Five Flyers leave AHL club to join the team

Five Flyers forwards who had been playing in the AHL were at an informal practice Friday in Voorhees, and Wayne Simmonds also joined the team as it prepared for Sunday's opening of training camp.

Brayden Schenn, who is expected to play on the Flyers' second line, was one of the players from the AHL Adirondack Phantoms who made his first appearance at the Voorhees rink this season.

"It's been a long wait, but I'm excited to be here," said Schenn, who was reunited with his brother, Luke, a defenseman the Flyers acquired in the offseason.

Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, Zac Rinaldo, Tye McGinn, and Eric Wellwood were the Phantoms who joined the practice.

Rinaldo, McGinn, and hotshot prospect Scott Laughton - the team's No. 1 pick in the June draft - are among the players who will be battling for roster spots.

Schenn and Couturier, of course, are locks.

"I think it was real important to go down there and play in all situations - whether it's the penalty kill, the last minute of the game, power play, five on three," said Schenn, who had 33 points, including 13 goals, in 33 games. "For the guys who were down there, we're ready to have a jump-start on some of these guys who have been playing summer hockey for the past six, seven, eight months. We've been out there grinding it out; we've already played 30-some games, so maybe at training camp we'll have a head start on some guys."

Couturier, one of the NHL's best rookies last season, said playing in the AHL was "a great place to improve myself. With the lockout and all the guys sent down, it was high-level. A great experience overall."

Like Schenn, Couturier was used in all situations by defensive-minded Phantoms coach Terry Murray.

Murray was more of a teacher than Flyers coach Peter Laviolette because of the circumstances, Couturier said.

"It's because down there is all about learning, and you want to show the right way to guys, where here it's more about doing whatever it takes to win," he said.

"I had to adjust my game a little bit. Not only [because of] Terry, but the league," added Couturier, who stepped up his offense (10 goals, 28 points in 31 games) with the Phantoms. "The speed of the game is different, and you have to play a little different. Here, it's the best of the best."

The Flyers will open their season Jan. 19 against the visiting Penguins. They will play 48 games in 99 days - almost a game every other day.

"The schedule will be a grind. There's going to be bumps and bruises along the way and a lot of hockey," Schenn said. "I'm looking forward to it, though, and can't wait to get back at it."

As for Simmonds, he stayed sharp by playing in Germany and the Czech Republic during the lockout.

"Hockey over there I thought was completely different. More east-west and not north-south," said Simmonds, who scored a career-high 28 goals last season. "For me, it took a little bit of adjusting to get used to. I tried not to change my game too much because I knew we'd be playing this year. I enjoyed my time there."

Simmonds, a physical player, said there was little fighting in the European game. "But guys take more liberties. If you don't stand your ground, there are more guys to take cheap shots at you," he said. "My first few games, there were guys latching on and skating around, literally holding onto the back of my jersey. You've got to stand up for yourself and make a statement early on. They pretty much left me alone after that."