More importantly, the organization believes that the young blueliner, who will be headed to Yale University for his freshman season this year, has the potential to someday become a viable pro.

"My parents are actually both from St. Louis, so my dad was interested in hockey. When I was younger he just put me on skates and I just couldn't get off. It was just something that I loved to do. I was lucky enough to have a couple of buddies of mine that were also pretty good at hockey, so we sort of stuck together and kept training and working on our skating, and here we are today," St. Ivany said.

However, St. Ivany is the first native Californian to be selected by the Flyers in the NHL Draft. Philadelphia selected the righthanded shooter in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2018 Draft.

If defenseman Jack St. Ivany someday earns an NHL spot with the Flyers, the Manhattan Beach, California native would not be the first son of the Golden State to wear the team's uniform. The likes of defenseman Matt Konan and forward Richard Park (born in South Korea, raised in California) briefly played for the Flyers, while forward Shane Harper broke into the pro level with the Phantoms before later playing 14 NHL games with the Florida Panthers.

"Jack is a really efficient two-way defenseman. He went through the draft last year and I thought he came a long way this year. His mobility is good, his first pass is good, his transition game is good. We're excited about him and excited about his future," said Flyers amateur scout Nick Pryor.

St. Ivany, who turned 19 on July 22, was eligible for the 2017 Draft but went unselected. This was not unexpected, because St. Ivany is something of a late bloomer, both physically and in terms of his skill development.

At age 16, St. Ivany attended camp with the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants. At the time, he was only 5-foot-9. Subsequently, he had a growth spurt and today he carries 198 pounds on a 6-foot-3 frame.

"It was tough adjusting getting to a new height and getting used to having longer arms and longer legs. I definitely used it to my benefit," St. Ivany said during the Flyers' Development Camp in July.

"I've always had big feet so getting used to then wearing big skates, I was known as slow feet, big boots but it's definitely something I still need to work on. It's something I've been working on this summer and last summer and here at camp."

St. Ivany needed a full season in USHL level with the Sioux Falls Stampede to adjust to the caliber of play in the NCAA-feeder circuit. In his second USHL year, St. Ivany thrived and catapulted himself into Draft consideration.

In 2017-18, St. Ivany served as an alternate captain and was all-situations player Sioux Falls. He played both ends of special teams as well as logging considerable ice time at even strength. Offensively, he ranked sixth in scoring among defensemen in the league with 36 points (5g-30a) in 54 regular season games. He added three more points, including a goal, in three playoff games.

"I'd say I'm a two-way defenseman, definitely puck moving. I pride myself on my first pass out of the zone being a good one and getting the puck into our forwards' hands because that's their job. Also having a good stick in our defensive zone because that's the first job of a defenseman is to defend your own net. I definitely describe myself as puck moving and definitely a pass first guy, but I also like to jump into the rush and put a couple in when I can," St. Ivany said.

Moving forward, the Flyers organization would like to see St. Ivany continue to refine his skating, which the player himself identifies as his biggest developmental focus area before he is potentially pro-ready. Added lower-body strength on his still somewhat lanky frame would be helpful. But St. Ivany brings considerable poise and sound puck skills to the table.

"Good size, moves well. Kind of one of those 'Steady Eddie' type of guys, solid with the puck. He was a good fit for our group," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said at the conclusion of the 2018 Draft weekend.

St. Ivany is expected to see regular ice time at Yale this coming season. The young player, who has adhered to a customized nutrition and training program over the summer, said he is confident that he can stand up to the on-ice physical challenges he will face in the years to come as well as the off-ice academic rigors of attending a prestigious Ivy League university.