The Philadelphia Flyers’ prospects will face off against the New York Rangers’ rookies in their annual two-game Rookie Series this weekend at the PPL Center in Allentown. The games are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. EDT and Saturday at 5 p.m. EDT.
Ahead of the series, the Flyers will hold a morning skate at their Training Center in Voorhees on Friday, while non-game roster players will skate in Allentown on Saturday. John Snowden, head coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, will oversee bench coaching duties for the Flyers rookies during both games. Fans can watch live streams of both matches on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com, with Brian Smith providing play-by-play commentary and Jason Myrtetus as color analyst.
Among the notable prospects participating are Denver Barkey, Oliver Bonk, and Alex Bump—all entering their first professional seasons in 2025-26. Barkey is expected to play in various situations throughout the series. Bonk joins him after playing together with the London Knights. Bump is seen as having a strong chance to secure an NHL roster spot for opening night. According to practice lines from Thursday, Bump will be paired with first-round pick Jack Nesbitt and Samu Tuomaala.
Samu Tuomaala returns for his third Rookie Series appearance with the Flyers after a promising season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms that included an AHL All-Star Game selection. On the Rangers’ side, Brennan Othmann brings experience from 25 NHL games and time with Hartford Wolf Pack but continues to compete for a regular spot on New York’s main roster.
Goaltender Carson Bjarnason, selected by Philadelphia in the second round of the 2023 draft, is set to make his professional debut this season following recovery from a lower-body injury that affected his playoff performance last year. He will share goaltending duties during this series with camp invitee Joey Costanzo.
Physical play is anticipated throughout both games as prospects aim to impress team management and coaching staff despite limited practice time together. The Flyers’ rookie lineup includes physical players such as Hunter McDonald, Ty Murchison, and Sawyer Boulton—who accumulated 51 penalty minutes over 18 games last season—while facing off against Rangers prospect Dylan Roobroeck.
Thursday’s practice provided a preliminary look at potential line combinations for Friday’s opener but changes are possible between games. For New York, attention will be on Gabe Perrault—a highly regarded offensive prospect who turned pro last season after playing at Boston College and already has five NHL appearances.
