ALLENTOWN – Jett Luchanko, the Flyers’ first-round draft pick in 2024, has had a few tastes of the NHL and now it sounds like he’s ready to get a bigger bite if called upon.
He’s getting some more experience in this year’s training camp. On Saturday night, he centered the Flyers rookies’ top line against the New York Rangers freshmen.
It was a closely contested game with the Flyers’ youngsters coming out on top by a 3-2 score in the Rookie Series opener at PPL Center.
Matthew Gard, Cole Knuble and Alex Bump scored for the Flyers.
For this game, Luchanko centered a line with fellow rookie Bump and another youngster with a familiar last name. That would be Knuble, son of former Flyer standout Mike Knuble. Bump’s goal at 44 seconds of the third was assisted by Luchanko.
Those three also worked together as a unit in Friday’s opening practice session at PPL Center.
“Those guys are great,” Luchanko said. “They are pretty easy guys to play with. Super-skilled. They’re kind of all over pucks. It’s a lot of fun to play alongside of them.”
Luchanko did get into a playoff game last season in the second round against Carolina. He said the experience gave him a sense of what it’s like to play professional hockey at its highest level with everything on the line.
“Kind of a dream to be able to play in a playoff game,” he said. “The intensity was high. I was dialed in and extra motivated. Cool to be able to get that experience under my belt.”
It was more than just playing in a playoff game, it was all the preparation that goes into getting ready for such a high-stakes game.
“It’s all the meetings that are extra going into a game like that,” Luchanko said. “How you’re playing the same team the last three or four games. Everything’s geared toward playing one team.”
Phantoms coach John Snowden, who ran the Flyers rookies’ bench, said Luchanko has made some significant progress to his overall game.
“Jett skates so good, he takes up space quickly,” Snowden said. “Not the biggest guy in the world but he closes really fast. Once they (the top line) got the puck in the zone, I thought they moved it really well. They held pucks, they didn’t force plays. They extended possessions.”
There figures to be an intense competition for jobs this season, especially at the start of the season when injuries generally aren’t a factor when it comes to openings on a roster.
Luchanko missed the last two July development camps. In 2025 it was a groin problem. In 2026, he had core muscle surgery which kept him on the sidelines.
But now it appears he’s back to full strength.
“Just being on the ice (again) is really good,” he said. “Any game you can play as part of camp or not, I think you’re getting yourself ready toward the next step. Definitely being on the ice is really good, it feels great.”
Luchanko knows he could get another shot at the Flyers’ lineup, especially if a couple of injuries pop up.
“I’m kind of excited to get going here,” Luchanko said. “Every time I show up to the rink with the same purpose and intention. I’m here to get better every day.”
Snowden likes what he’s seen so far out of Luchanko.
“We know what he is,” Snowden said. “His speed is obvious. He should be fast and he is. He’s a very responsible player, high hockey IQ. The one thing about him is we want to squeeze that offense out of him.”
>Short shots
Game 2 of the Rookie Series will be played at PPL Center with a 5 p.m. start time.
Snowden said he’s been pleased by the overall fitness of the young players coming off a summer of off-ice training. “It was brought up to the players to work through the offseason,” he said. “I think they made some really good strides, everybody took a step. Everybody’s offseason was really pointed. So far it looks really good.”
This shortened training camp puts a little extra pressure on everybody. “For every single player, this is a different landscape,” Snowden said. “Sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve got to get through these games.’ The reality is it’s starting for everybody. There is not enough time. You’re got four (preseason) games and that’s it.”
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