CALGARY — It was nearly five full years between fights for Flyers forward Tyson Foerster. The most recent before Saturday’s game in Calgary was easy for him to recall, as it was his only other.
It came on October 30, 2019, when he was a young prospect skating for the OHL’s Barrie Colts. Foerster saw teammate Ryan Suzuki get run into the boards by the Hamilton Bulldogs’ Michael Renwick and grabbed and tussled with Renwick for about 10 seconds before both fell to the ice. It wasn’t much of a brawl.
The situation was similar to what transpired at the Saddledome midway through the Flyers’ 6-3 loss to the Flames. Martin Pospisil drilled Jamie Drysdale with a clean, open-ice hit to which Foerster took exception. The fight didn’t amount to much, but the point was made.
“I honestly didn’t really see the hit, I just saw (Drysdale) on the ground,” Foerster said Monday, after an off day skate in Calgary. “I saw the guy on their team standing over him, so I thought I might as well jump in there, and that’s what I did.”
“I don’t think I’m much of a fighter,” Foerster continued, “but I’ll step in there for my teammates any day of the week.”
After the game, Drysdale recognized the support.
“You always appreciate when someone stands up for you like that,” he said.
Flyers coach John Tortorella had no problem with Foerster’s aggressiveness either, even if it did earn the forward 17 minutes worth of penalties, and despite the fact the Flames upped their lead to 3-1 on a five-on-three power play with Foerster and defenseman Travis Sanheim both in the box. Tortorella values that kind of thing, which happened a few times in the preseason, too, including Sean Couturier fighting a Boston Bruins minor-leaguer after he ran Matvei Michkov.
What Tortorella was frustrated with when Foerster was in the box, though, was not having someone who has quickly become such a key player for a critical stretch in the game.
“(The fight is) the right thing to do, but it takes a really good player out for 17 minutes,” Tortorella said. “Those are the fine lines.”
The 22-year-old Foerster has arguably been the Flyers’ best forward through the first two games, with a power-play goal in the season opener in Vancouver and eight total shots, just one behind team leader Travis Konecny.
That goal — late in the first period, tying the game with the Canucks at 1-1 — helped his confidence, too. Last season Foerster was snakebitten through much of the first half, including going his first 15 games without a goal. He would often wear the frustration on his face.
“I feel really good. I feel confident,” Foerster said. “Obviously scoring early helps with that. Better start than last year for me, for sure.”
In many ways, Foerster is simply picking up where he left off last season when he was arguably the best two-way rookie in the NHL. That was reflected in the stats and simply by watching him. According to the Flyers’ season preview at The Athletic, Foerster’s plus-5 defensive rating is the best on the team. And, he led the Flyers in goals from Jan. 12 on with 15, often making use of his heavy wrist shot.
While rookies Michkov and Jett Luchanko have been garnering much of the attention lately, it’s Foerster who could truly be the Flyers’ top breakout candidate this season.
Tortorella brushed aside a question Monday about Foerster’s play so far, suggesting it’s much too early to analyze anyone on the roster. Which, OK, fine. But the coach doesn’t have to voice what everyone can already see — Foerster is already being leaned on in every facet of the game, which is enough evidence the Flyers coach believes he can grab an even bigger stake this season.
In the season opener, Foerster skated 19:08, second among Flyers forwards behind only Konecny. Even on Saturday, when he missed much of the second and half of the third, he was on the ice for a little more than 14 minutes. After averaging 17:16 last season, his first full NHL campaign, Foerster is in line for even more ice time this season.
The main reason? Foerster has been tabbed as someone who can thrive on the penalty kill, too, which he didn’t play last season.
“Yeah, he understands that part of the game,” Tortorella said. “I’d like to get him and (Owen Tippett) in it. I think Tyson is a little bit more ready for it. We tried them both during preseason. Right now we’re going to focus on (Foerster) a little bit and try to get him involved on the penalty kill.”
Foerster said, “I haven’t really PK’d in a while. It feels good to get out there.”
Foerster will almost certainly remain on the second power-play unit, too, with Bobby Brink, Egor Zamula, Joel Farabee and — at least for now — Luchanko, who will likely return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game in Edmonton after he was a healthy scratch Saturday. Farabee is questionable for the game after missing Monday’s practice.
Tortorella mentioned he’d like to keep the power play units as consistent as possible to build chemistry — something assistant coach and power-play overseer Rocky Thompson has been “up my ass” about, he said. That means Luchenko will likely go back in after his unit with Foerster was so effective in the first game.
Foerster praised Luchanko’s ability to enter the zone on the power play but added that the entire unit is “moving the puck well. Even in practice we’re finding each other well. We’re not all standing in one spot.”
Lines remain in flux for the Flyers. Tortorella shuffled them up again for Monday’s practice, putting Foerster with Luchanko and Konecny. That allowed him to move Michkov back to the right wing, where the rookie is evidently more comfortable.
Regardless of where he ends up, though, Foerster will continue to be leaned on heavily by the coach.
“I’m happy for whatever they throw at me,” Foerster said.
(Top photo of Tyson Foerster’s fight with Martin Pospisil: Sergei Belski / Imagn Images)
