead at who the Flyers might take on Day 2.

    Flyers mock draft 4.0: How things are shaping up heading into tonight’s first round

    — Jackie Spiegel

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 1:36pm

    Will Flyers join Rangers and Blues in Mason McTavish sweepstakes?

    Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish is reportedly available this summer.

    It’s no secret that Danny Brière and the Flyers are poking around the trade market for a top-six center. One name that has come up quite a bit over the past two seasons is Anaheim’s Mason McTavish. The 23-year-old center, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, has fallen out of favor in Anaheim is reportedly available this summer.

    The latest update from Pierre LeBrun is that Anaheim has offers on the table from the New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues for the player but that there is still time for another team to get involved.

    The appeal with McTavish is obvious: He’s a young player with draft pedigree who two seasons ago tallied 22 goals and 52 points on a bad Ducks team. He’s the exact type of reclamation project the Flyers have been attracted to in recent years — Jamie Drysdale, Trevor Zegras, David Jiříček. He’s also a rugged player who gets to the hard areas and can help a power play as a net-front presence and as a goal scorer. The Flyers and Ducks have also done two recent deals with one another which adds further smoke here.

    The question is after slumping to 17 goals and 41 points and being a healthy scratch in the playoffs this season, is McTavish someone you want to commit to for the next five seasons at $7 million per? He’s also been a defensive liability as a pro and is not the most fleet of foot — two things that could sway the Flyers in a different direction.

    We’ll keep an eye on this one but for now it looks like McTavish won’t be the answer for the Flyers down the middle.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 12:15pm

    Nine players the Flyers could target in the first round

    Could the Flyers take Maddox Dagenais, a potent right winger, in the first-round?

    The first round of the 2026 NHL draft is just hours away, and the Flyers are scheduled to pick at No. 21.

    Who will be there, before general manager Danny Brière’s turn to face the camera and announce the pick, is anyone’s guess. With the expectation that prospects like Wyatt Cullen, Ryan Lin, and Alexander Command — who really does scream Flyer more than anyone on this list — will be long gone, here are nine players (in alphabetical order) the team could take in the first round.

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 11:54am

    Will Jordan Spence extension impact Ristolainen?

    Senators defenseman Jordan Spence (right) is reportedly returning to Ottawa on a four-year deal.

    One of the top restricted free agent defenseman is off the board as Jordan Spence is closing in on a four-year, $20 million contract extension with the Ottawa Senators, according to multiple reports.

    Spence, 25, had 31 points last season and had been mentioned in some recent trade chatter. The undersized blueliner’s extension likely doesn’t take Ottawa out of the Rasmus Ristolainen sweepstakes, as Spence is a very different defenseman to the Flyers’ bruiser.

    Ottawa, who are lucky to get bigger on the blue line are one of the teams that have been linked to Ristolainen in recent weeks. Ristolainen, 31, is entering the final year of his current contract and is likely not part of the Flyers’ long-term future. With prices high, the Flyers could opt to cash in on the rugged defenseman now, especially given Ristolainen’s extensive injury history.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 11:22am

    South Jersey native Tony DeAngelo re-signs with Isles

    Former Flyers defenseman and Sewell native Tony DeAngelo is staying in the Metropolitan Division. Sportsnet reported Friday that DeAngelo will sign a two-year contract to remain a New York Islander.

    The offensive defenseman, who played the 2022-23 season for his hometown Flyers, tallied five goals and 35 points in 76 games last season for the Islanders. DeAngelo, 30, had 11 goals, 42 points, and a minus-27 rating in his lone season in Philadelphia before being bought out a season before his contract expired following a clash with former coach John Tortorella.

    — Gustav Elvin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 10:09am

    Mock draft roundup: Lots of options for the Flyers

    Ilia Morozov could be an option in the first round.

    The Flyers have the 21st overall pick in the NHL draft — they also have three more picks on Day 2 — but there doesn’t seem to be any kind of consensus on who Danny Brière and Co. will select Friday night. Here’s a roundup of who some experts think the Flyers will take …

    The Inquirer: Jack Hextall, C, Youngstown (USHL) — In our first mock draft, published before the NHL scouting combine, this spot belonged to defenseman Tommy Bleyl. In our second, published post combine, it was center Alexander Command. — Jackie Spiegel

    [Note: In Jackie’s final mock draft, which published after this post went live, she has the Flyers taking defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii]

    The Athletic: Ilia Morozov, C, Miami (NCAA) — Philadelphia continues to build out its center depth with a potential middle-six pivot in Morozov. Lawrence and Hextall are also possibilities. — Corey Pronman

    ESPN: Maksim Sokolovskii, D, London (OHL) — The Flyers have not been shy about drafting a certain type of player — especially given coach Rick Tocchet’s influence on the organization. [Porter] Martone, Jack Nesbitt, Jack Murtagh and Shane Vansaghi are massive players with a physical edge. … The 6-7 Sokolovskii seems like the prototypical Philadelphia Flyer. He’s enormous, skates well, has a mile-long mean streak and is widely considered the hardest hitter in the draft class. All of that screams Tocchet type. — Rachel Kryshak

    NHL.com: Maksim Sokolovskii, D, London (OHL) — Sokolovskii checks a lot of boxes for the Flyers. At 6-7, 240, he was the biggest player measured at the NHL Scouting Combine, and he’s a left-handed shot, an area where Philadelphia is thin among its prospects. He also comes from a London program the Flyers have trusted for player development in the past, including defenseman Oliver Bonk and forward Denver Barkey. — Adam Kimelman

    NHL.com: Thomas Bleyl, D, Moncton (QMJHL) — If Bleyl (5-11, 170) is here, it makes sense for the Flyers to grab him to replenish their defensemen prospect pool. The 18-year-old is a dynamic puck-moving defenseman who emerged as one of the draft’s pleasant surprises thanks to his offensive production and elite skating ability. A natural power-play quarterback, he makes plays consistently while still holding his own defensively. — Mike G. Morreale

    Bleacher Report: Mathis Preston, RW, Vancouver Giants (WHL) — On our draft board, we have Mathis Preston ranked as a high second-rounder. But draft boards and mock drafts are not the same thing, and it’s believable that a team will choose to select him in the first round. Last go-round, we tried the Vancouver Canucks out as a fit; for this one, we thought the Philadelphia Flyers were an interesting landing spot. He brings incredible speed, he’s a later birthday, and his passing and handling are top-notch. — Hannah Stuart

    — Matt Mullin

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:55am

    2026 NHL Draft: How to watch and stream

    Porter Martone (left) was one of two first-round picks for the Flyers in the 2025 draft. The team only has one this year.

    The 2026 NHL draft officially starts at 7 p.m., but the Flyers won’t be on the clock for a lottery pick.

    The first round of the draft will air live on ESPN, hosted by John Buccigross alongside analyst Kevin Weekes, NHL insider Emily Kaplan, and Draft and hockey analytics expert Meghan Chayka. ESPN will also

    The second round begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday on the NHL Network, and the draft will end with the seventh round that same evening.

    When do the Flyers pick?

    After winning a playoff series over Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2026 postseason, the team’s first since 2019-20, the Flyers will pick at No. 21 overall during Friday’s first round.

    The Flyers will also have three picks on Saturday: in the second round (53rd overall), fifth round (136th overall) and seventh round (213th overall).

    Flyers draft primer: Everything you need to know about the 2026 draft, from draft order to top prospects

    — Gabriela Carroll

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:45am

    Who will the Flyers draft with the No. 21 pick?

    Alexander Command’s coach with Örebro HK U20 called him a game-breaker.

    Flyers beat writer Jackie Spiegel’s No. 1 choice for the No. 21 pick tonight, if he’s available, is 18-year-old Alexander Command, a center for Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League.

    “Like Shane Vansaghi last year, he oozes Flyer, and he feels a connection to the team and the fan base,” Spiegel said in a Reddit AMA Thursday.

    Unfortunately, Spiegel expects Command to be “long gone” when the Flyers pick. In her most recent mock draft, published last week, Spiegel had the Flyers taking center Jack Hextall, a distant cousin of former Flyers goalie and general manager Ron Hextall.

    “This Hextall is a 6-foot-½ inch, 195-pound right-shot centerman who is projected to play a middle-six role,” Spiegel wrote, adding the “Flyers love picking centers in the first round.”

    Other candidates at center include Ilia Morozov and Maddox Dagenais. Defenseman Tommy Bleyl is another possibility.

