Flyers prospect Alex Bump won an NCAA title with Western Michigan. Could his coach join him here?

ST. LOUIS — Alex Bump skated around the ice, hugging everyone he could find. The Flyers prospect had just helped Western Michigan defeat Boston University, 6-2, to win the program’s first national championship, and he was skating around hugging teammates and staff and jumping up and down in glee.

Then he found coach Pat Ferschweiler.

The two men hugged and spoke to each other for a while, but it was a hug that almost didn’t happen. No, it wasn’t because of a loss or a close game. It was because Bump was slated to play for the University of Vermont but withdrew his commitment after the coach was fired in late August 2023.

He quickly found a home in Kalamazoo, Mich.

“I love you, yeah, that’s pretty much it,” Bump said of the conversation with Ferschweiler. “He deserves it. I’d do anything for that guy. He means the world to me. Yeah, he’s the best.”

Bump, 21, had a season to remember. Despite not getting a point in his last four games, after scoring the double-overtime winner against Denver in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference championship game, he finished with 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) in 42 games. That followed a freshman season when he had 14 goals and 36 points in 38 games.

But his recent goose egg wasn’t for a lack of trying. After putting nine shots on goal in Western Michigan’s double-overtime win against Denver in the Frozen Four semifinal on Thursday, he added another three that Terriers goalie Mikhail Yegorov, a New Jersey Devils prospect, had to stop in the national championship game.

» READ MORE: Alex Bump showcases his diverse offensive skill set as Western Michigan reaches NCAA title game

In the second period, he used the defense — he called the Terriers’ blueliners “soft defenders” during a second intermission interview on ESPN2 — to screen Yegorov on a deceptive shot. After missing time in the third period due to a broken skate lace and some “shenanigans” to get it fixed, he cut through the defense and drove to the net before getting knocked down and cross-checked without a call.

Bump played key roles in two of the three goals on Thursday, and did it again on Saturday. When the Broncos broke out three-on-two in a tied game, he sent a shot wide and created space for Cole Crusberg-Roseen to pot the loose puck to make it 2-1. He was also on the ice for Owen Michaels’ empty-netter, and followed his linemate, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, by jumping into the Broncos’ bench.

“Alex Bump is a star,” Ferschweiler said. “Him choosing us and believing in what we’re trying to do here, him coming every day and getting better every single day, which he has the last two years, and now he’s turned himself into a National Hockey League player, no doubt in my mind.”

That’s the next stop for Bump.

The Flyers drafted him in the fifth round in 2022 — he told The Inquirer on Thursday that he’s “definitely not a fifth-round player — and all signs are pointing to him making the jump to the NHL.

“I’m not sure. We’re going to have to see,” Bump told The Inquirer after he got done celebrating in the locker room. “It’s definitely a conversation in a little bit, the next few days. I’m going to try and enjoy this with my team tonight and hopefully tomorrow. But, yeah, we’ll see. Most likely.”

Is he looking forward to the next step? “I am,” he said with a grin. “It’s a new chapter. We’ll see. Hopefully I can make a name for myself up there. We’ll see if it happens or not.”

When he does come to Philly, he’ll bring with him a high hockey IQ, solid puck possession and protection, and a deceptive shot that saw him just miss on several shot attempts over the past few days. A natural left winger, he plays with a shorter stick and more toe on the blade, with a big curve, to make it easier to perform his favorite pull-and-shoot maneuver.

“I wouldn’t have the season I had without any of these guys,” he said about his teammates. “They all had a piece of it. Everyone was a piece of the puzzle in this locker room. So, I mean, yeah, great season for everyone. And it just feels right that we’re supposed to be here.”

Bump was not the only Flyers prospect in the game. Devin Kaplan skated for Boston University and assisted on Cole Eiserman’s goal that tied it 1-1.

Kaplan, who was selected in the third round of the same draft as Bump, showcased the power forward skills he’s been working on this season when he crashed the net for the rebound before Eiserman knocked the loose puck home. A physical player, he also had a minor for kneeing when he tried to throw a check; the Terriers skated away unscathed.

» READ MORE: Flyers prospect Devin Kaplan and West Chester’s Jack Page eye an NCAA title with Boston University

While all signs are pointing to Bump making a beeline for Philly with two games left on the Flyers’ schedule starting Monday, the biggest question mark surrounds Ferschweiler.

The last few days capped off an impressive season for the head coach, who showcased an even keel as he remained cool, calm, and collected throughout the Frozen Four. He was spotted calmly discussing issues with referees on Saturday when several goals were reviewed, and telling his players to maintain their composure as their goal total climbed.

“Don’t get ahead of ourselves,” Bump said of the message from Ferschweiler. “There’s a lot of game left, and you never know what could happen. He just doesn’t want to get us ahead of ourselves, because if that happens, that can go downhill very fast.”

An alum of Western Michigan, Ferschweiler skated alongside Flyers president Keith Jones in the early 1990s. Jones, who texted The Inquirer that, “It’s an incredible accomplishment and I’m extremely proud,” is also looking for a new bench boss for the Flyers. Brad Shaw is the interim head coach after John Tortorella was fired in late March.

“I’m focused on coaching Western Michigan to the best of my abilities,” Ferschweiler told The Inquirer on Friday. “It’s an exciting time to be in a conversation for something like that, but I love this job that I’m doing right now. I think it’s a great fit for me.”

» READ MORE: Pat Ferschweiler is focused on Western Michigan right now but admits the NHL coaching links are ‘exciting’

Could the Broncos duo — and trio with Jones — be reunited in the City of Brotherly Love? Time will tell, but there is a connection there, and Ferschweiler and Bump showed over the last few days what they could bring to the next level.

But there’s no doubt they will savor this moment as they brought pride to the long-standing hockey program.

And what did Ferschweiler tell Bump during that embrace on the ice, just before captain Tim Washe was handed the trophy as fireworks went off in the background?

“I just told him I loved him,” he said, “and I was proud of him.”