VOORHEES, N.J. — Travis Konecny finally has a full-time locker stall.
After spending portions of training camp sitting on a chair in the middle of the dressing room, the Flyers’ 19-year-old rookie forward has graduated to a real stall.
General manager Ron Hextall announced Monday that both Konecny and defenseman Ivan Provorov, also 19, had made the roster the Flyers will turn in to the NHL on Tuesday evening.
“Getting the good news of staying around here was pretty awesome,” Konecny said. “I couldn’t be more happy.”
He and Provorov each received text messages from Hextall on Sunday night to meet with the GM at Flyers Skate Zone.
“Getting the text was pretty nerve-racking,” Konecny admitted. “Me and Provy were nervous walking over here, then getting into the meeting and sitting down. He congratulated me right away, so I had a good feeling about the meeting.”
Unlike Konecny, who wasn’t sure which way things would go, Provorov felt all along he was going to make the Flyers' roster.
“Every day, I showed up,” the Russian blueliner said. “I worked as hard as I could and learned as much as I could. I had a good summer and was ready. I knew if I showed up ready, I would be fine.”
And he was. From the second Provorov arrived in camp, he had a locker in the main room between Radko Gudas and Michael Del Zotto.
“This is what you work for all summer,” Provorov said. “Fourteen years of hockey. It’s the end of one road and the start of a new one.”
He will start the season paired with Mark Streit on defense.
Konecny will start the season at left wing on Sean Couturier’s line with Jakub Voracek.
“I came into the camp with the mindset of making the team,” Konecny said. “The pieces were kind of falling into place for me as I went through camp. Getting put in spots to have a good opportunity to prove myself.
“The preseason games were going well for me, I started feeling confident. At that point, I kind of settled in and felt if I keep doing what I’m doing and stay comfortable and confident in my abilities, I’d have a chance to make the team.”
He said it was important to hear from Hextall that this wasn’t a nine-game tryout.
“That was the biggest thing for me in that meeting,” Konecny said. “It would be a bit different, the nerves and everything. ... Hearing it wasn’t a nine-game tryout was relief and allowed me to relax a bit, settled in and enjoy the moment.”
Konecny called his parents and grandparents back in London, Ontario, to tell them the news, while Provorov called his father in Yaroslavl, Russia.
“My dad couldn’t fall asleep after,” Provorov said. “It was 4 a.m. there. I couldn’t fall asleep until late either.”