    FloHockey draft and prospect analyst Chris Peters is also high on Command, praising his “physicality” and his “doggedness in pursuit of the puck.”

    “Just the absolute annoyingness of just getting under your skin, and I think that there’s a lot to like about that player,” Peters said of Command on Flyers Gameday Central. “The comp that I had for him was Brayden Schenn and I think he probably has a higher motor, even there. Brayden Schenn was physical and mean, and he could score, and that’s what I think Command can do, too.”

    Flyers draft: Alexander Command feels a connection with Philly. But will he be there at No. 21 on draft day?

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:40am

    Flyers land more draft picks by trading veteran forward Garnet Hathaway

    Garnet Hathaway was part of a formidable fourth line in the playoffs for the Flyers.

    The Flyers are making a few changes on the fourth line.

    The team announced Thursday that Garnet Hathaway has been traded to the Florida Panthers along with a 2026 sixth-round pick for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and a 2027 fourth-rounder. The Flyers now own four picks in this weekend’s NHL draft: 21, 53 (second round), 136 (fifth round), and 213 (seventh round).

    Signed as a free agent in 2023, the 34-year-old winger played three seasons in Philadelphia and put up three points in 66 games last season, down from his 21 points in 2024-25 and 17 in 2023-24. Alongside Sean Couturier and Luke Glendening, he was part of a formidable fourth line in the playoffs, scoring one goal and recording one assist in eight games while asserting himself physically.

    A Maine native who graduated from Brown, the undrafted Hathaway ranked fourth in hits in the NHL across his three seasons in Philly. The past two seasons, for every hit the Flyers recorded, Hathaway and his wife, Lindsay, pledged to donate to local first responders with a match from Flyers Charities through Hits for Hath’s Heroes. Following the 2024-25 season, the Hathaways donated $30,000 to the Families Behind the Badge Children’s Foundation, a Conshohocken-based nonprofit.

    Hathaway has one year left on his two-year extension signed last July 1, which is worth $2.4 million annually. A team source has confirmed to The Inquirer that the Flyers will retain 50% of Hathaway’s salary, leaving a cap charge of $1.2 million on the books for 2026-27.

    The trade is the latest tweak to the roster. Last week, they acquired defenseman Simon Benoît and goalie Joseph Woll from the Toronto Maple Leafs for goalie Sam Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round 2026 draft pick.

    Flyers trade veteran forward Garnet Hathaway to Panthers for draft picks

    — Gabriela Carroll

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:35am

    Could the Flyers trade away or acquire more picks?

    Flyers general manager Danny Brière (right) and assistant general manager Brent Flahr speak to reporters ahead of the 2026 NHL draft.

    Maybe?

    In a news conference earlier this month, Flyers general manager Danny Brière did say he was OK with having only four picks now in the upcoming draft — one each in the first, second, sixth, and seventh rounds — and he did call the first- and second-round picks “the key.” But he also said everything is on the table.

    “We’ve drafted so much the last few years [so] it might not be quite a bad thing to not have as many this year,” he said. “But, if I had the choice, yeah, I would rather have more picks.”

    Fair, because who doesn’t want to keep stocking the cupboard? But what if it meant trading a first-rounder for a young player who could fit into the lineup today?

    “Yeah, we’re getting closer to that. I don’t know that we’re quite there yet, but we’re certainly willing to listen on different ideas,” he said. “I’m not too keen on trading future first-round picks, because you never know where it can go, and we’re not at [where] Colorado or Carolina [are] at this point, where you know we’re going to be finishing [high] and picking late first [round]. I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”

    The NHL draft is next for the Flyers. Here’s what Danny Brière and Brent Flahr said about their strategy.

    — Jackie Spiegel

    2026 first round NHL Draft order

    The 2026 Draft is taking place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
    1. Toronto Maple Leafs
    2. San Jose Sharks
    3. Vancouver Canucks
    4. Buffalo Sabres
    5. New York Rangers
    6. Calgary Flames
    7. Seattle Kraken
    8. Winnipeg Jets
    9. San Jose Sharks
    10. Nashville Predators
    11. St. Louis Blues
    12. New Jersey Devils
    13. New York Islanders
    14. Columbus Blue Jackets
    15. St. Louis Blues
    16. St. Louis Blues
    17. Los Angeles Kings
    18. Washington Capitals
    19. Utah Mammoth
    20. Buffalo Sabres
    21. Philadelphia Flyers
    22. Pittsburgh Penguins
    23. Boston Bruins
    24. Vancouver Canucks
    25. Ottawa Senators
    26. New York Rangers
    27. San Jose Sharks
    28. Montreal Canadiens
    29. St. Louis Blues
    30. Calgary Flames
    31. Carolina Hurricanes
    32. Ottawa Senators

    — Gabriela Carroll

    // Timestamp 06/26/26 7:30am

  • Philly’s Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis wants to be the ‘face of boxing.’ First, he had to learn to fish.

    Philly’s Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis wants to be the ‘face of boxing.’ First, he had to learn to fish.

    Bozy Ennis taught his sons to fish on the weekends, leaving Germantown to catch trout, catfish, and sunnies. They cast their rods in Perkiomen and Phoenixville. They hung by the water in Gladwyne and New Hope. Bozy Ennis took his sons Derek and Farrah everywhere. But he never taught his youngest son, Jaron.

    “You know why it skipped him?” Farrah Ennis said. “Because he and my dad were always in the gym. They didn’t have time to fish.”

    Jaron Ennis is a world champion boxer on the verge of becoming a superstar. He was molded by his father in gritty neighborhood gyms they respectfully called “dungeons.” There was no time to fish.

    But there he was last August with his brother Farrah — a former pro boxer — and an afternoon to fill in a California town near Lake Tahoe. The brothers traveled there so Jaron could train with Canelo Alvarez, one of boxing’s biggest names. Now he finally had time to fish.

    Philly’s Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis will fight champion Xander Zayas on June 27 at Barclays Center

    The Ennis brothers sat for three hours as the sun set. Jaron Ennis — who is known as “Boots” — won his professional boxing debut in 42 seconds. Fishing proved to be a different challenge.

    “We didn’t catch anything,” Farah Ennis said. “Fishing teaches you patience. For me, it’s not a big deal. I’ve been fishing for eight hours or longer and didn’t catch anything. You just have to have patience.”

    Jaron Ennis says he wants to become the “face of boxing,” a role he’s seemed destined for since he turned pro. But his promise was often slowed by things outside the ring: litigation against a former manager, opponents unwilling to fight him, mandatory title defenses against overmatched foes, and a signature fight earlier this year that fell through while Ennis’ opponent was stuck in a lawsuit with his promoter.

    The 28-year-old’s career has often felt like a fisherman waiting for a bite. But now things seem to be breaking his way. Ennis (35-0, 31 knockouts) will fight WBA and WBO super welterweight champ Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The bout, the main event of a DAZN pay-per-view telecast, is the biggest of Ennis’ career.

    Jaron “Boots” Ennis will fight WBA and WBO super welterweight champ Xander Zayas on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

    A win would surge Ennis up boxing’s pound-for-pound lists, which he started to appear on earlier this year. It would then position him for a 154-pound unification fight against WBC champ Sebastian Fundora or a long-awaited bout against Vergil Ortiz, who was slated to fight Ennis this year. Defeat those three fighters and Ennis could stake a claim to being the face of the sport. His fishing rod finally has some nibbles.

    “That’s why I’m trying to teach him fishing,” Farrah Ennis said. “You have to be patient.”

    Next best option

    Ennis flew to Texas in November to watch Ortiz’s fight from ringside and then climbed into the ring for a promotional staredown after Ortiz won by knockout. All signs pointed to Ennis and Ortiz meeting a few months later in a long-awaited title fight. But those plans were scrapped in March because of ongoing litigation between Ortiz and Golden Boy Promotions.

    Ennis, left without a fight, said he told his own promoter — Eddie Hearn of Matchroom — to make a match with Zayas, a popular 23-year-old Puerto Rican fighter with a promising future. A few weeks later, it was official.

    Some famous Philly boxers are buried in unmarked graves. This fan is on a mission to change that.

    “That was the next best option,” Ennis said. “He has two belts. That’s halfway to being undisputed. That’s where I want to be. Winning two belts on June 27 and it’s only up. I’m going to be the face of boxing.”

    Ennis never hid his ambition to land a big fight as he tried to arrange bouts with stars like Terrence Crawford, Errol Spence, and Keith Thurman. But none of those fights materialized, leaving Ennis to face lesser foes as he climbed the ranks. Saturday will be his biggest challenge. And he asked for it.

