Now the Flyers have signed all of their restricted free agents as Hayden Hodgson impressed the organization enough to stick around. The team announced they have signed him to a two-year, two way/one way deal worth $800K.
Similar to the deal Wade Allison signed, Hodgson will make different amounts of money based on if he plays in the NHL or the AHL during the first year. In the second year, he will make the same amount no matter where he plays.
Hodgson’s journey to the NHL comes with a lot of perseverance. While he was drafted in the third round in the OHL, he would end up going undrafted in the NHL. He spent parts of four different seasons with six different ECHL team. Hodgson played with the Florida Everblades, Manchester Monarchs, Wichita Thunder, Reading Royals, Wheeling Nailers, and Utah Grizzlies.
In 98 career games, he recorded 22 goals and 44 points overall. He also briefly played in Slovakia during the 2018-19 season where he posted seven goals and 14 points in 21 games for HC Detva. Before signing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season after coming to camp on a PTO, he had only spent one other season in the AHL. That came in 2017-18 with the Cleveland Monsters where he recorded three goals and six points in 41 games.
The Flyers would end up signing Hodgson to an NHL deal in March of last season as he had been impressive with the Phantoms. It was also rumored that other teams were potentially interested in signing him. At the time of the signing, he was tied for the team lead in goals. Hodgson would record a total of 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games for Lehigh Valley. Hodgson had signed a two-year extension with the Phantoms in January prior to his NHL deal.
Thanks to all of thay perseverance, he wound up making his NHL debut this past season. He scored his first NHL goal in his first game, adding an assist that night as well. He would record one more game in the short six-game stint. Despite that, he clearly impressed enough to earn the security of a two-year deal.