From a fan to a draftee, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime homecoming for Brek Liske: ‘I’ve just always been a Flyers fan’
Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Flyers/X
There’s something fitting about a kid growing up watching the Flyers now wearing their crest.
The Flyers really like selecting players who are lifelong fans of the team. Porter Martone is a familiar name, and now Brek Liske is added to that list. The 18-year-old was selected by Philadelphia in the second round on Saturday afternoon, and the Flyers are pretty confident that he can turn into an elite defenseman, among the first-rounder they took before him, Maksim Sokolovskii.
Although he is from Beausejour, Manitoba, his dad is a big fan of the Flyers, so Liske went to a ton of games as a child. His dad has an orange Jeep with the Flyers logo.
“My dad was always a big Flyers fan his whole life and kind of brainwashed me into it,” Liske said. “From a young age, just going to Flyers games, wearing Flyers stuff. I’ve just always been a Flyers fan.”
Liske’s father celebrated his son’s draft with a collection of Flyers jerseys he owned.
“My dad has maybe 30 Flyers jerseys. At least five out here on the deck,” Liske said. “The Flyers staff know my dad was a crazy Flyers fan. He has an Orange Jeep with a Flyers logo.
“I’ve never heard him yell so loud. He’s wearing his Flyers jersey; he’s very proud right now. I think he’s a little bit more in awe than I am right now.”
Liske’s father, Lonnie, became a fan of the Flyers in the late 1980s, teams that featured Ron Hextall, Mark Howe, Brian Propp, and head coach Rick Tocchet, among others, and he shared that fandom with his children. Even after the Jets moved back into Winnipeg in 2011, Liske remained loyal to Philadelphia.
“I’ve asked him multiple times, he doesn’t know,” Liske said. “Just when he was younger, I think with the team in the ’80s… he just liked how they played, so no specific reason.”
At a practice he visited as a child, he met then-head coach Dave Hakstol and got an autographed stick from defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. Even Liske’s favorite player growing up was Claude Giroux. He used to wear the number 82, which is the reverse of Giroux’s number, 28.
“I was a big Giroux fan, my number was 82, which I flipped around from 28,” Liske said.
Even his father wanted to name Brek after a Flyers player. If Liske were a female, her name would have been Brin, which is a note to former Flyers player and now Stanley Cup-winning coach Rod Brind’Amour.
“If he was a girl, his name would have been Brin or Brindy after Rod Brind’Amour…” said Liske’s father. “[Mom] would not agree to the likes of Tocchet, [Chris] Pronger, [Bobby] Clarke, or [Peter] Zezel as a middle name. I fought for Brek Tocchet Liske.”
Liske spent the 2025-26 season with the Everett Silverstips in the WHL, scoring seven times and assisting 17 for 24 points. He also had a +36 rating in 52 regular-season games. For a defenseman, the Flyers are okay with those numbers. And they have believed their offense will do all the work, finishing and producing goals.
For most of the season, Liske shared the blue line with Landon DuPont. DuPont is widely expected to be the first overall pick of the 2027 NHL Draft. That obviously limited his usage and kept him away from some of the tougher matchups on the first pair. Being the second pair on the WHL Champions definitely removes a little spotlight from you, but NHL scouts saw something in Liske that got him to this point.
“The puck keeps moving when Liske is on the ice, and he has the square, fundamental, and physical defense to play back on the rush, said Gabriel Foley of Recruit Scouting. “He doesn’t jump off the page, but plays a reliable style that should only grow as he becomes a more physical and stronger defender.”
Liske has shown his growth in offense in his sophomore season while maintaining his elite defensive metrics. He skated with sharp edge work and strong four-way mobility. He can position himself before the play even develops, and is calm with the puck. He pre-scans the area and moves it quickly and accurately. Although that’s a simple skill set, it’s difficult to find a player his age with good hockey IQ. He logged an average of 21 minutes of ice time per game in Everett and spent around three minutes on the penalty kill.
“I describe my game as a two-way defenseman, I think I defend well,” Liske said. “I can move the puck and make the right plays.”
If the regular season established Liske as a defensive prospect to look out for, the WHL playoffs turned him around. Liske exploded for 17 points in 18 playoff games. He had four goals, two of which were game-winners, and assisted on 13, which helped the Silverstips win the WHL.
He’s not necessarily the fastest or most explosive player, and he doesn’t come galloping up the ice like some of the higher-touted d-men in this draft class, said Tom Watson of SMAHT Scouting, “but he works hard and keeps moving, and this often means he’s winning races and getting in the right positions. Even when he’s on the point, he likes to stay in motion.”
The projection around Liske is that he profiles as a top-four NHL defenseman. With Rasmus Ristolainen on an expiring contract and seeming to be in a multitude of trade conversations, the Flyers want to load up on young defensemen. And that’s what they did with selecting not just Liske, but Maxim Solokovksii in the first round on Friday night.
Liske is expected to return to the WHL for the 2026-27 season, and with DuPont headed to Michigan, he enters this season in what will most likely be Everett’s first choice on defense. He has another full season in an expanded role, and this will determine whether or not he makes the Flyers organization proud.
Andrew Glover
Andrew is in his first year covering sports for Philly Sports Reports. He is a podcaster and a digital content creator. Right now, he is in his second semester at Temple University pursuing a degree in Media Studies and Production. He has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism from the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
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