Oliver Bonk and the London Knights can wrap up another Ontario Hockey League championship this evening. Team Canada (Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim and Tyson Foerster) will take on Austria at the IIHF World Championships in preliminary round play. Per a front office source, the Flyers and Brad Shaw have not decided whether he will be part of Rick Tocchet’s staff. The organization will address Shaw’s status in upcoming days now that Shaw is no longer interim head coach.
Tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. EDT, the Flyers will hold a press conference at Wells Fargo Center to formally introduce Tocchet as the 25th head coach in Flyers history.
Here are your other quick hits for May 15, 2025.
Flyers Re-Sign Abols and Eklind
The Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed forwards Rodrigo Abols and Oscar Eklind, general manager Daniel Briere announced on Thursday. Both players received one-year extensions on their expiring contacts.
Abols, 29, appeared in 22 NHL games for the Flyers this season. He chipped in five points (two goals, three assists). Primarily, the Latvian forward centered the fourth line. However, Abols spent most of the season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (15g, 17a, 32 points in 47 regular seasons games plus two goals in seven playoff games. Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere deployed Abols heavily in all game situations.
A cerebral figure both on and off the ice, Abols is a very well-rounded and smart hockey player. Below-average skating holds him back from a full-time NHL career. However, he is a valuable depth piece who takes advantage of his size and smarts. He does his best to work around the lack of speed.
Originally, the Vancouver Canucks drafted the Riga, Latvia, native in the seventh round (184th overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. He signed a one-year contract with the Flyers in June 2024 after playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). A top player in Sweden, Abols owns 85 goals and 78 assists for 163 points in 266 career games in the SHL in six seasons with Örebro (2017-19, 2020-23) and Rögle (2023-24).
Off the ice, Abols quickly became a favorite of teammates and reporters alike. Personable and highly articulate, Abols speaks four languages fluently: Latvian (his native tongue), English, Russian, and Swedish.
Grinding Swedish winger Eklind, 26, spent the entire 2024-25 season with Lehigh Valley. He played in 64 games, collecting 22 points (5g, 17a). He contributing one goal during the playoffs.
Prior to signing with the Flyers in April 2024, the Trelleborg, Sweden native primarily played in the SHL. Eklind registered 58 points (30-28=58) and 125 PIM in 160 career contests in five SHL seasons with Malmo, Brynas IF Gavle and Lulea HF. At the Allsvenskan level, Eklind collected 66 points (31-35=66) and 115 PIM in 183 career contests in four seasons.
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