    “We sounded everyone,” Bozy Ennis said. “That’s from the beginning of time. Everyone knows that. Then they go back and say, ‘He didn’t fight that guy.’ Well, you can’t fight the guys who don’t want to fight you. You know what I mean? Spence, Crawford, Thurman. All those guys, we sounded. We tried. ‘Oh, yeah. He didn’t really fight anyone.’ But they didn’t want to fight us and made up all kinds of excuses.”

    Ennis’ biggest challenge will also come on his biggest stage: the main event of a pay-per-view. Headlining a pay-per-view is a status in the sport, something usually reserved for a fighter who can claim to be “the face of boxing.”

    Ennis said he’ll know he’s the face of boxing when fight-night becomes an event. Remember how it was when Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought? Or the audience that tuned in last year to watch Terrence Crawford defeat Canelo Alvarez after Ennis sparred with him in camp? That’s what Ennis envisions. A win on Saturday will move him closer to that.

    “It’s not boxing anymore at that point,” Ennis said. “It’s like a fashion show slash boxing slash concert. It’s an all-around thing, and that’s what I want my fights to be. I want everyone to come and enjoy themselves, get fly, get dressed, and enjoy a beautiful fight and a beautiful knockout that I’m going to deliver.”

    “You have to have a fanbase that’s outside of just boxing. You have to have the rappers, the entertainers, the TV stars, the movie stars. That’s what I’m looking to do and that’s what I’m going to do come June 27.

    “Everyone already knows me now. But after this performance I put on, the world is really going to see, and I’m going to be the face of boxing and a guy who everyone wants to see fight.”

    Jaron Ennis after defeating Karen Chukhadzhian in an IBF World Welterweight title bout in 2024.

    The face of boxing

    Ennis spent 13 days last year in Alvarez’s camp, which he said he did not get paid to do as he made sure he wasn’t mistaken for a “sparring partner” before Alvarez met Terrence Crawford in the biggest fight of the year. Ennis was there to work just like Alvarez was. But he did get to spend nearly two weeks around a fighter who was often the face of boxing during his career. He saw how Alvarez worked and how he trained.

    “He’s out there with the face of boxing and was just having a great time,” Farrah Ennis said. “That put it in his head like, if he’s the face of boxing, then so can I.”

    The fighter’s biggest takeaway? Superstars are just as normal as him.

    “We’re all normal,” Jaron Ennis said. “People think we’re not normal. We do normal stuff. Everybody thinks that since we’re on this high pedestal that we do these crazy things or have camp in a certain way. But it was just a normal camp.”

    Every boxer has a cutman. Philly’s Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has a cutwoman in his corner.

    Ennis trains in the Northeast in the basement of an animal adoption center on Grant Avenue. Ennis’ father keeps the door locked because too many people brought their dogs to the gym thinking it was an animal clinic. It’s here where Ennis works nearly every day. His brothers assist his dad, and other fighters are from the Germantown neighborhood they call “Brickyard.”

    “I don’t care how big I get, I’ll always train with my guys,” Ennis said. “That’s how you have to be. You can’t get too bigheaded when you get to a certain level. You always have to stay humble and grounded and keep working.”

    Ennis has what it takes to be the face of boxing as he matches an affable personality with the skills to both dazzle and punish. He has won all but four of his fights via stoppage, yet is more than just a puncher. He can fight southpaw, has smooth defense, and has great footwork.

    “People like to see him fight because he’s a boxer and he’ll fight you,” his father said. “People come to see you fight. They don’t want to see you run around. He does both. He can do what he wants to do, and I’m just waiting for someone to take him to another level. They haven’t seen anything yet.”

    Bozy Ennis didn’t travel with his son to California last year, as the trainer has built a stable of world-class fighters that he works with along with Boots. He had to stay home in Philly while his son struggled to catch a fish. He said they would’ve caught something if his rod was in the water.

    “Nah,” Boots shouted from across the gym. “He don’t got it anymore.”

    The dad laughed. He said he’ll get back out there and prove that he can still fish. First, they have to see what they catch this weekend as their patience is finally being rewarded.

    “You have to carry yourself like you’re the face of the sport,” Ennis said. “That’s how I carry myself already, and that’s how I’m going to carry myself June 27. I already fight how I fight. I fight fan-friendly. I have the speed. I have the power. I do everything. I’m explosive. I have defense.

    “Whatever I do, people are going to want to see it. On June 27, I’m just going to stamp it and show even more and in an even better way.”

  • Flyers draft primer: Everything you need to know about the 2026 draft, from draft order to top prospects

    Flyers draft primer: Everything you need to know about the 2026 draft, from draft order to top prospects

    The Flyers are nearly on the clock for the first round of the 2026 NHL draft.

    The draft starts Friday night and the Flyers will have four picks — one each in the first, second, fifth, and seventh rounds. Here’s everything you need to know before the draft begins.

    Who will the Flyers draft? Will Danny Brière make a big trade? Is someone’s job at risk? Highlights from our Reddit AMA.

    What time does the NHL draft begin?

    The 2026 NHL draft officially starts at 7 p.m., but the Flyers won’t be on the clock for a lottery pick. The first round of the draft will air live on ESPN. The second round begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and the draft will end with the seventh round that same evening.

    When do the Flyers pick?

    After winning a playoff series overthe Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2026 postseason, the team’s first since 2019-20, the Flyers will pick at No. 21 overall during Friday’s first round.

    The Flyers will also have three picks on Saturday: in the second round (53rd overall), fifth round (136th overall), and seventh round (213th overall). The fifth-rounder was obtained as part of the package in Thursday’s Garnet Hathaway trade, essentially replacing a sixth-rounder that was sent to the Florida Panthers in the deal.

    Who are the top players?

    The projected top two picks are Penn State winger Gavin McKenna and Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and the San Jose Sharks have the second overall pick. Other expected top picks include defensemen Chase Reid and Keaton Verhoeff, and center Caleb Malhotra.

    McKenna finished with 36 assists (second-most in college hockey) and 51 points (tied for fourth-most) in 35 games.

    Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is a projected top pick in the 2026 NHL draft.

    “It was a good season, I think,” McKenna said at the NHL scouting combine. “In college, the guys are bigger and stronger and faster and stuff, and the game in itself, I think, is just a little different than junior. It’s more straightforward hockey.

    “So found out early on that things [weren’t] just going to happen easy, and I think once I got to World Juniors, I kind of got my confidence back and kind of figured out the game a little bit more, and started working harder off the ice and on the ice and getting in the dirty areas a little bit more, and I think that’s why I started producing more.”

    Who will the Flyers pick at No. 21?

    Now that the Flyers aren’t up near the top of the draft, there are a lot more variables impacting who they might select.

    In Flyers beat writer Jackie Spiegel’s latest mock draft, she had the Flyers selecting center Jack Hextall, a distant relative of former Flyers goalie and GM Ron Hextall. The younger Hextall scored 20 goals and had 38 assists for the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League last season.

    “His bread and butter is how well-rounded he is,” The Athletic’s NHL draft and prospects reporter Scott Wheeler told The Inquirer. “The details off the puck, up and under sticks, retrievals, board battles, he’s got pro habits.

    Q&A: Draft analyst Chris Peters weighs Flyers’ options at No. 21, Alexander Command’s NHL comparison, and more

    “If you talk to the guys in Youngstown, the first thing they say about him is that he’s a pro; this isn’t a junior hockey player, like a lot of these kids are. [He] does everything the right way, no selfishness to his game, and he doesn’t cheat for offense.”

    Winger Nikita Klepov and defenseman Tommy Bleyl are other players to keep an eye on.

