Tyson Foerster On Finding His Footing & What's Next With Flyers

By the end of Tyson Foerster's season, there was something unmistakably different about him—not in the sense of flash or swagger, but in the quiet, measured confidence of someone who knows he’s starting to figure it out.

His 2024–25 campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers didn’t begin the way Foerster hoped. For the second year in a row, the 23-year-old winger found himself stuck in a scoring rut to start the campaign, and the frustration wasn’t lost on him.

"At the start of the year, I struggled again," Foerster admitted candidly. "I’ve got to start figuring that out, for sure. But I think, coming down the stretch, I was playing well and I did think my linemates really helped me with that.”

Those linemates—Noah Cates and Bobby Brink—became a crucial part of Foerster’s resurgence. What began as a line shuffle turned into a revelation: three young forwards finding their stride, their chemistry, and their identity together.

“We’re all super close,” Foerster said. “We always go to dinner together. If a guy messes up, we’re not gonna b—— at each other—pardon my language—we’re not gonna yell at each other. We’re just gonna say, ‘Alright, we’ll do better next shift.’ We have confidence in each other, and we work well.”

That bond translated on the ice. As the Flyers weathered a season of transition, both behind the bench and in the locker room, Foerster began to thrive. 

After a sluggish first half, he exploded late in the season, notching his second consecutive 20-goal year (ultimately finishing with 25).

It wasn’t just about the stats, though. It was about how he was scoring—capitalizing on space, making smart plays in tight areas, and showcasing a more confident edge with the puck.

Still, Foerster’s growth wasn’t only offensive. In a season where goals didn’t always come easy, he leaned into the less glamorous aspects of the game.

“Yeah, if I’m not scoring, I try not to get scored against,” he said with a shrug. “So that’s kind of my mindset.”

It’s that kind of simple, no-nonsense approach that’s earned him the respect of coaches and teammates alike. And while the Flyers underwent a coaching shake-up late in the season—bringing in Brad Shaw in an interim capacity—Foerster downplayed any direct link between the change and his improved numbers.

“I think it was probably just a coincidence,” he said. “I was getting chances earlier, too, I just wasn’t able to score. Then they finally started going in for me in waves.”

If he sounds like a player who’s starting to see the full picture, that’s because he is. Foerster isn’t just trying to be a shooter anymore—he’s evolving into a more dynamic threat, capable of creating his own looks in open ice. It's an area he’s committed to improving this offseason.

“Try to beat defenders one-on-one,” he said when asked what he’s working on. “Like, in overtime, when it’s a one-on-one or something or three-on-three, it’s a lot of open ice. I just try to beat a guy to the net and try and score off of that, not just my shot.”

With a new contract likely on the horizon, the former first-round pick is hoping he’s done enough to cement his place in the Flyers' long-term plans—and he made no secret of his desire to stick around.

“Yeah, if they want to [give me a new contract], I’d love to be here forever,” he said. “I love it here. It’s great to play here, the guys are great, so I just want to get better every day. It could be a short-term deal, it could be a long-term deal, but whatever it is, I’m happy to be here.”

There’s a humility in Foerster that feels rare—and perhaps that’s why his late-season surge felt so satisfying. He’s not loud, he’s not flashy, but he’s real. And as the Flyers look ahead to their future, they’d be hard-pressed to find a more grounded, determined young core piece than the guy who just quietly put up back-to-back 20-goal seasons.

Has Foerster arrived? Maybe not completely—and that's the exciting part. If his exit interview told us anything, it’s that he’s well on his way.