Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
Tyson Foerster had one goal in mind this past Summer…to win a spot on the Flyers roster on opening night. Foerster remained in Voorhees, NJ for the Summer in preparation of the upcoming season. It didn’t matter if he donned a new number of 71, making the team did not change his mindset regardless of the number (Old number 52). Mission accomplished, as he won a spot on the Flyers opening night roster.
It hasn’t been all roses for him scoring wise, but he has played very well defensively. Even so much so, he’s involved in the play more often than not, his skating has become a strength believe it or not. That was evident last night when he clearly negated and icing call, that the ref failed to see otherwise. However, on instant replay it shows Foerster negating the icing call definitively, and it was made by strong skating strides and determination.
That same mentality gave the rookie a shot in the shootout, and he made no mistake with a nifty move and putting the puck in the back of the net. In the end, the Flyers beat the New York Islanders 1-0 in the shootout, thanks to great goaltending by Samuel Ersson and determination by Tyson Foerster. Since then, Tyson Foerster has racked in 10 goals in his first full season in the NHL (13 for his career).
It’s unfortunate that Tyson Foerster will miss tonight’s Flyers game. Per the Flyers, Foerster has a minor lower body injury, and they are hoping to have him back by the weekend. The rookie started off his first full season at helm rather slowly, but has since picked up the pace. This is a wise move by Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella, as Foerster was gimpy after blocking a shot this past Saturday night. This move gives Foerster two to three extra days of rest, and then he come back strong on Wednesday or Friday for practice. Remember the Flyers do not play again until Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they will have a 2pm practice at MetLife Stadium on Friday.
Maturity
At only 21-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 is unlike most Flyers prospects with his unique goal scoring abilities, coupled with his good playmaking skills, “I feel like I still have to work. Work my tail off and try to earn myself a spot on this team,” Foerster said back at training camp.
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Skating is not a problem
Tyson is coming off a great season, a season in which he impressed in his brief stint with the Flyers. What was most impressive about his success in the big show was his skating. He actually had longer strides and skated well coming down off the wing for the orange and black. It appears all his hard-work paid off with his skating, and he is working on obtaining quicker steps.
Foerster proved he can skate with the big boys in his brief eight game stint with the orange and black. He won’t mow players down in the fastest skating competition , but he is a smart skater. One of our podcasts had Foerster’s skating coach Paul Matheson on a show and he didn’t think his skating would be an issue, as he moved up the ranks in the sport.
“It’s not easy out there, that’s for sure,” Foerster said. “Everyone’s sick players and that’s why they’re there (In the NHL). Every Summer it’s all about everything. This Summer, I’ve been here for a month. just my legs and my leg strength and my quick steps, I feel like I’m getting better at that. I feel like everything is improving.”
Foerster gained experience
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. He took advantage of playing in the AHL with uncertainty surrounding the OHL in 2020-21, and followed that up with a good season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2022-23. 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 stated to us at Developmental Camp in 2021.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms Head Coach Ian Laperrière also alluded to the fact he got bigger last season. Tyson shoots right and mans the left side of power plays, and can easily understand what play is going to happen in the offensive zone. He is a double threat when it comes to odd man rushes, and he can move and pass the puck efficiently and score goals during these situations. Moreover, he has tallied 32 goals in 99 games played for his career as a Phantom, as Foerster just has a knack for the net.
