On an annual basis, the Flyers welcome a large group of active duty military service men and women to a practice at the FTC in Voorhees. It's something the team looks forward to, as well as their guests.
Wednesday was the day for the 2025-26 visit. To a man, the Flyers' players took the time to get to know the service men and women and add a personal touch.
Meanwhile, on the ice, the Flyers got ready for Thursday's game against the Winnipeg Jets. The Flyers have had some success against the Jets in recent years. Nevertheless, the club is one of the NHL's most dangerous opponents: a legitimate Cup contender.
The Flyers had a full complement of skaters for Wednesday's practice. The team skated with 14 forwards and eight defensemen.
Hybrid work in progress
When Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras play on the same line, it's fluid as to which one plays in the middle and which one plays wing. In general, Dvorak takes a lot of the faceoffs and he and Zegras rotate based on the play and their reading.
"It's kind of a hybrid right now," head coach Rick Tocchet said, adding that the long-term plan is still for Zegras to evolve into a full-time center.
Late in the opening game, Dvorak scored an empty-net goal on a deflection of a Travis Sanheim shot. It was Dvorak's first goal as a Flyer but he was sheepish about it afterwards.
"I felt bad I took a goal away from Sanny," Dvorak said, adding that he wanted to make sure the puck wouldn't go wide of the net.
Foot on the gas pedal
In each of the last two games, the Flyers have allowed a goal in the final 90 seconds of a period: a Jordan Staal backdoor goal in Carolina last Thursday and a shorthanded Sam Reinhart goal in the home opener.
More than Xs-and-Os of the specific breakdowns that led to the two late goals, the Flyers' main concern is the big picture. The Flyers ranked near the bottom of the NHL in yielding late period goals last season. They don't want -- and cannot afford -- it to be an ongoing issue in 2025-26.
"It's called game management," Tocchet said.
Michkov: Working for a breakout game
Matvei Michkov dealt with an offseason ankle injury that affected his training schedule heading into camp. The player said that he's fine now physically. On the ice, he's still working his way back to the form he showed as a rookie in 2024-25.
