The 2024 Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia saw a record turnout of 72 players hailing from 21 different U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

The annual Fantasy Camp in August is eagerly anticipated by both players and the Flyers Alumni. This year’s camp, which marked the 10th anniversary, was an especially notable event. The celebration extended from Friday to Monday, taking place both on and off the ice.

Steve Capoferri and the River Rock Academy team are to be congratulated for securing their sixth Fantasy Cup championship. They triumphed over Team Toyota with a 7-1 score in the championship game. In the consolation game, Team Results Guaranteed defeated Team Neumann University with a score of 10-3.

Zach “Gunner” Stahl, the forward from Results Guaranteed, led the tournament in scoring with 17 points from four games (11g, 6a). John Romano from Big River Rock, playing center, came in second with 12 points (9g, 3a).

Four teams were coached by twelve alumni of the Flyers.

Results Guaranteed (white jerseys): Danny Briere, Brad Marsh, Dave Poulin
Toyota (green jerseys): Andre Dupont, John LeClair, Patrick Sharp
Neumann (black jerseys): Ian Laperriere, Keith Jones, Joe Watson
River Rock (orange jerseys): Mark Howe, Mark Recchi, Paul Holmgren

Only half the enjoyment at camp comes from the on-ice sessions, which include one practice each, followed by three round-robin games, and the consolation and championship matches.

Every year, a welcoming reception takes place on the inaugural evening. All players are presented by the renowned Flyers public address announcer, Lou Nolan, who also performs PA duties during games at the Class of 1923 Arena. This year, coaches Joe Watson, Dupont, and Kelly took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about the Flyers’ Stanley Cup victories in 1974 and 1975, guided by emcee Steve Coates.

This year, the Saturday camp outing, which is always to a “mystery” location, whisked everyone away to a picturesque dinner at a rowing club on Boathouse Row.

Every Sunday, the final night of camp, “Coatesy” always leads a Hot Stove session with a few special guest speakers from the Flyers/NHL Alumni. This year, in celebration of the camp’s 10th Anniversary, Alumni president Marsh teamed up with camp organizers Kelly and Rob Baer to create an extraordinary experience. Camp attendees were taken to the Wells Fargo Center, where they got to walk through the same lit-up passage that the Flyers players use during home games, and tour the newly refurbished locker rooms.

Afterwards, all attendees relished a meal at the opulent Adrian restaurant, owned by Stephen Starr. The dinner was followed by a Q&A session hosted by Steve Coates, with panelists Sharp, Holmgren, LeClair, and Recchi. The discussion was a free-flowing dialogue covering a wide spectrum of topics – from dealing with sports trades to parenting a young athlete or non-athlete with a highly recognizable surname. LeClair and Recchi passionately addressed the latter subject, advising parents to be as supportive as possible and encourage their children to pursue their passions, skills, and dreams.

This year’s Camp held a silent auction showcasing unique Alumni collectables. All the proceeds were directed towards supporting various Flyers Alumni initiatives and programs. These include the annual “Twelve Days of Christmas” charitable giving program carried out by the Flyers during the Holiday Season.

Before everyone made their way back to the camp hotel on Sunday, Marsh provided a sneak peek to all Fantasy Camp attendees of some exciting new events that the Alumni have lined up for the coming year. The year 2025 will witness an “Alumni Weekend”, packed with three fundraising events over a three-day period. These include 1) a pickleball tournament in Malvern, 2) a Walk, Run or Bicycle event in Conshohocken, designed similar to the old Charity Classic format, and 3) the 2025 version of the Alumni Golf Invitational at the Dupont Country Club in Wilmington. In addition to these, the Flyers Alumni will host a unique golfing trip to Ireland during the NHL offseason, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.