Last night was fun at the Skate Zone. The Flyers held their development camp scrimmage and displayed their prospects for all to see. All of this was done with the watchful eyes in the sky of Danny, Jonsey, Torts, and company. Here are five takeaways I noticed:
1-The place was packed. I’ve been to a lot of development camps over the years dating back to the 90s. I cannot remember a practice that was this packed. Actually, for the whole development camp, I cannot remember this place being as full. It was so refreshing to see and show that when a front office clearly communicates a vision and the actions follow, the fanbase will buy in. You could hardly move inside the Skate Zone and I couldn’t be happier.
2-Emil Andrae was possibly the best player on the ice. This isn’t just from me; if you read any recap, you will see Andrae’s name as a standout. He was all over the ice, physical at times, and even directing other players. It was very clear that he was determined to make a positive impression and he surely did.
3-The Flyers have quietly built a treasure trove of defensive prospects. One thing that stood out to me is the amount of potential high-end talent the Flyers have built on the defensive side of the prospect pool. With each shift, you could see the flashes of potential on the defensive end. Also, it is noticeable that the coaching staff is having them move around more than in previous years. I don’t know if this is the work of Nick Schultz but I love it.
4-The blend of speed and physicality is very evident in different prospects. For the first time in a while, it was very clear that the Flyers have put an emphasis on both skill sets. The players that are more physical in stature also possess skill which is a refreshing change. The Flyers also have skaters that can just flat-out fly down the ice. If Patrick Sharp can help them harness some better puck possession the Flyers are going to have some fun forwards to watch in the coming years.
5-A younger generation of hockey fans is on the rise. I decided to bring my 6-year-old son last night with me for his first type of hockey game (we’ve been to practices but not a game). He absolutely loved it. But he wasn’t the only youngster there last night or this past week. There were more kids attending this year than I can remember in years past. The kids were also engaged like I have never seen before. It’s great to see the “Flyers fan right of passage” is still alive and well.
The famous saying is “If you build it they will come”. Well, I hope the Flyers brass saw that last night. We aren’t dumb fans and you can’t lie to us and think you’ll get away with it. We know hockey, we’ve seen good teams built, and we’ve tasted success. It’s all we want again and I’m happy to say I think we are headed back. Soak it in Flyers fans and the front office, we’re well on our way.
By: Josh Shuster (@flyguyjosh91)
Photo credit: @NHLFlyers
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