By Kevin Durso, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The start of a new hockey season realistically begins with the NHL Draft and free agency, as teams start to construct their teams for next year. The announcement of any form of hockey also helps make the new season seem a little bit closer.
The Flyers announced their preseason schedule for the 2019-20 season on Tuesday.
The Flyers will open with a Rookie Game at PPL Center in Allentown against New York Islanders Rookie Team on Sept. 11. This game will likely be the conclusion of the team's rookie camp.
Training camp will open presumably the weekend after rookie camp and the preseason will begin on Sept. 16 with a home game against the Islanders at 7 p.m. The next night, Sept. 17, the Flyers will face the Islanders on the road.
The Flyers will host preseason games against the Boston Bruins on Sept. 19 and the New York Rangers on Sept. 21, with both games starting at 7 p.m. They will face the Bruins on the road on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. and the Rangers on the road on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m., wrapping up their preseason schedule in North America.
The final preseason game for the Flyers will be on Sept. 30 in Switzerland against HC Lausanne at 1 p.m. This game is ahead of their season opener in Prague, Czech Republic on Oct. 4 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The full preseason schedule is listed below:
- Rookie Game – Wednesday, Sept. 11 vs. New York Islanders (at PPL Center) – 7 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 16 vs. New York Islanders – 7 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 17 at New York Islanders – 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 19 vs. Boston Bruins – 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 21 vs. New York Rangers – 7 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 23 at Boston Bruins – 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 26 at New York Rangers – 7 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 30 at HC Lausanne (in Switzerland) – 1 p.m.