    Recent Flyers first-round picks

    • 2025: Porter Martone (No. 6)
    • 2025: Jack Nesbitt (No. 12)
    • 2024: Jett Luchanko (No. 13)
    • 2023: Matvei Michkov (No. 7)
    • 2023: Oliver Bonk (No. 22)
    • 2022: Cutter Gauthier (No. 5)
    • 2020: Tyson Foerster (No. 23)
    • 2019: Cam York (No. 14)
    • 2018: Joel Farabee (No. 14)
    • 2018: Jay O’Brien (No. 19)

    2026 first round NHL Draft order

    1. Toronto Maple Leafs
    2. San Jose Sharks
    3. Vancouver Canucks
    4. Buffalo Sabres
    5. New York Rangers
    6. Calgary Flames
    7. Seattle Kraken
    8. Winnipeg Jets
    9. San Jose Sharks
    10. Nashville Predators
    11. St. Louis Blues
    12. New Jersey Devils
    13. New York Islanders
    14. Columbus Blue Jackets
    15. St. Louis Blues
    16. St. Louis Blues
    17. Los Angeles Kings
    18. Washington Capitals
    19. Utah Mammoth
    20. Buffalo Sabres
    21. Flyers
    22. Pittsburgh Penguins
    23. Boston Bruins
    24. Vancouver Canucks
    25. Ottawa Senators
    26. New York Rangers
    27. San Jose Sharks
    28. Montreal Canadiens
    29. St. Louis Blues
    30. Calgary Flames
    31. Carolina Hurricanes
    32. Ottawa Senators
  • The Eagles’ secondary projects as a primary advantage. Here’s what the film says about Riq Woolen’s upgrade, Cooper DeJean’s safety move

    The Eagles’ secondary projects as a primary advantage. Here’s what the film says about Riq Woolen’s upgrade, Cooper DeJean’s safety move

    Much of the offseason focus for the Eagles was the impending trade of A.J. Brown and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion taking the reins of the offense. During spring workouts, though, no player seemed to have more buzz than new defensive back Riq Woolen, who joined the Birds’ secondary after four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.

    The length, speed, and size combination of Woolen was enticing enough for Howie Roseman to spend $12 million on his services for one season in Philly. With Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean’s emergence in Vic Fangio’s secondary at corner and nickel, respectively, Woolen has an opportunity to flourish at a spot where the Eagles’ defense struggled last season.

    Combining his film in Seattle with some eye-popping statistics, here’s why the Eagles are excited about Woolen — and how his acquisition helped set up DeJean for safety snaps in Fangio’s base defense.

    Sticky coverage

    It’s easy to forget that before the Seahawks picked him in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Woolen was a wide receiver by trade. The University of Texas-San Antonio product spent only his final two collegiate seasons at cornerback before entering the NFL.

    The transition hasn’t always been seamless, though he splashed onto the scene as a rookie with six interceptions. Grabby tendencies at the top of routes and biting on double moves were setbacks in his second and third seasons in the NFL, but what he did for the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks in 2025 was particularly special.

    Woolen allowed just 2.7 yards per target in man coverage last year, the best mark among defensive backs with 20 or more targets, according to Next Gen Stats.

    Even when his attempt to disrupt a receiver’s route timing misses, or he ends up in a trail position, Woolen has the closing speed and length to make up for it. His 33⅝-inch arms are in the 97th percentile among NFL defensive backs, and his 78⅝-inch wingspan is 89th percentile.

    Woolen allowed 3.2 yards after the catch and his average target separation, which measures the average distance between the receiver and the nearest defender at pass arrival, was 2.2 yards, per Next Gen Stats. Both ranked among the best of qualified defensive backs.

    For a cornerback his size, Woolen can transition quickly out of his backpedal or shuffle, which allows him to break on passes thrown in front of him. He is not always able to flip his hips fluidly against shiftier receivers, but his closing speed allows him to stifle pass catchers after the catch or recover fully before the ball is thrown.

    Woolen’s length allows him to physically dislodge the ball out of the hands of receivers, especially on routes breaking across the middle of the field. He finished with 12 pass breakups in 2025.

    Erasing downfield passes was a big factor in Woolen’s strong final season in Seattle. The defense as a whole prevented offenses from generating explosive plays, and Woolen’s presence was a factor.

    Across his career on deep passes, Woolen had an expected points added of plus-10.5 on deep passes, but that number fell to plus-0.5 in 2025, according to TruMedia. He showed the ability to squeeze vertical routes toward the sideline, run stride-for-stride with receivers, and get his head around in coverage before the ball arrived.

    On nine targets of passes that traveled 20 or more air yards, Woolen allowed just two catches and had one interception as the nearest defender, per Next Gen Stats.

    Avoiding penalties should still be a priority for Woolen in coverage. He was charged with nine accepted penalties last year, which tied for sixth among NFL defensive backs. As teams will likely throw away from Mitchell’s side of the field in 2026, Woolen should expect to be tested early and often next season.

    DeJean’s strong run support

    If there’s an area of Woolen’s game that has been a glaring weakness, it’s his run support. He is an arm tackler and finished with 11 missed tackles across 16 regular-season games in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus.

    Meanwhile, as DeJean moves from corner to safety in Fangio’s base defense this season, one thing that won’t change is the All-Pro’s willingness to tackle in the run game. Even as offenses deployed heavier personnel (two or three tight ends) to take advantage of the Eagles’ light boxes on defense (six or fewer players between the tackles) DeJean’s presence at nickel still made the Eagles difficult to run on over the last two seasons.

    On plays with at least five defensive backs on the field, which included DeJean at nickel since 2024, the Eagles had a defensive EPA on designed rushing attempts of plus-0.15 and a 62.4% defensive rushing success rate, according to TruMedia.

    He will likely fill the role vacated by Reed Blankenship, who signed with the Houston Texans this offseason. Blankenship excelled at filling the alley from his safety spot in the Eagles’ secondary, and while the team is bullish on Drew Mukuba’s development heading into his second year, he’s not as consistent a tackler in space as DeJean, nor is he as physical.

    DeJean’s move to safety in the base defense also allows the Eagles to have their best four defensive backs on the field at once and could signal less reliance from Fangio operating in his nickel defense on early downs. It also could open the door for more flexibility in personnel matching against teams that are looking for formational advantages.

    DeJean and Woolen have shown the ability to defend different body types of pass catchers. In Seattle, Woolen would sometimes defend tight ends and slot receivers in addition to traditional outside receivers at outside corner. DeJean, playing outside corner and nickel last season, faced similar matchups.

    Woolen, DeJean and Mitchell could prove to be one of the best trios in the NFL, and they’ll have challenging games to make their case, from facing the Cowboys twice to going up against the Rams’ core. There’s reason to be optimistic about an Eagles secondary that added a talented player in Woolen who could cash in big-time next offseason, whether it’s in Philly or elsewhere.

  • First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. will make the Sixers more fun, and that counts for something

    First-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. will make the Sixers more fun, and that counts for something

    There’s a downside to the championship-or-bust mentality that permeates this city. The further one looks into the future, the less visceral the present becomes. One of the local radio stations posted a poll the other day. It asked Phillies fans if they were enjoying the team’s current run of success, or if they were waiting for October. The question was more than fair. Incisive, even. Anyway, are you enjoying your summer or is it just a prelude to winter?

    I’m thinking about these things with regard to the Sixers’ decision to spend a first-round pick on Labaron Philon Jr. By all accounts, the organization made a no-brainer of a move in selecting the former Alabama star. Most experts ranked Philon much higher than the 22nd-best player in the draft. An offensive dynamo who averaged 22 points and 5 assists in his sophomore season, the 20-year-old was available to the Sixers thanks to a draft that was deep on overall talent and especially so on talent matching Philon’s profile. It is rare for a playoff team to draft a player as late as No. 22 and expect him to contribute meaningful minutes as a rookie. It is even rarer to expect him to do so in dynamic fashion. The Sixers expect both out of Philon.

    “My initial thoughts are he’s a really talented scorer, right?” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said on draft night. “Really, really fast and explosive and can really, really get it in the bucket.”

    Labaron Philon Jr. believes adaptability is one of his ‘biggest traits.’ Applying that with the Sixers begins now.

    And yet …

    The Sixers selection of Philon did not come without some raised eyebrows, most of them from folks wondering about the end game. Didn’t the Sixers just trade away Jared McCain, another undersized guard whose upside would be capped by his inability to share the court with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe? Is Philon really the kind of player who will meaningfully improve the Sixers’ chances of fielding a championship team around Edgecombe and Maxey after Joel Embiid and Paul George are gone? Where, exactly, does Philon fit in a world where the best NBA teams are physical and positionless and can switch on defense 1 through 5?

    The answer: who cares.

    The healthiest way to look at the Sixers right now is to forget about the bigger picture. They are not chasing a championship right now. Not next year, anyway. They are no longer all-in. The mission statement is no longer parade-or-bust. The Sixers have operated in that mode for most of the last decade. It is exhausting even when it is warranted, which it currently is not.

