Cam Atkinson and Bobby Brink, the two smallest Flyers, both set to celebrate milestones vs. the Capitals

WASHINGTON — On Monday night, the Flyers placed their bets. Who is taller, Cam Atkinson or Bobby Brink?

Atkinson and Brink stood up at dinner, and bettors determined that Atkinson was slightly taller.

“Which is a nice thing,” the 5-foot-8 Atkinson said jokingly.

» READ MORE: Meet Owen Tippett, the Flyers new sniper

Atkinson may have a little bit of a height edge on Brink, who also is listed at 5-foot-8, but the 32-year-old sees a lot of himself in the young rookie. The two have had to silence doubters and prove their smaller size doesn’t hold them back at every level. Both former college players, they each had standout NCAA careers and helped their school win a national championship.

Now, Brink is being rewarded with his NHL debut Tuesday night against the Washington Capitals. At the same time, Atkinson will be celebrating his 700th NHL game.

“I don’t know if I’m just getting old or time flies,” Atkinson said. “It’s been a journey, to say the least, but yeah, it’s exciting, for sure.”

Atkinson’s journey had a less auspicious start than Brink’s. While Brink was drafted in the second round by the Flyers, Atkinson was passed over in his first year of draft eligibility. As a high school junior, Atkinson said he thought it was the end of the world.

But driven by the support of good mentors and stories like 2018 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Marty St. Louis’, Atkinson kept working and used the doubt to “fuel my fire and try to prove people wrong.” Even so, when the next NHL draft came, Atkinson almost went undrafted again.

However, Blue Jackets scout Rob Riley saw something special in Atkinson. Throughout the draft, he pushed and pushed for Atkinson. Finally, in the sixth round, then-general manager Scott Howson turned to Riley and gave him a small nod right before Atkinson’s name was called.

“He’s a guy that when people weren’t talking about me was a guy that really vouched for me,” Atkinson said. “I have to thank him.”

Atkinson went on to prove everything Riley said about him right, becoming a a two-time All-Star, an alternate captain, and one of the top Blue Jackets of all-time. Atkinson ranks second in games played (627), goals (213) and points (402) in franchise history.

Traded to the Flyers this past summer, Atkinson has continued to lead both on the ice and in the locker room. He now splits time wearing the A with Scott Laughton. With 699 games under his belt, Atkinson has 452 points (236 goals, 216 assists) to his name.

Interim coach Mike Yeo has watched Atkinson become increasingly integral to the locker room. Now, he hopes young players like Brink will learn from him.

“You need leadership, and I think the best form of that leadership is to be the example,” Yeo said.

“It’s a real credit to him because he doesn’t take any shortcuts through the game. It’s not like he just plays games. He puts hard minutes in there. He’s invested into what the team’s doing through all the little battles. The work ethic that he brings, his tenaciousness.”

While Yeo sees Brink’s and Atkinson’s value despite their size, he’s realistic about the opponent. Brink will be making his debut against the big, tough Capitals. As a result, Yeo wasn’t sure it would be smart to play him with Travis Konecny and Laughton like he did in practice.

“Not a knock on him, but when I looked at him and TK, obviously, this is a big team that we’re playing against tonight,” Yeo said.

Instead, Yeo will shift 6-foot-1 Owen Tippett to Laughton and Konecny’s line while playing Brink with 5-foot-11 Morgan Frost and 6-foot-3 James van Riemsdyk.

Yeo is excited to see how Brink responds to the challenge. The Capitals are on a three-game win streak, and they’re always competitive. It’s a great way for young players to learn, Yeo said.

This season, the Flyers have played the Capitals better than any other team in the Metropolitan Division. While the Capitals have the best record against Metropolitan opponents, they are 1-2-0 against the Flyers entering Tuesday.

Carter Hart will start in goal in the Flyers’ 7 p.m. game in Washington, D.C., against the Capitals. ... Oskar Lindblom will be a healthy scratch, but Yeo expects him to play Wednesday against the New York Rangers.