The Philadelphia Flyers prospects are set to conclude the fourth annual Rookie Series against the New York Rangers prospects on Saturday evening at the PPL Center in Allentown. The game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. EDT and will be streamed on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com.
On Friday, the Flyers rookies, led by coach John Snowden, secured a 4-3 overtime victory. The team overcame a two-goal deficit after the first period and rallied again in the third to tie before winning in sudden death. Denver Barkey, Alexis Gendron (shorthanded), and Jacob Gaucher scored during regulation play, while Nikita Grebenkin delivered the overtime winner. Goaltender Carson Bjarnason played the entire game.
Barkey stood out as one of the most consistent forwards for the Flyers rookies in Friday’s match. “Apart from scoring the Flyers’ first goal off a nice cross-ice feed from third-year pro Tucker Robertson, Barkey impressed with his speed, hustle and tenacity on both sides of the puck.” Barkey also generated additional scoring chances and won several puck battles against larger opponents.
The line centered by Jacob Gaucher with Barkey and Devin Kaplan contributed two of three regulation goals for Philadelphia. Kaplan assisted on Gaucher’s tying goal in the third period after maneuvering effectively in the offensive zone.
Another notable unit was comprised of Alex Bump, Jack Nesbitt—Philadelphia’s 2025 first-round pick—and Samu Tuomaala. While they did not score, this line maintained strong puck possession and created several opportunities during an especially dominant second period for Philadelphia. Bump is seeking to earn a spot at NHL training camp’s opening night; Nesbitt participated in his first professional camp; Tuomaala is working to rebound after a challenging season with Lehigh Valley.
On defense, Oliver Bonk did not participate on Friday. Snowden adjusted defensive pairings compared to Thursday’s practice session in Voorhees. Ethan Samson joined offensive plays as a blueliner while Hunter McDonald paired with Luke Vlooswyck for stability. Ty Murchison showed physicality expected for his role.
Spencer Gill displayed his size and skating ability during several sequences despite missing time due to an ankle injury that kept him out of recent playoff action.
Goaltending duties shift Saturday to Joey Costanzo—a rookie camp invitee who previously played alongside Nesbitt with Windsor Spitfires—while Bjarnason finished Friday’s game with 21 saves on 24 shots following some early struggles but steady performance later on.
Some lineup changes are anticipated for Saturday’s rematch as players like Nathan Quinn (2025 sixth-round pick) and Austin Moline (2024 seventh-rounder) could see ice time after being scratched Friday along with adjustments among forward lines and defensive pairings by Snowden.
Players not included in Saturday’s starting lineup will skate at PPL Center earlier that day while those playing will skip morning skate ahead of game time.