    Could they surprise us? Sure, there’s a chance. It would involve a lot of ifs: Edgecombe taking a big Anthony Edwards-sized leap toward his full potential, Maxey continuing to take his remarkably consistent steps toward greatness, Embiid and George consistently being the players they were when they were at their best in the postseason. If all of that happens, then, yeah, maybe the Sixers could belong among the Knicks and the Pacers and the Heat and the Cavs and the Celtics and have as good of a shot as any of them at the NBA Finals. Maybe they could outpace the Hawks and the Hornets and the Wizards and the Raptors. Sure. If everything breaks right, then maybe they could.

    Mike Gansey said first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. has “got good instincts, good hands.”

    The more likely scenario is that the Sixers can be a fun team to watch on a nightly basis, a team that can carry a city through late-winter doldrums between the Super Bowl and opening day. That should be their goal right now. Build toward a championship, and put out a good product while doing so.

    The strongest argument for Philon is that he can play a significant role in that mission. Can a 6-foot-2, 176-pound guard have a role on a championship team that is built around Maxey and Edgecombe? Sure. Miles McBride had a role on a team led by Jalen Brunson. The Thunder traded for Jared McCain despite having Cason Wallace, and then they drafted Bennett Stirtz. De’Aaron Fox entered the NBA weighing less than Philon with similar length measurements. Likewise with Monte Morris, who averaged over 20 minutes per game in the Western Conference finals while playing alongside Jamal Murray and Gary Harris.

    “He’s on the slighter side — he has to get stronger,” Gansey said. “But if you look at his freshman year at Alabama, he really guarded. I think this year he had to carry a huge offensive load, so I think he took a little step back there, but I know it’s in him. He’s got good instincts, good hands. He’s tough. He’ll get into people. He’s competitive. We just can’t have enough guards. In Cleveland, we needed guards, because it’s the playoffs, it’s half court, you need to go get a bucket. I think Labaron can go get one any time he wants.”

    Why Mike Gansey’s sound process in selecting Labaron Philon Jr. bodes well for Sixers’ future

    That last point is a significant one. Buckets are the point of basketball. It is fun to watch guys who can get them at will. McBride is fun to watch. McCain is fun to watch. If Philon is the guy McCain was for the Thunder this postseason, then the Sixers will at least have two additional years of him plus a few extra second round draft picks.

    “You need as many guards as you can that can go create a shot,” Gansey said. “Tyrese was No. 1 in minutes last year, VJ was up there as a rookie … we need depth at that guard position. I think he can come in and play some minutes and take a load off those two. I think he can play with Tyrese a little bit.”

    If that’s what happens, then it is a win, even if it isn’t a direct line to a title.

    The NBA has always been the pro sports league whose fans are most susceptible to the existential malaise that can accompany the clear understanding of a team’s place in the grand scheme of things. Only 12 of the last 36 championships have been won by a team that was not led by Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Steph Curry, or Tim Duncan. Dating back to 1991, seven teams account for 28 of 36 titles. That reality is what inspired The Process. The Process led to a desperate quest to make it pay off. The best way to watch the Sixers the next couple of years will be with a little less desperation.

  • From Philadelphia to Henley: Drexel men’s rowing takes on the world’s most prestigious regatta

    From Philadelphia to Henley: Drexel men’s rowing takes on the world’s most prestigious regatta

    Drexel men’s rowing has long dominated on the Schuylkill and Cooper Rivers, but now, it will have to navigate international waters.

    The Dragons are racing in the Henley Royal Regatta, which takes place on the River Thames in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. They will compete in time trials on Saturday before they begin racing on Wednesday in an event that continues through July 5.

    Drexel won its fifth consecutive points title at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta in May, with the varsity eight boat reclaiming first place for its fourth top finish in five years. Head coach Matt Weaver said throughout the season that each race has felt like preparation for the Henley Regatta. The Dragons also competed at the IRA National Championship at Gold River in California three weeks after the Dad Vail.

    “The Dad Vail was the deepest field ever this year, competitors from all over the country and even into Canada, so we feel like that prepared us really well,” Weaver said. “and then [since IRA we’ve] kind of been doing a training camp here in Philly with some good practices. We did some races against Vesper Boat Club, and we’re excited, and we’re going to feel good heading into Henley.”

    The Big 5 headlines the Dad Vail Regatta with IRA national championship stakes on the line

    Making the trip to England for the Henley for the first time in four years, the men’s team has been working on fundraising and logistics since the 2022 trip ended.

    And since January, the team has been in collaboration with Drexel fashion design professors Liz Goldberg and Jaeyoon Jeong, along with three students, to design the blazers that the rowers will wear at the regatta.

    “We’re really proud to have these designed and made here at Drexel, and in Philadelphia, specifically,” Weaver said. “I think there’s probably never been a rowing blazer that’s been specifically designed and constructed in Philly brought over to Henley, so probably the first of its kind there.”

    With the program taking a trip overseas, Weaver said the rowers have focused on jet lag protocol ahead of their flight to make sure they are adjusted to the time zone.

    During their day off on Sunday, the Dragons plan to roam London, Weaver said, hoping to gain educational and cultural experiences, but the focus is always on rowing and their upcoming races.

    This is the first time Weaver is making the trip since becoming the head coach ahead of the 2023-24 season. He has, however, done it a few times as an assistant coach at the high school and college levels. He’s seen how the trip “pays huge dividends” for the following season, from connecting in races to the team living together in a shared house.

    And it offers a new experience in terms of race format.

    How ‘belief, trust, and ambition’ powered Drexel back to the top at the Dad Vail Regatta

    Unlike the other regattas the Dragons have participated in this season, Henley features a head-to-head, bracket-style format. Weaver described it as “a little bit like March Madness,” with the crew hoping for some upsets, and having to bring their best every day. The hope is that the Dragons make it to next weekend, but it all depends on their draw, Weaver said.

    Drexel had head-to-head races against Columbia, Cornell, and Navy this season, but did not have the bracket style that Henley uses. In the head-to-head races, the varsity eight won against Columbia and Navy but fell to Cornell.

    Drexel men’s rowing has three boats competing in the Henley Royal Regatta, which starts on Saturday with time trials.

    The varsity eight is one of three Drexel boats racing in England.

    The eight will be competing for the Temple Challenge Cup and face other college entries from around the world. The Dragons will also bring a coxed four to compete for the Prince Albert Cup, another college event. The third boat is a pair competing in an open event, which is the only pair event of the regatta and includes Olympians and high schoolers. The pairs race is for the Silver Goblets & Nickalls’ Challenge Cup.

    “It’s an opportunity for us to get out and race some of the best crews in the world, even outside the U.S., so for us, it’s definitely a unique experience,” Weaver said. “This will set us up really well for next season. We return like 49 of the 55 guys that were on our team. So, the guys that are making this trip are setting the tone for next year.”

  • Get to know Sixers’ first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. away from the court

    Get to know Sixers’ first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. away from the court

    The 76ers weren’t a lock to make a selection in the NBA draft, especially after former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey made it clear that he traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder with the intention of flipping the first-round selection they received in return.

    But the hiring of Mike Gansey in that same role brought a different philosophy, as the Sixers opted to keep their ears open to potential trades while also eyeing the best player available at No. 22. That turned out to be Labaron Philon Jr., an all-American at multiple levels who slipped on Tuesday night after previously being viewed as a lottery pick.

    Labaron Philon Jr. believes adaptability is one of his ‘biggest traits.’ Applying that with the Sixers begins now.

    Philon, a 6-foot-3, 176-pound guard, will join a promising backcourt led by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Both players FaceTimed Philon on draft night and welcomed him to the team before also posting him on their personal social media profiles.

    His brand of basketball will be welcomed by a Sixers team that needed better ballhandling and outside shooting.

    We have plenty of time to get to know Philon on the court. Let’s take a beat to learn what he’s like away from it.

    After winning Alabama Mr. Basketball, Labaron Philon Jr. found his way to the Crimson Tide.

    He’s an Alabama legend.

    Philon was a three-year starter at Baker High School in Mobile, Ala., where he picked up every accolade possible. Philon averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists as a junior, won Class 7A Player of the Year twice and was named Alabama Mr. Basketball.

    He added a little spice to the Alabama-Auburn rivalry.

    Philon’s recruitment was a big deal in the state of Alabama as he became the first Mr. Basketball to commit to Auburn. That changed shortly after, however, after changes to the staff led Philon to withdraw his commitment. He then signed with Kansas before reopening his recruitment one final time and joined the Crimson Tide. That, of course, added a little bit more juice to the legendary rivalry between Alabama and Auburn.

