The Courier-Post

Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers

VOORHEES — If you don’t know who Cole Bardreau is, he’d like you to learn so you can be his next hater.

Once you know the Ivy Leaguer’s story, the self-proclaimed “pest or a rat,” who once finished a game in college after (unbeknownst to him) breaking his neck, he would like you to then count him out in his quest to make the NHL.

“I like when people doubt me,” said Bardreau, 24, who signed an entry-level deal with the Flyers as a free agent out of Cornell in 2015. “It fuels my game and makes me go that much harder and it will make it sweeter when it happens.”

As with most prospects, in his mind it’s not a matter of if, but when. And it might’ve happened last year were it not for a sports hernia that kept him out of training camp when the Flyers were betting on him battling for a roster spot.

They still are as this year’s camp is set to open Sept. 15.

General manager Ron Hextall has gone out of his way to mention Bardreau the last couple of years as part of the prospect pool that’s knocking on the door of cracking the NHL.

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He did it again last week in an interview with the Courier-Post, mentioning Bardreau in the same breath as defensemen Robert Hagg, Sam Morin, Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers as well as No. 2 overall pick Nolan Patrick, all of whom are perceived to have a very good shot at making the Flyers’ roster out of training camp.

“I always think I’m kind of the underdog, but I like that,” said Bardreau, who was an alternate captain on the gold medal U.S. World Junior team in 2013 with Shayne Gostisbehere. “There’s a lot of haters, for lack of a better word, but that just fuels my game. I play with that chip on my shoulder. It is tough at times. You see all these young guys come in and their skill level is through the roof. You’ve got to remind yourself sometimes, ‘I bring a different element to the game,’ especially when development camp rolls around and it’s just skill drills.”

Most of the prospects that get all the attention are the high scorers, the bruising defensemen, the talent-oozing forwards who seems to have the puck on a string.

Bardreau is none of those things and he knows it.

As a senior at Cornell he was the Big Red’s leading scorer, but his game is more indicative of being named ECAC Hockey’s best defensive forward. He’s been a bottom-six forward with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms the last two seasons and would fill the same role if he were in the NHL.

“I’m OK with having limited ice time,” said Bardreau, who had been a center until last year with the Phantoms when he mostly played both wings. “At the end of the day all I want to do is win. You could put me in a top-six role or bottom six, but to be honest I really do like a bottom six with less ice time so when I’m out there I can run around and cause a little more commotion than logging those heavy minutes. I love being that role guy, that glue guy.”

That brings us back to Hextall, who brought up Bardreau without using his name when he was asked about Patrick and his potential ice time.

Typically with a young player, Hextall would prefer to either have the prospect play big enough minutes in the NHL to make an impact or stay in the minors and play a big role there.

“There’s certain situations,” Hextall explained, “depending on the upside of the player and what he’s done, where you say, ‘You know what? It’s OK to play this guy in a limited role because he’s accomplished what he can do in the American League and maybe he’s gonna be a role player.’ Your top-end guys, you certainly don’t want them coming here and playing seven or eight minutes a night.”

That sounds like something Bardreau could do if given the opportunity. He had 13 goals in his rookie season in the AHL and that probably wouldn’t translate to the NHL.

He, and the Flyers for that matter, would rather he be solid defensively and not completely inept offensively. Last season, fourth liners Chris VandeVelde and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare were the worst forwards on the roster in terms of shot attempts behind only Valtteri Filppula.

With both VandeVelde and Bellemare gone, Bardreau is hoping there’s room for him even though the Flyers are crowded up front.

“There’s a lot of good players out there and I’m not gonna flash anyone with my skill but I think at the same time I can bring a unique style and tenacity to the team,” Bardreau said. “I think there’s an element that there’s not a lot of out there that I can bring. Cards will fall where they will, but I’m looking to make the jump this year.

“There’s a lot of haters out there that don’t think I have the skill level, but at the same time I think I can contribute offensively in different ways.”