3 Flyers Prospects Playing in the 2024 Memorial Cup

After finishing the season with an impressive record of 50-14-1-3, the Knights kicked off their J. Ross Robertson Cup Playoffs on March 29 against a Flint Firebirds squad that finished the season with 30 wins in 68 games. The Knights swept the Firebirds, keeping the momentum going with a four-game sweep of the Kitchener Rangers and six-game series victory over Saginaw. In the Robertson Cup Final, the Knights piled on 31 goals as they swept Oshawa. Barkey was especially effective for London during the playoff run, posting six goals, 21 assists, and a plus-10 rating in 18 games. Over the course of the OHL playoffs, the left-shot Barkey tormented opposing blueliners and goaltenders on the way to nine multi-point postseason games, highlighted by a four-point effort in Game 2 of the Final. 

Oliver Bonk

Defenseman Oliver Bonk has played parts of three seasons with London. During the 2021-22 campaign, he appeared in 10 games for the Knights, tallying three assists. Last season, the blueliner had 10 goals and 30 assists, complementing these totals with another 11 assists in 21 postseason games. Last June, he was the Flyers’ second pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, going 22nd overall in the first round. Oliver is the son of former longtime professional hockey player Radek Bonk, who appeared in 969 NHL games for the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, and Nashville Predators.

Bonk is a shutdown blueliner who is also offensively minded. The native of Ottawa had a breakout 2023-24 season in terms of overall offensive contributions for his club; In 60 regular season games, he beat opposing goalies 24 times and added 43 assists to end with 67 poitns. The 19-year-old’s best performance of the 2023-24 season came on Jan. 10 when he recorded five points (two goals and three assists) against the Sting. On the way to a Robertson Cup title, the right-shooter had 16 points in 18 games with a plus-16 rating. The 6-foot-2, 176-pounder played exceptionally well in Games 1, 2, and 3 of the Final, recording multiple points in each game for a grand total of eight points. 

Alexis Gendron

Over in the QMJHL, the Flyers have another forward who continues to receive well-deserved attention from hockey analysts and members of the Flyers front office. After putting up an impressive 81 points for two different QMJHL clubs last season, Alexis Gendron — who the Flyers drafted 220th overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft — started the season in the professional ranks with the Flyers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 17 AHL appearances, the Quebec native had seven points. He returned to the QMJHL with his current club, Drummondville, to kick off 2024. In 16 regular season games, the 20-year-old had 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points. 

The Voltigeurs finished the season with a record of 48-14-5-1. On the road to the Memorial Cup Playoffs, the team defeated the Sherbrooke Phoenix, Victoriaville Tigres, and Baie-Comeau Drakkar. In 15 postseason appearances, the left-shot forward had 11 goals, eight assists, and a plus-8 rating. A major career accomplishment came in Game 1 of the Gilles-Courteau Trophy Final when the prospect recorded a hat trick against the Drakkar. He tacked on three more assists during this series, as Drummondville swept Baie-Comeau.

The 2024 Memorial Cup 

Flyers fans should keep a close eye on this tournament, especially since all three players are important members of an organization that continues to eye young talent as building blocks for future Stanley Cup runs. The opening game of the 2024 Memorial Cup will pit the hometown Spirit against the Warriors on May 24 at 7:30 PM EDT. The following afternoon at 4:00 PM EDT, two Flyers prospects will be on the opposite side from a potential future teammate in a much-anticipated matchup between the Knights and Voltigeurs.