Flyers Open Camp, Release Schedule, Add Kurtis Foster, Brian Boucher, Mark Alt

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An abbreviated training camp officially got underway for the
Flyers on Sunday, and if there was any question as to how fans would respond immediately
after a work stoppage, they answered. Thousands flocked to the Skate Zone in
Vorhees, New Jersey, so many in fact that people had to be turned away by order
of the fire marshal. John Gonzalez has more on the rabid enthusiasm that was on
display.

Now the club has just six days to prepare for the start of
the regular season, which is set to begin on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center
against the Pittsburgh Penguins, as was anticipated. The rest of the 48-game schedule
was also revealed upon ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement,
and features 18 games versus Atlantic Division opponents.

Here’s the important part though: single-game tickets go on
sale Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Back on the ice meanwhile, the Flyers’ front office acquired
some reinforcements over the weekend. The big news was the addition of
free-agent defenseman Kurtis Foster, which could help solidify a back end with
plenty of questions marks, specifically addressing the issue of depth. The 6-5
31 year old comes to Philadelphia on a one-year deal after averaging nearly 16
minutes a night last season while playing for three different teams.

The Flyers are already making trades as well, bringing a
familiar name back into the fold. The team agreed to send minor leaguer Luke
Pither to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for prospect Mark Alt and good ol’
Brian Boucher.

GM Paul Holmgren described Boucher as insurance, and said he
expects the veteran netminder to begin the year with the Phantoms, so Michael
Leighton will still serve as Ilya Bryzgalov’s backup. This will be Boosh’s
third fourth stint with the organization.

That’s nice and all, but Alt sweetened the deal. A
second-round pick in 2010, the 6-4, 21-year-old defenseman boosts the Flyers’
system with another prospect at a possible position of weakness. Alt is
currently at the University of Minnesota.

That’s a lot of action for the NHL only being back in
business for little more than a day, and nothing really to complain about –
unless you happen to be one of the folks who spent their morning in the Skate
Zone lobby. More to come…

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