Rookie Series: Six Flyers to Watch

The Rookie Series at the PPL Center in Allentown has become an annual September tradition.

ByBill Meltzer
September 11, 2026

The Rookie Series at the PPL Center in Allentown has become an annual September tradition. The two-game series pits Philadelphia Flyers prospects against their New York Rangers counterparts.

Rookie Camp attendees span the gamut from some players who have already played some NHL games — such as Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Alex Bump — to players selected in the most recent NHL Draft like Maksim Sokolovskii and Brek Liske. There are AHLers who will play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season. There are also tryout invites aiming to impress enough to earn an entry-level contract.

One category that is not represented: active collegiate prospects. NCAA rules prohibit college players from participating in pro camps that overlap with the academic calendar. For this reason Flyers prospects such as Jack Nesbitt, Carter Amico and Shane Vansaghi are not at rookie camp or the games in Allentown. 

Likewise, with the European hockey seasons either underway or about to get started, NHL prospects on teams overseas are unavailable. Most notably for the Flyers, center Jack Berglund and goaltender Yegor Zavaragin remain in Europe.

Nevertheless, there’s no lack of intriguing Flyers prospects to watch during the Rookie Series and Rookie Camp. Here are six — each at a different stage of his hockey journey.

Porter Martone: The sixth overall pick of the 2025 Draft enjoyed a stellar 2025-26 season at the collegiate, international and, eventually, the NHL levels. Upon his arrival in Philadelphia, Martone made an immediate splash for the Flyers. He still qualifies as an NHL rookie for the 2026-27 campaign. Martone is the marquee Flyers attraction for the rookie series, along with Barkey, Bump and Oliver Bonk.

Cole Knuble (W/C): The versatile second-generation member of the Flyers organization enjoyed a solid collegiate career at Notre Dame. He also played well in a late season AHL spell with the Phantoms. Knuble saw time both at wing and center with Lehigh Valley.

Matthew Gard (C): On June 1, Gard committed to Michigan State, starting in the 2027-28 season. He will play one final WHL season for the Seattle Thunderbirds this season. As such, he’s able to attend rookie camp and play in the rookie series. Philly selected him late in the second round of the 2025 Draft.

Spencer Gill (D): The Flyers remain high on the huge-framed but also mobile and skilled blueliner. He dealt with significant injuries the last two seasons. Nevertheless, the 2024 second-round pick enjoyed a strong finish to his 2025-26 season once he made a healthy return late in the season. He hopes to parlay it into an impressive rookie AHL season.

Maksim Sokolovskii (D): The hulking –but mobile — 2026 first-round pick will head back to the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights before the start of the regular season. At rookie camp, he’ll look to build off an impressive showing at Development Camp.

Carson Bjarnason (G): The 2023 second-round pick got off to a surprisingly strong start for the Phantoms early in his first pro year. Unfortunately, Bjarnason was unable to sustain it. He faces a crucial developmental season with the Phantoms in 2026-27.