The Philadelphia Flyers’ first selection Friday night might have caught a lot of people off guard, but the Guelph Storm center said he was ecstatic to join the Orange and Black.
“They kind of just liked my game and I’m glad they did,” Luchanko said in a short presser after being taken 13 overall. “It’s just an honor. It’s unbelievable, it’s a great organization and I wouldn’t want to be selected anywhere else.”
Luchanko, who was introduced by famed boxing announcer Michael Buffer, says it’s his speed and intelligence on the ice which are his biggest strengths. “I think it’s probably my strongest asset and something that I’ve always worked on and always kind of had to my advantage. I think it’s definitely one of the biggest things I use to create space for myself and my teammates.”
After swapping positions with the Minnesota Wild (and also acquiring a third-round pick in 2025 in the process), the Flyers surprised many in choosing Luchanko considering scouting experts had him pegged for a later first-round slot. Luchanko said he had chats with the Flyers but wasn’t sure what would happen Friday evening.
“Yeah we had good talks coming in,” Luchanko said. “I had a feeling they were interested, I didn’t know coming in if they were going to take me or not. Obviously they made some trades there too and so it was a surprise at the end of the day. It was really cool.”
Luchanko’s stock steadily rose throughout his year with the OHL’s Guelph Storm where he scored 20 goals and had 54 assists for 74 points in 68 games as one of the youngest players in the 2024 NHL Draft. It was something he says didn’t affect him much on the ice.
“I think I just tried to stay consistent the whole year and that’s something that I pride myself in, something that I learned a lot how to do a lot over this year,” he said. “Obviously the U18 was a really good experience and a great way to cap off the season as well. I was just trying to stay consistent with everything.”
Another aspect to Luchanko’s game he has been known for his is physicality. Although he won’t be mistaken for Nic Deslauriers anytime soon, he says he brings a certain toughness to round out his skill sets.
“I’ve always taken my workouts and gym routines very seriously throughout the years,” the 17-year-old forward said. “I’ve always naturally kind of been a little bit stronger but I think I put a lot of work and time into that so that’s kind of where it comes from. I try not to get involved a lot but I like to play a hard game and try and win every puck and be tough to play against.”
Elsewhere, Luchanko says he’s driven through Philadelphia and has relatives who live nearby but hasn’t been to the city often. He also says he’ll be ready for the development camp which the Flyers will hold next week. And in terms of style of players he finds similarities in Luchanko cites both Travis Konecny (who shares the same hometown as the newest Flyer, London, Ont.) and Montreal’s Nick Suzuki as good comparables.
“I like Nick Suzuki and he grew up in London as well, he played on the Storm as well so he’s someone I’ve always watched really close,” Luchanko said. “He’s someone who has a lot of detail to his game and does a lot of things right so I’ve always like to watch him.”
Luchanko also doesn’t have an issue with where the Flyers are hoping to position him either as a winger or down the middle, the latter a key area they are definitely lacking high-end talent. “I’ve played both throughout my entire career so I think I’m comfortable with both and wherever the team wants me to play I’m happy to play there,” he said.
In the meantime, the forward is looking to bring the same level of production and consistency in his junior game to the National Hockey in the coming years.
“I think I’m just someone who brings it every night and I think consistency is one of the biggest things for me, I’m never going to take a day off. I like to try and take pride in playing the best that I can with every shift, every second I’m on the ice. So I think it’s everything I like to take pride in and try and be a responsible player.”
