Alex Ciernik became the third Flyers prospect to sign an entry-level contract this month as the 21-year-old winger inked his three-year deal Monday.
The 2023 fourth-round pick had played professionally in Finland and Sweden this season. His contract with the Flyers begins next season. He won’t be reporting to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley right now.
Last Tuesday, the Flyers signed Cole Knuble, their other 2023 fourth-rounder, to his two-year entry-level deal. A little over a week and a half ago, the Flyers signed 2024 fifth-rounder Noah Powell to his three-year entry-level contract.
Ciernik is around 5-foot-10 and 178 pounds. He’s a plus skater and has a skillful game. But he struggled a bit overseas this season and has battled some head injuries since being drafted.
“As you can tell, I’m not the biggest guy,” Ciernik said in September 2023. “That’s definitely something I have to work on, but it has been that way ever since I was a kid. I just try to get through with the things that stand out in my game, which is speed. As long as I can just be smart with how I play — because I’m not going to be 6-4 … ever; let’s be honest. So I’ve just got to be smart.”
He started this season in Liiga, Finland’s top pro league. He had a goal, two assists and a minus-4 rating in 19 games for the Lahti Pelicans. Ciernik then rejoined the Nybro Vikings in HockeyAllsvenskan, a Swedish pro league that’s a tier below the SHL. He was limited to 21 games, recording two goals, three assists and a minus-7 mark.
In 130 career HockeyAllsvenskan games, Ciernik put up 54 points (20 goals, 34 assists).
Last season, he got a taste of the AHL when he played three games for the Phantoms. Ciernik had an assist, two shots and a plus-2 rating. Lehigh Valley is where he’s projected to play next season.