Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Flyers are set to begin their annual California road trip following the NHL's holiday break. The team, currently holding a 15-16-4 record, will play three games in California as part of a five-game road trip. This stretch is expected to significantly influence their season outlook.

The Flyers will start by practicing in Anaheim on Friday before facing the Ducks (13-16-4) at Honda Center on Saturday afternoon. They will then compete against the Los Angeles Kings (19-10-5) on Sunday night. The California leg concludes with a game against the San Jose Sharks (11-20-6) on New Year's Eve.

Following these matches, the Flyers will continue their road trip by playing against the Vegas Golden Knights (23-8-3) on January 2 and then traveling to face the Toronto Maple Leafs (21-12-2) three days later. They will conclude this series with a home game rematch against the Maple Leafs at Wells Fargo Center on January 7.

Historically, the Flyers have had mixed results during their California trips since 2017, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season when teams played only in-conference games.

In other hockey news, Team Canada began its preliminary round at the World Junior Championship with a decisive 4-0 win over Finland. Notable performances included Jett Luchanko and Oliver Bonk from Canada's team and Heikki Ruohonen from Finland.

Additionally, Ian Laperriere's Lehigh Valley Phantoms are resuming play after their holiday break with an away game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins followed by two home games against Charlotte Checkers. Olle Lycksell, leading in points for the Phantoms, is set to join the Flyers for their upcoming road trip.