Ryan Poehling Reflects On Feeling 'Part Of Something' With Flyers; Says Team 'Has A Lot To Be Proud Of'
Before the 2023-24 season started, Ryan Poehling wasn't exactly expecting to end up with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was betting on staying with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but after they told him they wouldn't be having him back, he realized he had to bet on something more important—himself.
David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports - Ryan Poehling Reflects On Feeling 'Part Of Something' With Flyers; Says Team 'Has A Lot To Be Proud Of'Before the 2023-24 season started, Ryan Poehling wasn't exactly expecting to end up with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was betting on staying with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but after they told him they wouldn't be having him back, he realized he had to bet on something more important—himself.
"Everything happened so quick," he recounted. "I thought Pittsburgh was gonna qualify me throughout that whole process, then the day before free agency they called me and said they weren't, so I was just like, 'Whoa.' A lot of teams called and I had to make a decision, but I think, for myself, just trusting my gut—I'm a big man of faith and I trust God, so for myself, I just thought there's a lot of opportunity here. My gut was telling me to come to Philadelphia. For me, it's pretty easy if you just work hard and have a good attitude. Maybe it goes your way and maybe it doesn't, but just trusting God's plan makes it a lot easier on myself and helped me a lot throughout this year."
He did indeed find a home and family within this Flyers organization, something that he's been striving for since before he ever turned professional.
"Throughout my career, that's all I've ever wanted, to be part of something." he said. "In high school, growing up, I always played for the same high school team, and you grow with those guys and in my last year, we ended up winning the championship. That means so much more—you start so great and you build into something special. I always wanted that at the pro level, and I feel like I have that opportunity here. Year one and it's already been so much fun throughout this season."
The not-so-fun part, of course, was missing out on the playoffs after a strong season, but Poehling knows that other teams should've learned their lesson to not count out this Flyers team.
"We have a lot to be proud of," he said. "A lot of teams counted us out before the season even started and throughout the season. We're a young group, and I think there's a lot to be proud of, but we're not where we want to be overall. I think that's a good thing that we have a good foundation and we still have a lot of growth to do. Having those young guys and just the group that we have makes it possible to make the next jump even higher next year.
"Throughout the whole year, we were in a playoff spot, so that's the thing—as good as the year was, there's so much room for growth. We lost eight games in a row, and that's the thing for young teams—it's not like we played badly or the [locker] room was bad, just for whatever reason, it happened. Even with how the season went, I think there's still improvement we could add. That's exciting where sometimes you're still not even playing to your standard, but next year we'll make it even better."
He knows that betting himself can (and did) pay off, but the 25-year-old also knows the importance making sure his teammates and coaches can rely on him to deliver as well.
"I've always believed in myself, but in this sport, you need others to believe in you too," he said. "I've got to give credit to [Keith Jones and Danny Briere] for bringing me in, [head coach John Tortorella] for believing in me. So just having that hard work and attitude that whatever comes your way, you're gonna take on. This is the first season where I played fully without an injury, so I think that alone is a big step for me, but also just learning how to maintain energy, strength, all those things is a big thing."
Poehling also credited the blossoming relationship with linemate Garnet Hathaway with helping to him to grow and get better over the course of the season.
"I was talking to [Hathaway] about how we both started the year we were and ended how we did," he said. "I told him I was proud of him and I loved playing with him. He's always gonna have your back, he's enjoyable to play with. We just kind of worked our way up, and the relationship has been great. He's helped me out with a lot, and I think I've helped him out a lot, so it was a ton of fun."
So much fun, in fact, that he found himself being trusted more and more by Tortorella as the games marched on. In the spirit of true Midwestern humility, however, Poehling gracefully deflected a question about becoming one of his head coach's "favorites."
"I don't know about that!" he laughed. "Just hearing stories about other guys who played for Torts and they loved him. [Former teammate Josh] Anderson told me that Torts is hard, but he's fair, and that's all you can ask for out of a coach. Knowing that, I just knew that being myself and working hard and showing him that you care is the biggest thing. I got rewarded for it, which is good."
Still a young player himself, Poehling knows how unpredictable the journey to success can be, and knows all too well how harrowing the setbacks can be.
"As a young kid, 19 years old, you could ask all of us—we were all the best player on our team, playing all the time, so you never really have any real adversity," he said. "So [scoring a hat trick in his debut game for the Montreal Canadiens] and then having a full summer where I'm thinking, 'I'm just gonna do the same stuff,' it's a big shock for me to get sent down to the AHL. As a 19-year-old in a different country, first time moving away from home, it was definitely tough on me."
On the flip side, he also is aware of how those pitfalls can end up being the pulling back of a slingshot right before it launches you further than you'd ever thought you could go.
"In retrospect, it made me the player I am today," he said. "I learned so many little things I don't think, if that didn't happen to me, I wouldn't be the player I am today and probably wouldn't even be in the league."
Make sure to bookmark THN's Philadelphia Flyers site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.