Over the weekend, Philadelphia Flyers rookies got the chance to showcase their skills in a two-game series against rookies from their Metro Division rival New York Rangers at the PPL Center in Allentown.
The Reading Royals were well-represented, with three former Royals among the players selected to play in the series, which ended in a split between the two clubs.
Defenseman Matteo Mann, along with forwards Jacob Gaucher and Zayde Wisdom, each saw action and contributed for the Flyers rookies. Gaucher got some ice time in Game 1, which the Rangers rookies won in a shootout. All three former Royals had a hand in Game 2, won by the Flyers in sudden-death overtime.
Just 3:05 into the first period of Game 2, Mann scored for the Flyers rookies with Gaucher getting the assist. In the second period, both Gaucher and Wisdom earned helpers on a goal by Sawyer Bolton.
Rookie camp is all about capturing attention and proving a player belongs on an NHL roster, and Mann felt he took a step toward that goal with his performance.
“Obviously an ideal start,” Mann told Reading Royals PR following Game 2. “It’s not often you start games like that, but it definitely helped the confidence going in the rest of the game and helped me settle down pretty early in the game, which is always nice.”
The Flyers selected Mann in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Amateur Draft (199th overall pick). The Sackville, New Brunswick native joined the Royals last April after a four-year career in the QMJHL, totaling 9 goals and 21 assists for 30 points during that span.
At 6-foot-6, he strikes an imposing figure on the back end, joining former Royals Dilan Peters and Spencer Kennedy as the club’s tallest skaters last season.
Mann got into just two practices and one game with Reading, but believes the brief experience of his pro debut helped him prepare for what’s to come.
“I think it was a great experience for me as a player,” he said. “I think I built confidence going into the summer. I felt comfortable at that level. It was an all-around positive experience for me.”
Gaucher, who is beginning his third pro season, re-signed with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Lehigh Phantoms in August. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound right shot forward was loaned to Reading by the Phantoms twice and played three games for the Royals in the 2023-24 season.
In 59 regular-season games with Lehigh, Gaucher posted 16 points (8-8-16). He added a goal and a helper in six games during the Phantoms’ Calder Cup Playoff run, which featured a series-clinching goal in overtime in game two of the Atlantic Division First Round best-of-three series against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins April 26 at the PPL Center.
The Longueuil, Quebec native played his entire rookie season with Reading in 2022-23, finishing second on the team in assists (39) and third in points (61) in 71 regular season games. He contributed six goals and 12 points in 11 games for the Royals during the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Gaucher spent the summer training with his brother Nathan, who played with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls in 2023-24. That, combined with the opportunity to showcase his talent against other prospects in rookie camp has pushed him to be better.
“Playing against some good Rangers prospects and good Flyers prospects on our team is exciting, and I’m trying to make the most out of it,” Gaucher told Royals PR. “I think it helps a lot for my development, obviously to work on some stuff, getting you ready for big main camp with the Flyers and hopefully a great season ahead.”
Related: Youth Hockey Is Alive and Well in Reading
The Flyers selected Wisdom in the fourth round (94th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. A Toronto native, Wisdom played 49 games for the Phantoms last season, totaling three points (2-1-1). He split time between the Phantoms and Royals in 2022-23. In six regular-season games with Reading, he tallied five points (1-4-5), but netted four goals and four assists in 11 Kelly Cup Playoff games.
Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere, who coached the Flyers rookies in the weekend series against the Rangers prospects, was impressed with Wisdom’s play in Game 2, particularly the assist on Bolton’s goal.
“(Wisdom) made a hell of a play, skated from our zone to their zone (making) a nice play,” Laperriere told reporters following the game. “It says a lot about (him). ‘Wis’ knows this is a big camp for him.”
The Royals are preparing for their first pre-season action, a home-and-home series against the Adirondack Thunder October 11 and 12. The club kicks off its regular season on the road October 18 against the Trois-Rivieres Lions.
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