We may well be just about settling into the quietest period of the offseason — though there’s still one more week of hockey to tide us over — the Flyers have swung by to remind us that real and meaningful (in its own way) hockey is still right around the corner. That is, they’ve announced that for the third consecutive year, the Flyers prospects will be returning to the PPL Center in Allentown for their pair of Rookie Games.
The kids are heading back up to Allentown!
Join us on Sept. 12 and 13 as our rookies battle the New York Rangers rookies at @PPLCenter.#LetsGoFlyers | @LVPhantoms https://t.co/rWpfxBC9A9
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) July 28, 2025
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Set to take place on Friday September 12 (at 7:05) and Saturday September 13 (at 5:05), this will also mark the fifth consecutive year that the Flyers’ prospects will be squaring off against the Rangers’ prospects in a rookie game — a matchup that’s certainly gotten heated in years past, as the divisional rivalry bleeds down through the pipeline. It will be our first opportunity to see some of these newly drafted prospects in truly competitive (that is, non-scrimmage) game settings, as well as check in with more seasoned prospects like Jett Luchanko, Denver Barkey, and Oliver Bonk as they push towards the next stages in their development.
“The Rookie Series gives our young prospects a great platform to compete, gain experience, and showcase their development,” said Flyers General Manager Daniel Briere, per Flyers Communications. “Over the last few seasons, building this series with the Rangers has created a strong partnership and competitive edge that benefits both organizations. It’s a great early test for the prospects and a chance for our staff to evaluate them in game situations.”
The games will serve as the closing out of the Flyers’ annual rookie camp, and the segue into their main training camp, which will be set to kick off at some point that next week, before the preseason officially opens up on Long Island on September 21. It’s the beginning of something of a frenetic point in the season, and while the rookie games won’t make or break anyone’s camps, they have the opportunity to serve as meaningful jumping off points for some of these players — like an Alex Bump or a Karsen Dorwart — who will be hoping to make a real run at an NHL roster spot out of main camp. It’s the beginning of an exciting time for players and franchise alike, and it will be here before we know it.