CHL notebook: Flyers prospect Barkey ready to respond after not making WJC roster

Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

Denver Barkey understands disappointments. He also understands how to rebound from them.

The Philadelphia Flyers forward prospect was faced with another one recently when he was cut from Canada's team for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"World Juniors would be cool to play there," Barkey said prior to the roster being named. "But if that doesn't happen, then obviously, coming back to London ... we're on a great run right now, just continuing to lead this team and go on another playoff run and win the OHL again and then win the Memorial Cup. That's the end goal for all of us in that room. So that's going to be what I'm focusing on for the rest of the year."

It's the second straight year Barkey was invited to Canada's World Junior selection camp, and the second straight year he was one of the final players cut from the WJC roster.

Last year Barkey responded with 61 points (18 goals, 43 assists) in his final 36 regular-season games, including eight three-point games, and he helped London win the OHL championship and reach the championship game of the Memorial Cup.

Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong said he wouldn't be surprised to see Barkey respond to this disappointment with a similar high level of play.

"You're in a great spot in your development path," he said of the message to Barkey. "You're already signed by the Flyers. ... It's not the end of the road. It's just another chip on your shoulder that you can use once you turn to the pro game, playing in the American [Hockey] League and battling for an NHL job."

The World Junior camp is just the latest turn of bad luck for Barkey. After the Flyers selected him in the third round (No. 95) of the 2023 NHL Draft, an offseason ankle injury limited him during training camp last season. Then he was diagnosed with mononucleosis late this summer just before heading to Philadelphia for training camp this year.

"Symptoms started back in late August, early September," he said. "Just your common symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue. I just didn't really have any energy. I was just really tired, had a sore throat, stuff like that. Body, everything just felt weak. I didn't really have an appetite. And that lasted for about, I'd say, maybe just over two weeks.

"Timing couldn't get any worse. I was really happy with my summer. I worked really hard, spent a lot of time in the gym, on the ice, just working on a lot of little things. I was happy with how I felt and how my game was, how I felt on the ice going into camp. Obviously that was [terrible] timing and a setback for me."

Despite those setbacks, the Flyers remain pleased with Barkey's progress. He scored twice in London’s 6-1 win over Sarnia on Friday and has 34 points (seven goals, 27 assists) in 26 games, and was named London captain on Oct. 17.

"I think he's kind of already developed a pro game with his habits, his details within his game," Armstrong said. "I felt last year he was just run-and-gun for the points, to be honest. He had [102] points. ... I think sometimes he took too long shifts and was on the ice kind of chasing his cookies. And this year, he's rounded his game out to more of a pro game where even if he's not getting four points a game, he's still having a positive impact on the game, whether that's doing well on the [penalty kill], blocking a shot or getting a puck out, and I think all those things are going to help him at the next level that he's going to play at."

Barkey said Flyers forward Travis Konecny has become a role model for him, and even during training camp he kept a close eye on how Konecny prepared himself each day for practice and worked in the gym.

Armstrong said that's the perfect player for Barkey to emulate.

"The way that 'TK' hunts on pucks, Barkey has that same mindset with within that," Armstrong said. "I think they're both very skilled. I think TK has grown into that little bit of a rat role. I don't know where Barkey is going to be able to do that in the NHL, maybe overconfident and get some swag like TK has, but he definitely has that attribute in the OHL. He's a little bit of a pest, rat-type player. You never know where it's going to go being a smaller guy like TK, but I can tell you that Denver is definitely going to be the hardest working guy when training camp comes and when it's ready to go."

OTHERS TO WATCH

Kieron Walton, LW, Sudbury: The Winnipeg Jets prospect had a highlight-reel goal and an assist in a win against North Bay on Friday to give the 18-year-old 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) during a 12-game point streak, which includes 12 multipoint games. Selected by the Jets in the sixth round (No. 187) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Walton has 53 points (19 goals, 34 assists) in 31 games.

Cam Squires, RW, Cape Breton: The New Jersey Devils prospect had his first hat trick of the season in a 5-3 win against Val-d'Or on Dec. 8, has eight points (five goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak and is second for Cape Breton with 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 25 games. The Devils selected the 19-year-old in the fourth round (No. 122) of the 2023 draft.

Gracyn Sawchyn, C, Edmonton: The Florida Panthers prospect had his first four-point game (two goals, two assists) in a 7-3 win against Swift Current on Dec. 14, and a day later had his second, with two goals and two assists in a 7-3 win against Kamloops. Sawchyn scored the game-winning goal in each game, and the 19-year-old has three game-winning goals during a five-game point streak (five goals, seven assists). Sawchyn leads Edmonton with 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 28 games. The Panthers selected him in the second round (No. 63) of the 2023 draft.