Photo Credit: Zack Hill
Everyone is looking forward to seeing Elliot Desnoyers and Tyson Foerster play for Team Canada at the 2022 World Junior Championships. For those that do not know or forgot this tournament was happening this Summer, the tournament begins August 9.
Here is how Team Canada shapes up:
Elliot “The Destroyer” Desnoyers confirmed to us at Flyers Developmental Camp that he was going to play at the World Junior Championships, so it was not a shock he made the team. However, Foerster did not allude to this, so this came as a nice surprise to see him make the team.
Elliot “The Destroyer” Desnoyers
Desnoyers will be vying to make the Flyers outright in the Fall. He hails from St-Hyacinthe, QC, CAN, which is located outside of Montreal. Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher traded picks 202 and 209 to the Nashville Predators to move up to select a sharpshooter in Desnoyers with the 135th pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. Desnoyers is a Left Winger, but he’s a versatile player as he can also play Center. Flyers fans may not have known much about him but he turned some heads for the Halifax Mooseheads and hopefully he will do the same with Flyers or Lehigh Valley Phantoms, “I feel ready,” Elliot Desnoyers said at Developmental Camp. “I’m going to keep improving for the rest of the summer. I have World Juniors coming in. It’s going to be a great challenge for me to play against some really great players. Physically, I feel totally ready. I’m not the biggest guy, but I’ve been working hard in the gym, trying to get stronger every day.”
Once seen as a project pick for the Flyers after being traded from the Moncton Wildcats. Desnoyers brings a combination of high-end skating and hockey sense that makes him a dangerous player without the puck. He plays a good two-way game, and is rarely out of position. Desnoyers blocks shots, gets into the passing lanes, provides high energy, and simply plays the game the right way.
Tyson Foerster
At only 20-years-old, Tyson Foerster is starting to show maturity at such a young age on the ice. Tyson is a strong playmaker and has a shoot first mentality. Foerster was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers following the 2020 NHL Draft, as he was a first round selection, #23 overall. Unfortunately, last season didn’t go as planned with him getting hurt, and missing the remainder of the season, “We had a 5-on-3 power play, so it’s a big fluke,” Foerster said of his injury at Developmental Camp. “Maybe I should have scored on that before it happened. I think I was diving for the puck to try and keep it in. I think my elbow hit the ice before my body did and it just popped out. It hurt for a bit. I continued playing and then I was like I don’t think something is right. Went and got it looked at.”
Check out our Flyers Nitty Gritty Store
He is comfortable when he is in the face-off circle on the left side. Tyson feeds players extremely well and is always looking for where his target is. Foerster can bring qualities to the ice that the Flyers are lacking, but he needs his time with the Phantoms to not slow down his development. He took advantage of playing in the AHL with uncertainty surrounding the OHL in 2020-21. Tyson gained valuable professional experience, and tutelage from some veteran players like Cal O’Reilly and Garrett Wilson, whom he spoke of very highly of for helping him as he has stated to us at developmental camp in 2021, “Pretty cool being up there with all the guys that have played in the National League and just been up there a while,” Foerster said. “It’s pretty cool to learn from guys like Cal O’Reilly and Garrett Wilson. I’m looking forward to that, but like I said, it’s out of my control. I hope I can prove myself out here to help their decision.”
“Totally different. Totally different. It’s a pro body now,” Mike O’ Connell said of Foerster at Developmental Camp. “You can tell he’s gained some weight. He looks stronger, he’s leaned out for me. He was never heavy, but you can look at a player over the last 3 or 4 months, I see a huge difference in his physique and the way he carries himself. He’s eating properly. It’s very noticeable because I haven’t seen him in 3 or 4 months. Again, he had a difficult year last year with injuries. He’s obviously feeling good about himself. He has to be feeling good about the way he is physically right. Hopefully, everything goes smoothly for him and he competes for a job here in Philadelphia. That’s the goal, he’s a young prospect. He’s suffered some injuries, but let’s hope he’s on the right path right, that he continues to build strength and confidence, so that he’s on the ice here next year in Philadelphia.”
