When the Philadelphia Flyers called up Denver Barkey to make his NHL debut in mid-December, no one was really sure how he’d fare or how long he’d be with the big club. The 5-foot-9 forward is in his first year of professional hockey, putting up 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) in 26 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
But Barkey made an immediate impact in the Flyers’ overtime loss at Madison Square Garden, picking up two primary assists in a 23-second span while looking the part of an NHL player.
Barkey was snakebitten a bit during his next five games, but continued to make an impact away from the puck and with his checking.