    Inside Labaron Philon Jr.’s draft night and unexpected fall to the ‘perfect spot’ with the Sixers

    The Crimson Tide came out on top this time, though, as Philon played a large part in their Elite Eight appearance in 2025 and shifted to a starring role as they reached the Sweet 16 in 2026. Philon also had a 3-1 record against the Tigers in his two college seasons.

    He made a big jump as a sophomore.

    Philon has described himself as a “ball hawk” on defense, and that is the role he played as a freshman with Alabama. While star Mark Sears led the Crimson Tide during their Elite Eight run, Philon averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.4 steals.

    That flipped in his sophomore season as Philon became the focal point of the offense. He made a big jump to 22 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.2 steals. A major part of Philon’s rise was his decision to endure the draft process, take feedback, and apply it in his sophomore season, during which he made a concerted effort to improve his three-point shooting and playmaking.

    Sixers first-round draft pick Labaron Philon Jr. poses with his family after he was introduced at the team practice facility on Thursday in Camden.

    He slipped on draft night.

    Philon was considered a potential lottery pick and he appeared on mock drafts as early as No. 16. Yet he sat in the green room watching his peers get selected before him. When the Sixers’ pick came up at No. 22, they considered Philon the best player on the board, and his wait came to an end. The reaction from Philon made it clear that he either expected to be selected or was simply overcome with emotion as tears formed while he hugged family members.

    Free agency comes into focus for Sixers after leaving the draft with Labaron Philon Jr.

    He’s close to rapper NoCap, another Mobile native.

    Philon opted for a classic look on draft night, sporting a black and white suit and black-rimmed glasses. One accessory stood out, however, as he sported a large “16″ chain over his chest. Rapper NoCap, a fellow Mobile native, lent him the piece a couple of weeks ago for his big night. So it was fitting that he played music from NoCap and rap artist Lucki to start his day as he prepared for the draft.

  • The Big Picture: Rain can’t dampen Philly’s World Cup vibes, and more of the week’s best sports photos

    The Big Picture: Rain can’t dampen Philly’s World Cup vibes, and more of the week’s best sports photos

    Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors pick the best sports images from the last seven days. This week, the World Cup craziness continues — but at least there were no more run-ins with the Rocky curse. On Monday, a powerful thunderstorm temporarily halted the fun in South Philly during the France-Iraq match, but fans — and even a French radio crew — weathered the storm and finished the game.

    Across the street, the Phillies hosted the Mets before heading down to Washington for a couple of their craziest games of the season. And out in Amish country, we learned that volleyball is taken very seriously. Here’s a look back at some of our favorite photos from the week:

    An Amish woman serves the ball during a volleyball match at the Heritage Days Co-ed 6’s Volleyball Tournament at Intercourse Community Park in Gordonville, Pa.
    Teams high five and shake hands after a volleyball match during day one of the Heritage Days Co-ed 6’s Volleyball Tournament at Intercourse Community Park.
    Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm backs off from a inside pitch from Mets reliever Austin Warren in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 6-2 win.
    Bryce Harper celebrates his triple against the Mets Saturday that clinched the first cycle of his career.
    Kaamil Nelson (left), a strong safety and wide receiver at Pennwood High School, and Semaj Pridgen (second from left), a wide receiver and defensive back at Vaux Big Picture High School take part in a friendly tug of war. The two 17-year-old Philly natives were on hand for the Open Door Abuse and Prevention youth football clinic at Mastery Charter on Saturday.
    Kamden Cintron, 11, ran the 40-yard dash in 6.3 seconds at the clinic, which featured an appearance from Eagles first-round pick Makai Lemon.
    On the USS New Jersey, Pisey Tan (top), 46, of South Philadelphia, a sergeant in US Army, has James Mevoglioni, 26, of North Jersey in an arm lock during their Jiu Jitsu match at an event on Saturday for the We Defy Foundation in Camden.
    France star Kylian Mbappé walks off the field during a weather delay at the end of the first half of his team’s win over Iraq Monday. The delay lasted over two hours.
    Prior to the rain arriving, France took a 1-0 lead over Iraq, causing Jimmy Coilliot of Lille, France, to dance in celebration.
    Brazil fans Miguel Sosa and his son, Enzo, of Nebraska, were in Philly for the team’s win over Haiti on Friday night.
    Fans cheer for Iraq from the stands before their team’s game against France.
    Haiti fans Roby and Mama Cristin, of New York, attended Friday’s game against Brazil in South Philly.
    Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker makes a save in the second half as Brazil beats Haiti, 3-0.
  • Roy Halladay was a high school pitching coach in 2017. It helped him enjoy baseball again, just before he died

    Roy Halladay was a high school pitching coach in 2017. It helped him enjoy baseball again, just before he died

    The night before Roy Halladay died, he was with his team. It was Nov. 6, 2017, and Calvary Christian High School was playing an exhibition game in Clearwater, Fla.

    Halladay, a pitching coach, showed up in baseball pants and a batting practice jacket, with a clipboard beneath his arm. This would not have been unusual for March or April, but fall ball was much more relaxed.

    The rest of the staff, which was dressed in shorts and T-shirts, erupted in laughter. Halladay didn’t hesitate to fire back. “Thanks for the heads up,” he said with a grin.

    Andrew Painter has reached his Roy Halladay moment. It is on him to seize it.

    As the Warriors jogged onto the field, just past 7 p.m., the future Hall of Famer sat on the bench. After a few innings, infielder Christian Cairo joined him.

    He liked watching games with Halladay. The former Phillie and Blue Jay brought the same intensity to coaching that he did to his 16-year MLB playing career, but with a newfound lightness.

    He’d routinely crack jokes from the dugout. Months earlier, a hitter from a local high school walked up to the plate. He had straight, long hair, all the way down to his back. Halladay turned to the mound.

    “Hey!” he yelled. “Look out for the bunt! This chick can run!”

    The high schoolers loved it.

    “Ridiculous stuff like that,” said Halladay’s 25-year-old son, Braden. “It was funny because he’s saying this to, like, 14-year-old kids.”

    Coach Greg Olsen (seated) and pitching coach Roy Halladay during a Calvary Christian game in spring of 2017.

    Halladay was in prime form on Nov. 6. The game wouldn’t count toward Calvary Christian’s record, but he was still taking notes and videos on his iPad.

    He was also razzing everyone in sight: his players, their players, umpires.

    “We were talking crap with each other,” Cairo said. “It was a lot of fun.”

    At 9:30 p.m., the two teams left the field. By the next afternoon, ominous rumors had started to spread. Braden, then 17, got a call from his mother. She told him to pick up his 13-year-old brother, Ryan, and drive them to their house.

    Pitcher Nolan Hudi texted Braden while he was in the car. He sent a link to a Twitter post: a selfie of him and Roy in the cockpit of his plane, taken three days prior.

    The photo had gone viral. People were commenting “RIP.”

    Hudi asked if people on social media had ever tweeted such morbid things about his father.

    “No,” Braden said.

    That morning, at 11:47 a.m., Halladay had flown his Icon A5 out of Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport. A few minutes after taking off, he crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

    An autopsy showed he’d had amphetamine and morphine in his system, and a federal investigation into the crash found he was flying dangerously. He died of blunt force trauma and drowning. Halladay was 40.

    Roy Halladay’s son wants to ‘make my own mark’ on baseball by working in a front office

    The boys he coached are now men. Braden works in data analytics for the Texas Rangers. Cairo, 25, is a minor leaguer in the Phillies system. Some have played for other affiliates; Hudi spent a couple of years pitching at the University of South Florida.

    They all cherish that 2017 season. Not just for what they learned (which was plenty) but for what they saw. As a big leaguer, Halladay was fierce and, at times, intimidating.

    But as a coach, he was more laid back. He’d play pranks. He’d chirp. He’d try goofy things to help his team win, like flying a drone over a rival’s batting practice.

    It was all refreshingly fun. What the players didn’t realize, though, was that they were giving Halladay something too.

    “A way for him to enjoy baseball,” Braden said, “in a very pure form again.”

    Roy Halladay won two Cy Young awards in his 16-year career, including in 2010 with the Phillies.

    Roy being Roy

    Halladay never liked the spectacle his success could bring. And it was difficult for him to escape.

    His sons started playing travel ball in the early 2010s, at the height of his career. The Phillie would frequently be stopped for autographs at games and tournaments.

