As Tyler The Creator once said, “Sometimes you gotta close a door to open a window.” In the Flyers’ case, that is what they did — whether or not purposefully. Building for the future has been a cornerstone for the club’s rookie regime. So, drafting goalie Carson Bjarnason in the 2023 NHL Draft was an easy decision.
Bjarnason,18, went undrafted in his WHL Draft year after being passed over and thus met with an uphill battle. This resulted in him training extensively with his long-time goaltending coach, Tyler Plante, before being signed by the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League.
During that time, Bjarnason trained alongside Las Vegas Golden Knights netminders Logan Thompson and Jiri Patera. The three of them have become close and look up to one another for mentorship and guidance. All three are products of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
Bjarnason’s parents, Becky and Clarence, said they watched their son go from being ignored in the WHL draft to becoming the starting netminder in Brandon and taking an even bigger career leap at this past year’s player lottery.
“Adversity makes him really kick it into another gear,” his mother told The Winnipeg Sun. “We saw that, and we’ve seen it ever since. Anything really is possible when you have that belief and that desire, that work ethic.”
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The Carberry, Manitoba, native, was almost stunned when the contract offer came across the table. It is indeed rare when a WHL club hands out a contract to a free agent who was just undrafted.
“I got a lot of tell that it was very unexpected and just doesn’t happen,” Bjarnason said. “You know — ever, so it was pretty cool. It was just nice to have people reach out to make sure I knew what I wanted to do.”
After establishing himself in the WHL, Bjarnason looked towards bigger goals. Although every kid looks forward to being drafted into the NHL, a lot of them forget the details when it becomes a reality. That is no different for the 18-year-old netminder who said he felt like he almost “blacked out” after he heard his name called in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
“It’s true what they say you, just kind of blackout and go through the moment without even noticing,” Bjarnason explained. “The first thing I did was obviously hug my family. There’s a lot of emotion that goes into it once you really come to terms with how much they’ve helped you.”
The 18-year old told Jon Bailey of Philly Hockey Now that he had spoke with nearly every team in the National Hockey League ahead of the draft and the Flyers of course stuck out.
“I talked to 28 teams or something at the combine,” he said. “I do remember the Flyers being one of them.”
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The young goaltender had a busy schedule after donning Philly’s burnt orange livery, meeting with the new management in Nashville, then heading out to Philadelphia the following day to be bunk buddies with veteran Flyer centre Scott Laughton. During his month-long stay in the City of Brotherly Love, Bjarnason had to make a few trips to Walmart but said he loved every minute of it.
“I had packed a bag for around a week but then stayed for just over a month,” Carson noted. “I definitely enjoyed my time just training and everything. I met everybody this summer. I got to be around Brinker [Brink] a lot, Forester, Wade Allison, and Lacynski. It’s cool to get a feel for all those guys.
“They brought me in,” Bjarnason added. “Ronnie Attard is one of the main ones. It’s nice to have them looking out for me.”
Although new opportunities and possibilities have arisen, the young goaltender still wants to stay on course and see where the road takes him. Bjarnason is aware of the door now creaking open for him but wants to stay afloat — not to get ahead of himself; work on keeping an open mind — not to jump the gun.
Going into training camp under contract with a position to fill can rack a player’s brain. It is a big deal, but for Bjarnason, it’s about keeping his head down and playing his game by setting high standards for himself.
Last year, after hearing his name called and spending time in Philadelphia, he wanted to earn a spot on the roster and sign an entry-level contract. That confidence drives him to aim high, and he could make a splash this summer since signing that ELC.
“I still gotta just put my head down,” he notes. “This year I was trying to earn a spot on the team, which is maybe far-fetched, but going in with that kind of confidence and that target, I feel liked I aimed high and reached my goal to be able to sign.”
“This season means a little more responsibility for me,” Bjarnasson continues. “I want to stay there a little longer than I did this year. I want to show that I really care, and I want to be there and a part of what they have going on. So I think my work ethic stays the same, put my head down to the grindstone, it’s just managing expectations and pushing through some adversities.”
