Flyers Prospects Given Exciting New Roles with Junior Team

Heading into what will be their last years as junior hockey players, Philadelphia Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk have been given new roles with the OHL London Knights that are sure to excite fans.

The Knights teased an announcement at 3:27 p.m. on Wednesday, implying that the team would be naming a new captain. Just over an hour later, at 4:29, the Knights revealed that Flyers prospect Denver Barkey, 19, was named the 53rd captain in franchise history.

But Barkey wasn’t the only Flyers prospect to receive a letter from London.

The 53rd captain in franchise history, Denver Barkey.#Knights | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/Z0pyhF1Vqp

— London Knights (@LondonKnights) October 16, 2024

Defense prospect Oliver Bonk was simultaneously revealed to have been given an ‘A’, which puts the Flyers’ former first-round pick in a leadership group that includes Barkey, New Jersey Devils camp invitee Landon Sim, Winnipeg Jets prospect Jacob Julien, and top Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan.

“I’m super happy for him. I think we all wanted him to be captain. He deserves it,” Cowan said of Barkey. “I’ve grown up with him since 16 and to see him wear that ‘C’ Friday night is going to be something special.”

Barkey was drafted 95th overall by the Flyers in the third round of the 2023 NHL Draft alongside his teammate, Bonk, who was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the same draft one day prior.

As he continues to recover from a summer case of mononucleosis, Barkey is off to a slower, albeit not bad, start to his 2024-25 season with the Knights. The 19-year-old has two assists in three games so far, and is likely to improve statistically as his his conditioning and comfort level improve.

Bonk, on the other hand, is on pace for a career year. The 6-foot-2 defenseman has one goal, three assists, and four points in three games, which puts him on pace for 21 goals, 64 assists, and 85 points. Comparatively, Bonk had 24 goals, 43 assists, and 67 points for London last season.