Flyers sign NCAA free agent Riley Thompson to ELC

The Philadelphia Flyers have officially signed forward Riley Thompson to an entry-level contract that kicks in at the start of the 2026-27 season. The signing was reported several days ago, but the Flyers didn't announce it until today. Thompson, who went undrafted, will spend the remainder of this season on a professional tryout contract with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers' AHL affiliate, now that his third season with Ohio State University has concluded.

Thompson, who is 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, is in line with the Flyers' desire to add size to their prospect pool. The 23-year old left-shot forward has mostly played at center, though whether he sticks there as a pro remains to be seen. There's set to be quite a bit of turnover for the Phantoms this summer, with nine forwards become either restricted or unrestricted free agents this offseason. The Flyers, in signing Thompson, seem to be turning over the keys to the AHL team to a younger generation of players.

Though three years of collegiate hockey, Thompson has amassed 39 goals and tallied 45 assists, for a total of 84 points in 111 games. He spent his freshman season at University of Alaska Anchorage before transferring to Ohio State as a sophomore, which was the best season of his NCAA career. In his final season as a junior, Thompson was an alternate captain for the Buckeyes, and he scored 13 goals and 27 points through 37 games. Ohio went to the Big 10 Championship game, but lost to Michigan. He scored four points in the tournament.

The biggest knock on Thompson is his skating, but the Flyers have shown the ability to fix skating on numerous occasions--most notably in Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink. If Thompson can gain a step, he could prove useful depth for the Flyers in the long term. For now though, the Phantoms are gearing up for a playoff run, and adding size and youth should help the team's chances.