Bjarnason’s family has played a big role in his life, a big reason for his success, and the kind of support system that he is very fortunate to have. They help with all the little things, from his overall game to the jersey number on his back. Bjarnason’s grandfather was a huge role model as well having represented Team Canada professionally on the baseball diamond.
“My Grandpa played professional baseball, Team Canada, and in lots of regionals, so he knew what it was like to go through high levels of sports,” Bjarnason notes in high regard to his grandpa, who passed away a few years ago. “He definitely helped me out a lot.”
Bjarnason felt a strong connection with his grandpa, who was also a farmer, so much so that he changed his jersey number from No. 31 to No. 64 in his honour.
“He passed away a few years ago, and that’s the reason I wear the number I do,” Bjarnason said with a heavy heart. “That’s how old he was when he passed. So, I stuck with that in memory for sure.”
However, in good spirits, Carson could chuckle at the fact that number change was good for his future in Philadelphia. His former number, “31”, has not been worn in Philadelphia since the passing of the legendary Pelle Lindbergh who tragically passed away at just 26 in a motor vehicle accident in 1985.
In addition to his grandfather in baseball, both goaltenders also represented their respective countries in international competition as Bjarnason and Lindbergh played in the IIHF World Junior Championship 43 years apart. In 1978 and 1979, Lindbergh showcased his game between the pipes for Team Sweden U-20 as well as in the 1980 Winter Olympics. Bjarnason would follow four decades later, playing for Team Canada U-18. He played alongside Oliver Bonk, another 2023 Flyers draft pick.
April 27, 2023, Basel, St. Jakob Arena, IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship: Canada vs Switzerland, #1 goaltender Carson Bjarnason (Canada) (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Just Pictures/Sipa USA) (Sipa via AP Images)
“I got a call that they wanted me to attend camp,” Bjarnason told me about getting the call to play in Edmonton, Alberta, for Team Canada. “It was pretty special getting it.”
“I’ve seen them [Lindbergh and his Hall of Fame mentor and idol, Bernie Parent], watched a lot of film, always enjoyed watching Michal Neuvirth, obviously [the late] Ray Emery, a lot of guys that went through the organization,” Bjarnason notes. “I’ve watched them and watched every Flyers game to date. So, just keeping up with what they got going on and trying to learn from Sam Ersson helps a lot.”
Even though the 2023 second-round draft pick tended the goal for Team Canada in 2022-23, he unexpectedly did not make the cut to return in 2023-24. Bjarnason was anticipated to be in Gothenburg, Sweden, at least for a tryout, but he never got the call.
“I was definitely talking to them lots and did expect to go, but stuff happens. I maybe didn’t make the cut. All the more reason to work and try to make the team next year,” Bjarnason noted confidently.
Despite the minor setback of the World Juniors and suffering a lower-body injury that sidelined him for two weeks, Bjarnason said he is feeling better than ever and took time to reevaluate things after his injury.
I was told by Perry Bergson of The Brandon Sun that Bjarnason sustained an injury on January 12, shortly after Christmas break. So, Bjarnason took it as an extended holiday to get his body right and feel better. Time off was warranted, especially with such a compact schedule like the Western Hockey League (WHL).
“I thought it was a lot worse than it was.” Bjarnason noted. “It’s just nice to get back. It’s nice to recover quicker than expected and finally being back playing games. I think overall I feel more energetic. Making sure I’m taking care of my body in the right way — I invested a bit into that while I was hurt just to get back quicker because I missed the game. It’s definitely hard but I think everything’s just contributing and clicking right now.”
Bjarnason, among others, has spoken highly of the organization — reaching out to make sure things are going well on and off the ice. John LeClair and Dan Hilferty have been very open and vocal with the young players in the club’s extensive pipeline.
“They care about me and reach out at least once a week,” Bjarnason said. “I’m really fortunate to be in the swing of things. It’s nice when they reach out.”
“It’s a first-class organization,” Bjarnason expressed. It’s looking like a real “open window” for him too.
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