The orange carpet treatment, Charles Barkley’s hot take, and more from the Flyers’ fan fest

Orange and black Flyers jerseys decorated the lawn of Stateside Live! as fans attended the Flyers’ fan fest ahead of the team’s season opener. After the orange carpet, they stood in front of the large stage in the back of the venue, patiently watching the bottom of the 10th inning as the Phillies clung to a 4-3 lead in Game 2 of their National League wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves.

As soon as the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system confirmed the last pitch was a strike, fans threw their hands in the air and cheered as the Phillies sent the series to Game 3. Now, it was time to turn their attention to the Flyers and their lid-lifter against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“When I came in today, it was kind of quiet,” said Roxborough native Mark Posusney. “But the back-to-back home runs from [Kyle] Schwarber and [Bryce] Harper, it just got juiced. ... I think it’s an 11 out of 10 with the atmosphere here with the Flyers starting.”

Here’s everything you missed from Flyers fan fest:

Just a few hours before puck drop, the orange carpet was rolled out for the player walk-ins. The Flyers players, dressed to the nines, were greeted by a line of fans before heading over to Xfinity Mobile Arena.

“Seeing them interact with the fans and seeing that they want to be here, it’s huge for us,” said New Jersey native Robby Seitziager. “Seeing that they actually care is the biggest thing for me.”

Owen Tippet, who has been featured in Annie O’Donnell’s rapid-fire NHL fit reviews on Instagram, showed up in a monochromatic look perfect for the fall.

Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones hopes the Flyers can continue to ride the success they found late last season — making their first playoff appearance since 2020 — especially with the attention surrounding the city following the arrival of LeBron James.

“It’s interesting to be able to see the type of talent that’s electing to come here in the other sports,” Jones said. “It has to make them feel like they’re part of something important in this city. And this city’s always been about every team.

“And we, as the Flyers, want to make sure that we’re a part of that story. So our players have to do their part. They have to perform well like they did last year and kind of build off that in order to continue that momentum.”

Jones has also noticed a shift in buzz surrounding the team.

“I think this city loves an underdog story,” Jones said. “And last year, we were that. With the low percentage chance to make the playoffs and our guys going on a run and doing an outstanding job, winning a playoff round, which hadn’t happened in a while, playing a home playoff game, that was a big deal. So, all of those things have really built a lot of momentum and it’s exciting for us. And now we have to go out and meet those expectations.”

That buzz was shown throughout the crowd at Stateside Live!. Port Richmond native John Powers said he had never bought a Flyers jersey or any type of ticket package until this season.

“There’s a lot of energy around the season,” Powers said. “I went to an open practice a couple weeks ago. Hopefully, we can do exactly what we did last year. Get into the playoffs and see what happens.”

And when fans were asked who they were most excited to see, they responded with a wide array of names from Matvei Michkov and Cam York to Travis Konecny. And as Porter Martone heads into his first full professional season, some are even eyeing the Calder Trophy for him as the NHL’s rookie of the year.

“The team is not too far off from last year,” said Philadelphia native Jim Scheuren. “So, I think similar expectations, maybe a few more points. I think the biggest thing this year is Martone coming in, he only played a few games last year and then the playoffs. So, I think him putting up a rookie-of-the-year season. And then Michkov dropping 20 pounds, I think that’s a huge thing.”

NHL on TNT kicked off its opening night studio show doubleheader in front of the Philly crowd on Wednesday. The pregame show, hosted by Liam McHugh alongside analysts Wayne Gretzky, Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter and Paul Bissonnette, featured analysis ahead of the game, live interviews, and special guest appearances.

“[Philly] is always a place where it’s intense, in my opinion,” Lundqvist said. “As an athlete, you want to play in places where you have that intensity and passion from the fans. I think the entire TNT crew, we’re excited to be on location again. We started doing that last year. It’s going to be a great game between Philly and Pittsburgh tonight.”

Last year, TNT broadcast from the Las Vegas Strip ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights home opener against the Los Angeles Kings. Emily Malmstrom, the senior vice president of communications for Comcast Spectacor, said getting NHL on TNT to Philly was months in the making, starting mid-July.

And as the Flyers made their proposal for TNT to make its way to Philly, they focused on one big thing: the fans.

“Our fans show up any day, any time, and we’ll be here through the night,” Malmstrom said. “And that was really important to TNT given the fact that they have the game following the Flyers and Penguins. They needed fans that were going to last until 2 a.m. And Philly fans show up and being in the heart of the Sports Complex at Stateside Live!, you have the Phillies, the Eagles, the Flyers, the Sixers. We knew we could get people to show up.”

And you know who else showed up? Charles Barkley.

The 11-time NBA All-Star, and former Sixer made a special appearance on NHL on TNT. And during his time on the show, the former NBA MVP delivered a hot take to start the 2026-27 NHL season.

“I’m pulling for my boy Rick Tocchet here with the Flyers,” Barkley said. “We’re going to win the Stanley Cup this year. The Philadelphia Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup. Yes, we are.”