When Tyson Foerster was drafted by the Flyers in October, some technical difficulties slightly delayed his post-draft interview with media members. Foerster and his parents hustled to resolve the Webex issues. Eventually, Foerster's face popped up and there was the 23rd overall pick, wearing his Flyers hat and still rocking a suit despite being at home on the night his NHL dream came true.
In these COVID-19 times, nobody has enjoyed the overuse of technology and the inevitable hiccups it presents.
For Foerster and family, such was life on a momentous night.
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In normal times, Foerster and family would have enjoyed pictures and the bright lights of the NHL stage. Unfortunately, the memory couldn't be made as the 2020 NHL draft had to be held virtually.
Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault did his best to make up for it.
Foerster, a winger with a big-time shot, is among the players competing in the Flyers' 2021 training camp. He turns 19 years old this month and will not be making the 2020-21 club, but he's here for the experience, to get a taste of the organization and learn what it's like at the highest level.
And Vigneault wanted to give him a memory. After running the idea by general manager Chuck Fletcher, on Day 1 of camp, Vigneault put Foerster on a line with Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk.
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"I had what I believe is my sensitive moment of the season," Vigneault said with a smile Monday in a video interview. "I talked to Chuck a couple of days ago about Tyson Foerster, who is our first-round pick this year. I said to him, you know, the young man, first-round pick, Philly, we want him to be a big part of this organization and he never got to come out on the stage with all of us, put his Flyer jersey on and take a team picture with the group on the stage. I think it'd be great for him the first time he steps on the ice to practice and to scrimmage, to be with two former first-round players Sean Couturier and James van Riemsdyk, two guys that were on that stage.
"I threw that at Chuck, he thought it was a good idea. It was a sensitive moment for me in the sense that I thought the young man obviously missed out on that day. That was sort of our way, my way, the Flyer organization to welcome him to our group and hope that he’s a big part of our future here moving forward at some point."
Playing with the 2019-20 Frank J. Selke Trophy winner in Couturier and a two-time 30-goal scorer in van Riemsdyk must've been pretty cool for Foerster. On Tuesday, he played alongside Jakub Voracek, another former first-round pick.
Foerster was wearing a No. 52 Flyers jersey and on an NHL stage. He'll take home the memories.
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