Oliver Bonk Speaks On NHL Ambitions As He Impresses Throughout Flyers Camp

Oliver Bonk has held a constant place on each fan’s prospect radar because the Philadelphia Flyers drafted him in 2023, and after a vastly profitable OHL season with the London Knights, he is continued to impress in rookie camp—wanting nearer than ever to getting some NHL minutes.

This camp is Bonk’s second one, and he is loved feeling slightly extra conversant in his environment this 12 months, saying that the expertise has been a enjoyable one.

“I do know plenty of the blokes right here,” he stated. “I’ve acquired some mates right here, so it is positively a great expertise.”

One fellow Flyers prospect that Bonk is especially shut with is, in fact, Denver Barkey, who can also be Bonk’s teammate on the Knights.

“It has been bizarre not having him on the ice,” Bonk admits, referencing Barkey being sidelined throughout camp as he recovers from mono. “However he is across the rink and we nonetheless speak to him quite a bit. I am rooming with him and I am with him on a regular basis.”

Again in London, Bonk loved an immensely profitable season, together with his defensive abilities turning into a vital a part of the Knights’ implausible postseason cost that in the end ended with the workforce turning into OHL champions.

However it could be remiss to speak about how a lot the defenseman blossomed final season with out mentioning the “Bumper Bonk” phenomenon, an oft-used nickname that stemmed from Bonk flourishing within the bumper position of the Knights’ powerplay (a job that defensemen do not usually get assigned).

“That they had Alec Regula in that place [before me]. I do not know the way they acquired him in there, however they acquired him and he labored,” Bonk defined in regards to the considering behind placing him within the bumper spot. “I wasn’t actually scoring coming into my second 12 months—I hadn’t scored in, like, 15 video games throughout the begin of the season, so they only sort of put me there to try to get me going and it simply took off. By no means seemed again.”

And despite the fact that it is totally doable that he was known as “Bumper Bonk” greater than he was “Oliver” final season, he is not sick of the moniker.

“You simply kinda go along with it, journey the wave, simply have enjoyable with it,” he laughed. “It does not occur every single day that you simply get put in good positions like that, so [I’m] grateful for it.”

He is carried that implausible play into the Flyers’ improvement and rookie camps this summer time, and there was loads of debate over whether or not or not he is able to get some NHL minutes throughout the 2024-25 season (Bonk’s contract permits him to play as much as 9 video games on the high stage).

Followers are assured that if any prospect goes to interrupt into the Flyers’ high roster, it’s going to be Bonk. He is aware of that persons are going to take a position, but it surely’s not one thing he pays any thoughts.

“You do not actually take a look at what different persons are saying,” he stated. “Everybody’s gonna have a distinct opinion of what try to be doing this 12 months, however on the finish of the day, you are on the camp to make the workforce. That is gonna be my fundamental goal.”

This mature method to his recreation has garnered a ton of respect from coaches towards the 19-year-old, who has gained a fame as a younger participant wanting to take each alternative study and enhance throughout the Flyers’ camps.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere, who can also be the bench boss for rookie camp, acknowledged that many younger gamers are “shy” on the subject of asking coaches questions, however stated that Bonk by no means has that drawback.

Flyers Director of Participant Improvement Riley Armstrong additionally had loads of excessive reward for Bonk throughout improvement camp again in July.

“I feel his confidence actually exhibits out right here,” Armstrong stated of Bonk’s persona. “He appears like he is performed professional hockey already in the best way he handles himself within the locker room and out on the ice.

As for his on-ice abilities, Armstrong added that “all through the course of the 12 months, he by no means put a teammate in a foul spot when he is breaking a puck out…I simply imagine he is aware of who he’s as a participant.

“He is so sensible, covers for teammates properly, breaks pucks out properly, and he is rewarded with the offensive alternative on the finish of the day. We’re positively on the lookout for huge issues from him coming into coaching camp this 12 months.”

Making the Flyers will probably be no simple feat, particularly with there at present being only a few gaps within the defensive core that Bonk may doubtlessly are available and fill.

However one thing to notice about Bonk is that he is in all probability one of the crucial self-aware 19-year-olds you will ever meet. He is aware of what it would take to develop into a fully-fledged NHL participant, and he is not too proud to confess that, nearly as good as many individuals agree he’s, the individuals within the group who make the selections would possibly nonetheless want extra from him.

“The NHL is the toughest league on the planet,” he acknowledged. “I can not say I am assured I needs to be in that [NHL-level] pairing—possibly I am not adequate but, possibly I want improvement, however I feel this camp is to check [me] and for the employees to resolve if I am prepared or not.”

A part of that improvement has concerned staying native to the Philadelphia space this summer time, the place he is been capable of practice on the Flyers amenities and work out with gamers like fellow D-men Cam York and Jamie Drysdale

“Yeah, I noticed them quite a bit in the summertime,” he stated. “I have been understanding right here too so I used to be hanging round them quite a bit. They’re all nice guys, I like to be round them…it was a great summer time. It was profitable.”

As summer time winds down and Bonk begins to lock in on the upcoming season, his objectives for this 12 months are pretty easy: “Simply be a extra assured participant, be the man on the market doing every little thing you possibly can to assist the [Knights] to have one other profitable season…[we were in] back-to-back finals, and we have seen plenty of stuff now. We have seen plenty of guys come by way of and [have had] plenty of good leaders, so we have gotta step up this 12 months and set an instance.”

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