Flyers thankful for fans’ support after elimination in Eastern 2nd Round

PHILADELPHIA -- The chants and cheers from the fans that packed Xfinity Mobile Arena echoed long after the Philadelphia Flyers finished shaking hands with the victorious Carolina Hurricanes following the end of their four-game loss in the Eastern Conference Second Round series.

They were cheers Rick Tocchet was familiar with during his playing career with the Flyers, which included trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 1985 and 1987, as well as a trip to the Wales Conference Final in 1989.

And he's happy his players got to hear them following their season-ending 3-2 overtime loss Saturday.

"I think it's amazing," he said. "I really wanted to thank the fans for that. That was awesome for them to cheer us and the 'Let's Go Flyers' and stuff. Maybe it puts us on the map a little bit. I was just talking to (president of hockey operations Keith Jones). He was saying, man, that was awesome to hear the fans cheer the guys on.

"That's a good thing for the guys to understand this summer. We got these fans behind us and we get this organization back on the map, and we got a taste of knowing what it's going to take. I really like to thank the fans for that. That was really wonderful."

The Flyers believe the end of one season could be the beginning of something very special.​

It was the first time they reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2020, and the first time they won a series in front of fans since 2012. And they did it with 13 players making their playoff debut, including five rookies.

"Be proud of what they've done and then what it's going to take to get to where we want to go and get that taste," Tocchet said when asked what the takeaway should be for the team's young players.

And those young players were among their biggest contributors. Porter Martone, the 19-year-old who joined the Flyers on March 29 after finishing his freshman season at Michigan State, tied for second on the team in the playoffs with five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games and led with 23 shots on goal.

Denver Barkey, a 21-year-old rookie who was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League in December to play on the wing, started the final three games of the series against the Hurricanes at center after not playing there with any regularity since he was 16 years old.

And Alex Bump, a 22-year-old forward who made his NHL debut March 7, didn't get into the playoff lineup until Game 5 of the first round against the Pittsburgh Penguins. But he scored two goals, in six games, including the game-tying goal at 5:52 of the third period Saturday.

The goal came after he lost Logan Stankoven in transition, allowing Stankoven to put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1 at 4:13 of the third.

"'Bumper,' he makes the mistake on the second goal then he gets the tying goal," Tocchet said. "He gets right back out there. That's the stuff you want to see. He's not on the bench sulking. He knew he made the mistake. He goes out there, bang, it's in the net. That's the growth you like to see, and him taking the information and then just rise in the moment. I just use that as an example for these young guys."

Sean Couturier was one of those young guys once. He was an 18-year-old rookie on that 2011-2012 Flyers team that defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. He's also been part of the disappointment of missing the playoffs nine times in 13 seasons prior to this one.

That's why the Philadelphia captain stayed on the ice a bit longer to soak in the fans chanting "Coots" for him.

"It always feels good and means a lot to have the support of the fans through the ups, the downs," he said. "It's a fun place to play, that's for sure. I don't take anything for granted. I try to work hard every day and make the city proud. It's definitely fun to hear and feel that support."

Now that they've earned the support of their fans, the next step is keeping it. That means new expectations and building on all of their experiences. That includes having to rally from eight points out of a playoff spot following the 2026 Winter Olympics to reach the postseason, to hanging on to eliminate the Penguins in six games in the first round after nearly struggling with a 3-0 series lead. And then it was going against the Hurricanes, the top team in the Eastern Conference, with two of the games going to overtime.

"I think we're back on the map," Couturier said. "And the expectations are, we're going to be in playoffs every year with the young group that we have. It's not easy, can't take anything for granted. You got to start all over next year."