    This attention got so bad that he started keeping a Groucho Marx-style disguise — black-rimmed glasses and a fake nose and mustache — in the back of his car.

    “He thought it was hilarious,” Braden said, “because it’s the stupidest disguise you can come up with.”

    But while Halladay didn’t enjoy the chaos, he did enjoy teaching. In 2011, Hudi played alongside Braden on a Florida team called the West Coast Warriors. Halladay, fresh off his second Cy Young Award, would stop by to help out.

    Before she married Tug, Diane McGraw led Philly’s bid for a World Cup. There was one problem: They wanted the Vet for two months

    One day, he approached Hudi during a bullpen session in Tarpon Springs. Halladay asked what pitches he threw. The 11-year-old’s answer was essentially “nothing.” He asked if he’d ever tried a cutter. Hudi shook his head.

    Halladay grabbed a baseball and showed him a grip. Then he reached for a pen, and traced around Hudi’s hand, so the middle schooler could practice at home.

    “He outlined where my fingers were,” Hudi said. “I thought that was so cool.”

    Parents would ask Halladay if he’d be willing to coach, but he always demurred. The big leaguer wanted his son to carve out his own identity in the sport. Having a world-class athlete around would make that challenging.

    But in 2014, he had a change of heart. Halladay had recently retired. Braden was only a year and a half removed from high school, and had experienced a few seasons on his own.

    Roy Halladay talking to pitcher Nolan Hudi during a game in 2017.

    The son encouraged his father to join the coaching staff of his travel ball team, the Dunedin Panthers. Halladay stayed through 2015, serving as pitching coach and later head coach.

    He did not take this role lightly. Once, a baserunner bowled over Dunedin’s catcher at home plate. The league’s rules stated this should be an automatic out, but the umpires didn’t call it.

    Halladay was furious. He explained to the crew that they’d made a mistake. One umpire, who didn’t recognize the eight-time All-Star, told him that he didn’t “know the rules of baseball.”

    This set off Halladay even more. He was ejected. Braden, who wasn’t standing far away, overheard a conversation between the officials not long after.

    “He goes, ‘Hey, dude, you know you just ejected Roy Halladay, right?’” Braden recalled. “And the umpire goes, ‘Oh my God.’”

    Halladay decided to have himself a day. He went to the concession stand and bought three cheeseburgers. He filled his big Yeti tumbler with Diet Coke, got in his truck, and pulled it behind the left field fence.

    He sat there for the rest of the game, scrutinizing the umpire’s every call. If he missed one, Halladay would let him know it, loudly proclaiming that the official didn’t “know the rules of baseball.”

    Braden enrolled at Calvary Christian in 2016. He spent his freshman year playing junior varsity, without his father, and was promoted to varsity as a sophomore.

    Halladay joined head coach Greg Olsen’s staff that year. Hudi transferred in from East Lake High School in Clearwater not long after. He and Braden were close friends; Hudi would sleep over at the Halladays’ house fairly often.

    Before Leon Rose built the Knicks, he was a gym rat at Cherry Hill East, and coached hoops at his local JCC

    To Hudi, the 6-foot-6 Halladay was not a star pitcher. He was an eccentric parent. One time, when the boys were older, Hudi made the mistake of drinking Halladay’s last Dr Pepper.

    Halladay barged into the game room, where Hudi and Braden were watching TV.

    “Who drank the last [expletive] Dr Pepper?” he asked.

    Hudi, holding the can with trepidation, said he didn’t know.

    The pitcher stormed out. He returned 30 minutes later with two six-packs.

    “He’s like, ‘This six-pack is yours,’” Hudi recalled. “And then he holds up another case, and he’s like, ‘Don’t [expletive] touch this. This is mine.’”

    Roy Halladay had a 3.25 ERA in four seasons with the Phillies and tossed a perfect game in 2010.

    Halladay brought the same attitude to the Warriors in 2017. Braden wasn’t used to seeing his father act this way on a baseball field.

    “Whenever he was home, he was kind of a funny, not-take-things-too-serious kind of person,” he said. “It was more so that you’d notice at the field that he wasn’t doing that. And he actually was kind of a little bit scary.”

    But at Calvary Christian, there was no pressure to uphold a persona.

    “I think he just got to be himself,” Braden said.

    A method to his madness

    Olsen had been around a lot of coaches at this point, some of them former big leaguers. But he quickly learned that reaching the pinnacle of the sport didn’t necessarily translate to on-field instruction.

    This was especially true when it came to resonating with kids. They could easily discern coaches who were sincere from those who were not. And if they deemed a coach insincere, it was over.

    Halladay didn’t have this problem. He could explain grips and mechanical adjustments with ease (and without condescension).

    Roy Halladay with his son Braden in 2017.

    He would go beyond telling a player what to do. He’d help them find their feel. That way, when the high schoolers were alone on the mound, they could throw a curveball or a splitter, or any other pitch, and make corrections in the moment.

    The coach showed no favoritism, not even to his son. He studied like he was still in the big leagues, sitting on a bucket with his enormous iPad, scribbling notes during games and practices.

    “It was like a 55-inch flat-screen TV,” Hudi said. “And he’s a big guy, so him holding that giant thing made it look even crazier. Nobody knew what he was writing down.”

    He didn’t need to show them. Halladay routinely proved he’d done his homework. In 2017, he helped Hudi redesign his entire windup, from stepping sideways to stepping behind the rubber, with his hands overhead.

    Four Frenchmen skipped work to go to the World Cup in Philly. They’re already planning to return for an Eagles game

    Halladay wanted the pitcher’s momentum going toward the plate; otherwise, his stride would be inconsistent.

    “The wealth of knowledge was crazy,” Hudi said. “And it went so much further than pitch grips.”

    Halladay helped his team with mental skills, too. Olsen would often see him talking to players between innings, to strategize for upcoming at-bats or guide them through a tough moment.

    He’d tailor his mound visits to whatever was needed, no matter how unorthodox it looked.

    Braden remembered one game when he was losing his command. Halladay walked out to the mound but didn’t say a word. He just stared.

    After the inning was over, the pitcher approached his father.

    “Hey man, what was that?” Braden said.

    “Were you thinking about throwing strikes?” Halladay asked.

    At his retirement news conference in 2013, Roy Halladay had a Dunedin Panthers hat among the caps for the teams he played for.

    “No,” Braden said. “I was thinking about how weird that was.”

    His father smiled.

    “Exactly!” he said.

    This was just one of many instances when Halladay was validated for his quirky ideas. He and Olsen would stand next to each other in the dugout, signaling pitches to Calvary’s catcher.

    They usually agreed. But every once in a while, Halladay would propose something unusual. In the district semifinal, a formidable Tampa Catholic hitter took his final at-bat. He’d struck out twice earlier in the game on sliders.

    Halladay wanted a fastball down the middle.

    “He was like, ‘Look, we gotta go off script at some point,’” Olsen recalled. “And he was right. We threw a ball right down the middle, and the hitter froze. That was his genius of pitch calling.”

    Two coaches in Nigeria — and an ex-New York Giant — helped Uar Bernard reach the NFL. Back then, he had a nickname: ‘Bigfoot’

    Two weeks later, in the regional final, Halladay called for a splitter in the ninth inning with a runner on first and a one-run lead.

    There was one problem: The pitcher had never thrown a splitter in a game before.

    “In that moment, I felt like this is either going to work, or our season could be over,” Olsen said. “Because the kid’s gonna hit it out. But he made the right call. We jammed him, he grounded out, and we won the game.”

    Cairo, who was sidelined with a hand injury, had a front-row seat to all of this. Sometimes, the infielder would sit next to Halladay on the bench and go through pitch sequencing.

    Other times, they’d just talk crap.

    “I remember this one pitcher was talking a lot after we scored like six runs on him,” Cairo said. “Roy told him to go sit in his truck or something like that. That was fun.”

    Calvary Christian didn’t lose a game that year. The Warriors were perfect in the regular season — despite enduring injuries to multiple players — and made it to the state championship in Fort Myers in late May.

    By now, everyone knew of Halladay’s idiosyncrasies. So no one was surprised when he was caught flying a drone over Pensacola Catholic’s practice.

    James Develin faced the Eagles in Super Bowl LII. Now he’s selling smoothies to Birds fans down the Shore.

    The opposing coaches saw a metal device whizzing through the air. They told a security guard, who spotted Halladay in the dugout with a remote control and a grin.

