By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor
You don’t have to wait much longer to get your first look at the 2021-22 Philadelphia Flyers. Rookie Camp gets underway on Thursday morning and will run through this Sunday, Sept. 19. Main training camp is right around the corner as well, starting on Thursday, Sept. 23, in preparation for the upcoming season.
For Flyers fans, that marks the first day you can see your favorite players up close again. The team announced on Tuesday that fans will be welcomed back into the practice facility at Flyers SkateZone in Voorhees, NJ, for the start of training camp.
Rookie Camp will be closed to the public.
The team’s Rookie Camp will consist of two on-ice days on Thursday and Friday and conclude over the weekend with a pair of games against the New York Rangers rookies. The Flyers will travel to the Rangers practice facility on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., then face-off in Voorhees on Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m.
“I think rookie camp serves many purposes,” Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher said on Tuesday. “Clearly, there's an evaluation process involved. We're helping players put their best foot forward and show us what they can do. Obviously, our entire staff: our NHL coaches, our scouts, our front office, our American League personnel, and our development coaches, will be here watching. The expectation is that you better be ready to come and put your best foot forward.
“Having said all that, it's also a great opportunity for [Ian] Laperriere and his coaching staff to get to know this group and for this group of players to get to know the coach. It's an opportunity to start to put in some systems and start to build towards the season. It's also an opportunity for the players to get their feet wet, maybe get rid of some of the nerves before the main camp starts. There's a lot of different things involved. I think it's just a great opportunity for the players to have the limelight shining on them for a few days and have the full attention of everybody in the organization.”
As for main training camp, on-ice times and the full roster will be revealed in the coming days. Fletcher said that while health and safety protocols for fans in attendance is still being discussed, it is expected that the team will request fans wear masks while at the facility. In another health update, Fletcher added that he anticipates all Flyers players and coaches will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the season.
The Rookie Camp roster consists of NHL roster hopefuls like Morgan Frost, Wade Allison, Cam York, and Egor Zamula.