The results of the 2024 Da Beauty League draft are in, with three Philadelphia Flyers forwards selected to participate in the light-hearted summer competition.
In addition to former Flyers forwards James van Riemsdyk and Jackson Cates, current Flyers forwards Bobby Brink, Noah Cates, and Ryan Poehling were also selected by the respective captains of the four teams.
Jackson and Noah Cates will join Poehling as members of Team Tria, captained by newly minted Florida Panthers defenseman Nate Schmidt. Van Riemsdyk was drafted by New York Islanders ace Brock Nelson and will face his former teammates as a member of Team Anderson. Last but certainly not least, Brink will be joining the new Vancouver Canucks defenseman Derek Forbort on Team Element.
Brink, who turned 23 on Monday, recently extended his stay with the Flyers when he signed a two-year, $3 million contract on July 3. The Minnetonka, Minnesota native is getting some extra hockey in ahead of the start of the 2024-25 season after closing last season by appearing in six Calder Cup playoff games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring four assists.
In a 13-game regular season cameo, Brink scored seven goals and 13 points in 13 games after being demoted by the Flyers in January.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere recently told Philly Hockey Now in a Q&A that, “Bobby, where I was really impressed with him was, he came in with a bang, had a little lull, went back to the minors, came back and played really well. Once we were eliminated, he went down and played extremely well. He had some games where he was the best player on the ice in the playoffs down there, and he competed hard.”
In 57 games with the Flyers last season, Brink racked up 11 goals, 12 assists, and 23 points, but found himself in and out of the NHL lineup as head coach John Tortorella imposed his strict standards upon Brink and the rest of the team.
Added Briere: “So, I expect Bobby to make the team next year, but again, he’s going to have to earn it. It’s not going to be just given to him. He’s going to have to earn it.”
The Da Beauty League rosters, which are not confirmed to be the opening night rosters, are as follows:
Team Tria: Nate Schmidt (C), Brady Skjei, Noah Cates, Jackson Cates, Justin Holl, Jason Zucker, Anders Lee, Nick Leddy, Curtis McKenzie, Nick Perbix, Kyle Rau, Ryan Poehling
Team Anderson: Brock Nelson (C), Jake Guentzel, Mike Reilly, Travis Boyd, Dominic Toninato, Calen Addison, Ryan McDonagh, James van Riemsdyk, Wyatt Kaiser, Hunter Miska, Ryan Chesley, Garrett Schifsky
Team Walser: Vinni Lettieri (C), Nick Jensen, Teddy Blueger, Ryan Lindgren, Jake Middleton, K’Andre Miller, Riley Tufte, Nick Bjugstad, Brock Faber, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Seth Helgeson, Hudson Fasching
Team Element: Derek Forbort (C), Nic Dowd, Tommy Novak, Bobby Brink, Dennis Cholowski, Ben Meyers, Mason Shaw, Alex Steeves, Ben Steeves, Troy Grosenick, Aaron Ness, Jack Ahcan
Da Beauty League is an uncompetitive 4-on-4 hockey league, commissioned by former NHL All-Star John Scott, that donates its proceeds to hockey-based non-profit charities at the end of the season. According to Da Beauty League’s official X account, games will be played on July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31, Aug. 7, Aug. 14, Aug. 21, Aug. 26, and Aug. 28, with games taking place at 5 p.m., 6:15 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.
In addition to the Flyers forwards and other NHLers, PHWL stars and other women’s hockey players will be joining the action this year.
Tradition Mortgage roster includes Nicole Hensley, Madison Bizal, Rory Guilday, Ella Hause, Madeline Wethington, Paetyn Levis, Ava Lindsay, Savannah Norcross, Kelly Pannek, Audrey Wethington, and Grace Zumwinkle.
On the other side, Tradition Capital Bank roster includes Skylar Vetter, Emily Brown, Olivia Mobley, Nikki Nightengale, Lee Stecklein, Ella Boerger, Abby Boreen, Claire Butorac, Jamie Nelson, Liz Schepers, and Natalie Snodgrass.
To watch the Flyers and friends in action, all Da Beauty League games will be broadcast to their official YouTube channel, which you can access here.