    The security guard was not as amused. Had anyone else pulled this stunt, they would’ve been kicked out of the game. But Halladay knew the tournament officials wouldn’t do that.

    He got a slap on the wrist.

    “The official was like, ‘Hey, dude, like, you can’t spy on the other team with aerial equipment,’” Braden said. “And he was like, ‘Ahhhh … sorry, sorry.’”

    Roy Halladay and coach Greg Olsen after winning the state championship in 2017.

    ‘I really felt him there’

    The drone surveillance didn’t end up being necessary. Calvary Christian won the Class 4A state baseball title handily. By the sixth inning, they’d amassed an 11-1 lead over Pensacola Catholic. The game ended by mercy rule.

    The high schoolers sprinted from the dugout, jumping into a dogpile. Halladay flitted around the group, giving bear hugs big enough to lift players off the ground.

    He and assistant coach Mike White hoisted Olsen on their shoulders, as he carried a wooden trophy. The former Phillie beamed from ear to ear. This wasn’t a World Series. But it was sweet all the same.

    Halladay couldn’t wait to do it again next season, which is why he arrived to an exhibition game in full baseball garb in early November. But that would be the last time he’d see his team.

    Braden described the days after his father’s death as a blur. Teammates and coaches came by the house to express condolences. Cairo and Hudi barely left his side.

    On Nov. 8, Olsen gave the younger Halladay a call. Calvary Christian had another exhibition game scheduled for Nov. 9, against East Lake.

    Braden was supposed to start, but Olsen said they could cancel it altogether if he wanted. He told his coach he would think about it.

    Less than 24 hours later, Braden was in his car, driving to the ballpark. As he warmed up in the bullpen, he heard a loud noise.

    His heart stopped beating at a La Salle-Rhode Island baseball game. The two schools came together to save his life.

    The high schooler looked toward the sky to find a small airplane flying overhead.

    “It looked exactly like my dad’s,” he said. “That brought me closer to him in that moment.”

    At 7 p.m., Braden stepped onto the mound, with his father’s Calvary jersey hanging in the dugout. A typical November game would draw about 30 to 40 people; on this night, there were four to five hundred.

    Braden insisted that he’d take it one inning at a time, but once he started, he couldn’t stop. Four frames later — a long outing by fall ball standards — he’d allowed one hit and no runs.

    The Calvary team gathers on the mound to say a prayer following Braden’s first start after his father’s passing in 2017.

    Braden told Olsen he was done. He walked off the mound, grabbed his father’s jersey, and began to cry.

    “Obviously when he passed away, my thought was, ‘I lost my father,’” he said. “But that was my first moment of … he’s still with me. I still have him. I really felt him there.”

    The players circled around the mound and said a prayer. Someone took a photo and sent it to Braden. Through the darkness, a ray of light shined down on his head.

    Braden Halladay (left) accompanied by his brother Ryan, throws the first pitch to former Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, marking the 15th anniversary of their father Roy Halladay’s postseason no-hitter, ahead of an NLDS game against the Dodgers in 2025.

    A different side of Halladay

    On Nov. 14, 2017, the Phillies held a celebration of life at their spring training complex. It was open to the public; thousands of people attended.

    After the ceremony, Halladay’s friends and family moved to the batting cages beneath the stadium. Standing on bright green turf, with the nets pulled back, they grieved.

    This was the first time many of his players had met his Phillies and Blue Jays teammates. And as the high schoolers traded stories with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard and Cliff Lee, it dawned on them that they’d seen a completely different person.

    The former big leaguers painted a picture of a cutthroat competitor; a titan of the sport whose intensity seeped out. To the boys of Calvary Christian, he just was a goofy dad.

    This is how they will remember him. They’ll never forget the perfect game, or the postseason no-hitter, or the countless shutouts. But for those 17 high schoolers, who are now 17 men, the coach they knew meant so much more.

  • ⚾ Reconnecting with baseball | Sports Daily Newsletter

    ⚾ Reconnecting with baseball | Sports Daily Newsletter

    There’s a lot to unpack today.

    Starting with Thursday’s World Cup game in Philadelphia and the late night United States men’s national team match with Turkey, where the U.S. allowed a last-second goal that cost them in a 3-2 loss in its World Cup group finale game.

    There’s also the NHL draft tonight, with the Flyers on the clock with the 21st pick — and the MLB announced the first phase of fan voting for the All Star game. Can you guess which Phillies are in the running to start?

    But before we get into all that, Alex Coffey delivered a powerful story on the late Hall of Famer Roy Halladay. Halladay, who won two Cy Young Awards in his 16-year career, including in 2010 with the Phillies, died of blunt force trauma and drowning after he crashed his Icon A5 into the Gulf of Mexico in 2017. The night before, he was with his team.

    Halladay served as a pitching coach at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, Fla. The boys he coached are now men, and they still cherish that 2017 season.

    But what the players didn’t realize was that they were giving Halladay something too: “A way for him to enjoy baseball in a very pure form again.”

    — Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    On the clock

    Alongside Sean Couturier and Luke Glendening, Garnet Hathaway was part of a formidable fourth line in the playoffs for the Flyers.

    The Flyers decided to make some moves ahead of the draft and traded veteran forward Garnet Hathaway to the Panthers, along with a 2026 sixth-round pick, for a fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-rounder.

    The Flyers now own four picks this weekend, but all eyes will be on Danny Brière and Co. in the first round. While they have quite a ways to go till their pick, here are nine players who could be there.

    And if you missed our Reddit AMA, where Jackie Spiegel answered your questions, we’ve got all the highlights here.

    What we’re …

    🏀 Analyzing: How Labaron Philon Jr. will fit in with the Sixers backcourt led by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

    🤔 Wondering: Now that we got that covered, what is Philon like on and off the court?

    👀 Seeing: Hershey’s Co. celebrated Christian Pulisic with a pop-up “Soccerland” at Dilworth Park on Thursday.

    🚣 Learning: Drexel men’s rowing has three boats heading to the Henley Royal Regatta in England.

    Low-key game thrills

    Ngaly Camara, of Guinea, (center), holding up the Ivory Coast flag as they celebrate before the match against Curaçao on Thursday.

    In between the two dense blocks of orange and dark blue, fans came bearing jerseys and flags from any national team you could think of — even some Eagles jerseys — in the stands at Philadelphia Stadium on Thursday.

    Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast was the least marquee matchup of Philly’s World Cup slate, which made it the easiest ticket for local and passionate soccer fans, as well as diehard supporters of both nations.

    In the end, it was the fans in orange who went home happy, as Ivory Coast secured its first trip to the knockout rounds with a 2-0 win. For Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande, the accomplishment was a triumph.

    And check out what fans of all allegiances were saying after watching both Ivory Coast-Curaçao and Germany-Ecuador in Lemon Hill Park at the FIFA Fan Festival.

    Phils got an All-Star

    Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly will coach in an All-Star Game for the third time in his career.

    Don Mattingly is officially the Phillies’ first All-Star. The interim manager will be on the National League’s staff as an honorary coach.

    As for the players, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh are each second at their respective positions after the first phase of fan voting. Surprisingly, Bryce Harper isn’t among them.

    Another day, another ninth inning comeback for the Phillies, who were powered by Harper’s two-run homer to complete a third straight late-inning comeback win over the Nationals.

    Roll back the tape

    Riq Woolen has a chance to make major waves in the Eagles defense, with a potential big payday to follow.

    While the offseason focus was centered around the impending trade of A.J. Brown and new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, the Eagles new cornerback Riq Woolen had plenty of buzz during spring workouts.

    Woolen has an opportunity to flourish at a spot where the Eagles’ defense struggled last season. His skill also allows them to put All-Pro Cooper DeJean in position to be even more effective.

    With that being said, let’s take a look his film from Seattle and see why the Eagles are excited about Woolen.

    Our best sports 📸 of the week

    French fans arrived in Philly earlier in the week for their team’s group stage match against Iraq on Monday. France won, 3-0.

    Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors pick the best sports images from the last seven days. This week, the World Cup craziness continues, despite thunderstorms attempting to put a damper on Philly’s celebration. Check out our best sports photos of the week.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Jonathan Tannenwald, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Gabriela Carroll, Jackie Spiegel, DeAntae Prince, Matt Mullin, Gina Mizell, Jeff McLane, Devin Jackson, Ariel Simpson, Owen Hewitt, Mia Messina, and The Inquirer photography staff.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    And that’s it for me this week! Have a great weekend, we’ll be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella