Flyers

“You Want to be Part of it,” Says Travis Konecny, Who Witnessed 24 Playoff Appearances by the Other Philly Teams While the Flyers Only Played COVID Bubble Hockey

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Apr 16th, 2026 · 3:38 PM EDT

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Travis Konecny was asked after Thursday’s practice if it was special to finally get back to the playoffs for the first time in five years:

“Of course, you know, I’ve been, (since) my second year, we’ve been through all the Super Bowls, and the World Series, I’ve seen all this playoff stuff going on around the (city). Basketball team, too, all the playoff stuff, and you want to be part of it. Every single year you see it. So I’m just excited, and it wasn’t just us, I think the whole city was ready to be back in the playoffs. We’re ready.”

It was always going to mean more for TK, who openly lamented the playoff drought earlier this season. It was January 30th, following a 6-3 loss in Boston and a miserable month, when he told reporters “I’ve been through this so many times. I’m tired of missing the playoffs.”

Now he’s playing meaningful hockey for the first time in a long time.

There are two different ways to look back at the drought, because while the Flyers made the postseason back in 2019-2020, it was COVID 19 bubble hockey, played in empty barns with no fans and no real atmosphere.

The real drought, one could argue, goes back seven full seasons, to the 2017-2018 campaign. That’s when the Flyers last played postseason hockey in front of human beings, in a high-energy type of environment. This is what people are really talking about when they say that playoff hockey has finally returned. They’re talking about experiencing it in full, not the lifeless stuff we got in Canada half a decade back.

If you use the 2018 playoff loss as a starting point:

• the Eagles have qualified for the playoffs seven times, went to two Super Bowls, and won SB 59
• the Phillies have qualified for the playoffs four times, and went to a World Series
• the Sixers have qualified for the playoffs six times, (7 times if you include this season)
• the Union have qualified for the playoffs six times, and went to MLS Cup once

If you add it up, that’s 24 or 25 playoff appearances and four championship game appearances in the same time that the Flyers only played COVID hockey.

So obviously it’s gonna mean a lot to TK, and Flyers fans, having to watch all of that unfold, to see the other teams in town enjoy a lot of success while the Flyers struggle. Now it looks like they’re turning the corner with the rebuild and that’s something to be hyped up about.

Game 1 Saturday night in Pittsburgh.