Alex Čiernik hopes ‘my work pays off’ in Flyers development camp after coming back from injury

Alex Čiernik opened up some eyes at the Flyers rookie camp in September.

It’s not a surprise for the 2023 fourth-round pick. He was coming off a season in which he notched 21 points in 18 games in Sweden’s junior league, 12 points in 25 games in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest men’s league in Sweden, and three points in five games for Slovakia at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The ceiling was being raised.

But this past season did not go as planned. Čiernik referred to it as a “little bit lonely.” He missed considerable time after sustaining two head injuries.

He was out for about a month from late November until the 2024 World Juniors, where he scored 12 points in 19 games for Västerviks IK in HockeyAllsvenskan. But while playing for Slovakia at the 2024 World Juniors, Čiernik could not continue after three games. He then missed almost two months recovering.

“After the second one, I had to be really careful, obviously,” Čiernik said. “I communicated with the Flyers too, and made sure that they knew everything and sort of take advice from them because I think they have a lot of experience with this kind of stuff. And yeah, just be very cautious and rather wait a couple more days than go one day too early.”

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The 19-year-old dealt with vision and auditory sensitivity, and headaches. He spent time slowly ramping up to ensure that he didn’t have setbacks. The mechanism for the injuries was not due to a big hit or elbow. The 5-foot-10, 178-pound winger said it was just how he landed, so he has focused on not putting himself in bad positions while not being scared on the ice.

“When I got back after the second time, I didn’t really think about it,” said Čiernik, whose dad Ivan played for the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals. “I trusted that I did everything the right way and felt that my head was doing good. So it wasn’t really a problem for me when I came back.”

A smaller player who tries to use his speed and be creative, Čiernik returned to his Swedish club in mid-February and had five assists in 13 games, including six in relegation. He will be playing for Nybro Vikings IF in HockeyAllsvenskan next season.

“I’m really excited,” he said. “I think I worked hard this summer and, obviously, it takes some time before you see those kinds of results, and a new team and everything. So I’m excited to get going and see how my work pays off.”

The name Eric Boulton probably sounds familiar to Flyers fans.

The former NHL enforcer was known to go toe-to-toe with some of the game’s biggest heavyweights during his tenure with the Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, and New York Islanders. Now his son, Sawyer, is hoping to join the NHL ranks with the Flyers organization.

“I like to bring energy, bring energy to the whole lineup,” he said, smiling. “I like to stick up for my teammates, make sure they feel safe. Make sure they have room and try to be good defensively. Keep the puck out of our net and play gritty games.”

Sawyer Boulton, who turns 20 on July 12, played with his brother Ryder and Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk in London this past season after signing in October. He skated in 40 games and 16 postseason games as the Ontario Hockey League team went to the Memorial Cup final. Boulton was invited to development camp and signed a two-year, two-way NHL contract on July 3.

“It’s been a process for a while here, just thinking about what I’m going to do next year and I couldn’t really make up my mind until after the draft and then started considering options,” said the 6-foot, 215-pound Boulton. “I felt Philly, you know, everyone knows they like to play a hard-nosed style of hockey, and I think I fit that bill.”

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Devin Kaplan, a Flyers third-round pick in 2022, grew up a New York Rangers fan in Bridgewater, N.J., but the family is sporting more orange and black these days, he said. Kaplan, who plays for Boston University, got a chance to pick the brain of former Flyers star John LeClair at development camp, asking him about the small details that can make him a better power forward.