Flyers release 2023-24 roster, open regular season Thursday
Flyers release 2023-24 roster, open regular season Thursday originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Flyers submitted their 2023-24 season-opening roster Monday ahead of the 5 p.m. ET deadline.
The club will carry 13 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies to start the season.
Prospects Bobby Brink, Tyson Foerster, Egor Zamula and Emil Andrae all made the roster.
Rasmus Ristolainen is apparently still banged up. He'll open the year on injured reserve. Ristolainen's undisclosed injury doesn't sound overly serious. After missing the team's preseason finale last Thursday and practice the following day, Ristolainen was back on the ice Saturday. Afterward, head coach John Tortorella said the defenseman "practiced well" and was "good."
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For the Flyers, this season marks Year 1 under new leadership in Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty, president of hockey operations Keith Jones and general manager Danny Briere. The organization has embraced the image of rebuilding.
"We’re not trying to lose, we’re trying to develop our guys in, hopefully, a winning culture but an environment where they leave everything they have on the ice every single night," Briere said last month. "And I hope and think that our fans will respect that."
Unlike last year at this time, the Flyers, for the most part, have had the benefit of good health. Because of that, they'll have tough calls in the competition between prospects and veterans, which Tortorella called "really healthy" for the Flyers' rebuild.
"Everybody thinks it's the first year, last year I was rebuilding in my mind," Tortorella said five days ago. "I think it's the second year of where the process is, then you keep on going and then maybe a couple years down the road you add some free agents."
After being off the ice the last two days for some team-bonding activities, the Flyers will practice Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to Columbus, Ohio. They kick off the regular season Thursday against the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The Flyers now must decide who will be in their lineup opening night.
Here is the Flyers' roster:
Forwards (13)
Bobby Brink
Tyson Foerster
Defensemen (7)
Emil Andrae
Egor Zamula
Goalies (3)
Injured reserve (2)
Rasmus Ristolainen
Injured non-roster (1)
J.R. Avon
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