Ron Hextall explains why Flyers won't play rookie game

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One major difference in this year’s Flyers training camp that fans have wondered about: Why no rookie game?

In recent years, the Flyers and Washington Capitals alternated hosting a rookie game every fall before the main camp began.

This year, the Caps, along with a record 26 other NHL clubs, opted to join a tournament for a competitive series of games for their prospects.

In Washington’s case, the Caps are in Tampa Bay for a rookie tournament that includes the Lightning, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators.

The Flyers, New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche are the only NHL clubs not involved in some kind of rookie game or tournament this fall.

“It was something I’ve thought about a lot over the years and I don’t see us going back into the tournament,” general manager Ron Hextall said. “I like a rookie game or two.”

Now comes the but ...

“I think there are valuable things you can teach kids during a rookie camp,” he added. “Testing and some of the systems, some of the expectations. You lose a lot of that [by participating] in a rookie tournament.”

Hextall didn’t indicate whether he tried to get a rookie game with the Isles, who will have a split-squad for two consecutive preseason games with the Flyers next week.

As much value as a team can get from seeing its best prospects head to head against other clubs, Hextall believes the individual and indoctrination of a narrow focus on the Flyers can be more valuable in terms of preparing a player for a career here.

It’s another in a series of changes — some minor, some major — Hextall has implemented since his promotion to GM in May 2014.

“There’s certainly value in a rookie tournament, but for me, there is more value in testing and other lessons they can learn,” Hextall said. “That is the direction in the future that we will stay with. In a perfect world, you have a few days and then a rookie game or two.”

During the organization’s annual development camp in July after the NHL draft, the Flyers stress diet, exercise and seasonal conditioning. Each of their prospects are given an individualized gameplan of sorts they will follow in their career here, or at junior or even in college.

The Flyers also give their rookies specific instructions on what they expect of them when they report back after the summer to the September training camp.

The several days of testing the club did this week — it actually began last week and spilled over — gave them a comprehensive look at each player’s development curve since they last saw them in July at the development camp. They now have a measuring stick for progress or lack thereof.

Had the Flyers been involved in a tournament, they would not have had the luxury of this much comprehensive testing of their players.

“If we don’t know our players going to a rookie camp and have to evaluate them, we’re probably not doing our jobs,” Hextall said.

Interestingly, the Boston Bruins' three first-round picks (Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk and Zach Senyshyn) all failed their physicals going into camp. Hextall said his prospects graded out very well.

“A big deal made of the Boston thing,” Hextall said. “Obviously, you are not thrilled about it. It’s a learning process. It is acceptable? Not really, but you understand that kids come into development camp and we try to set the expectations. That is part of the whole deal. This is what you are going to do, these are your expectations.”

In other words, if an organization sets a rigid, detailed individual agenda for each of its prospects during the July development camps, then there’s no excuse for players failing their physicals.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney told reporters his prospects failed the same test in July at their development camp.

“There’s still an educational process [here],” Sweeney told CSN New England. "These are young kids, and they need to understand they are now being evaluated as pros. They have to compare themselves against the pros and the established guys. If you don’t realize that there’s some work to be done then that will be pointed out.

“Really it’s about going forward for each and every one of them. Some guys will return to their junior teams with the expectation next year that they have to pass. We expect them to pass. They’ll have to do some work as a result of it. But it’s still an educational process as far as their personal growth.”

Sweeney added all players that flunked the conditioning test will still get a chance to play in the Buffalo rookie tournament this week. 

Hextall said the Flyers' prospects are expected to show a “progression” from development camp to training camp, to the season ahead, and then a year later those marks are compared and measured.

He said during the current rookie camp, testing, conditioning and expectations are reinforced on a daily basis. That would not be possible if they're involved in a tournament.

“There is a lot of teaching and a lot of lessons,” Hextall said. “We want a kid to do well, but we want a kid to do this, this and this better. And next year at development camp, you better be better.”

Loose pucks
Ryan Podell, the Flyers' strength and conditioning coach of four years, took a similar job with the Portland Trail Blazers. For the time being, the job remains unfilled. … Defenseman Travis Sanheim laid some tough hits on players in scrimmage drills Wednesday, including one on Taylor Leier. … Thursday will see the entire camp in meetings with video work. Hextall said the only on-ice will be for testing.

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