Flyers prospect Morgan Frost stars in World Junior tourney opener

The Flyers prospect, who finished Wednesday night with five points, completed a hat trick less than 22 minutes into Canada's opening blowout of Denmark.

Morgan Frost (left) celebrates his third goal during Canada's blowout of Denmark on Wednesday at the World Junior Championship.Read moreAP

by Sam Carchidi

Updated Dec. 27, 2018, 8:55 a.m. ET

Published Dec. 26, 2018, 11:47 p.m. ET

Ron Hextall didn’t make many bold trades in his four-plus seasons as the Flyers' general manager, but the one eye-opening deal he did make has left the organization with two high-quality prospects: center Morgan Frost and left winger Joel Farabee.

Both are playing in the World Junior Championships, and Frost was at center stage Wednesday in Canada’s tourney-opening 14-0 thrashing of Denmark.

Frost had a hat trick and two assists in the romp.

Fans in the Vancouver arena were chanting “Frosty, Frosty, Frosty” after his five-point performance.

“I had chills,” Frost told TSN in Canada after the lopsided victory. “It was just a crazy feeling the whole game. The fans chanting my name. That was just the coolest moment I’ve ever been a part of.”

Frost, 19, had never had a hat trick in his junior career. This season, he has 58 points (20 goals, 38 assists) in 32 games for Sault Ste. Marie in the Ontario Hockey League. A year ago, he had 112 points and a plus-70 rating in 67 games.

In 2017, Hextall traded Brayden Schenn to St. Louis for forward Jori Lehtera (the Blues insisted they take his albatross of a contract) and a first-round pick in 2017 and a conditional first-rounder in 2018. Frost was taken with the 2017 selection (27th overall), and Farbaee, a speedy left winger who is competing for the U.S. in this year’s WJC, was chosen last June with the 14th overall pick.

Schenn had career highs in goals (28) and points (70) for the Blues last season. This year, he has seven goals and 22 points in 30 games.

Frost struggled in his one exhibition game with the Flyers this year and was sent back to juniors. He had excelled in rookie camp and in the rookie game.