To this point, Sam Sedley is rather familiar with the Philadelphia Flyers organization. He has attended development and training camp as an invite for the last few seasons.
Leaving without a contract each time, Sedley returns to the organization after agreeing to an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Welcome to the team🎉 The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed defensemen Xavier Bernard and Sam Sedley to AHL contracts for the 2024-25 season. Read more here: https://t.co/ehfkwBMBLj pic.twitter.com/6iMX7bYFEj
— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) August 13, 2024
Sam Sedley inks AHL deal with Phantoms
Along with Sedley, the Phantoms officially announced the signing of Xavier Bernard. The latter was reported on when free agency first opened.
Sedley finished up a four-year career with the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL. He set a franchise record for most points by a defenseman, racking up 168 points in 236 career games. That included a career-high nine goals and 54 assists last season. He did this while missing an entire season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.
He was passed over twice in the draft but didn't let that stop him. He attended the last two Flyers’ development camps along with an invite to both rookie camp and training camp last season.
Sedley kept himself on the team’s radar with his improvement each season, despite not being offered a contract before now. Ask those who know Sedley well and they say that he is a "one-man breakout" and one of the best power-play quarterbacks around. He did that despite questions about the defensive side of his game.
"“Honestly that pisses me off. I hear it. I’m still in Owen Sound and I hear it.” former coach Jordan Hill said. “There’s a reason I got three calls last month from NHL teams about Sam Sedley . . . I would argue Sam Sedley is still the best defensive defenceman on the Attack because of his brain. People just don’t always see it or don’t recognize it . . . who is he out there against? The OHL’s best players shift-in and shift-out. Good players are going to get one on you sometimes.”"
While it is an AHL deal with the Phantoms, it’s possible that Sedley could see some time in the ECHL with the Reading Royals as well. Including Bernard, seven other defensemen will be fighting for playing time on the Phantoms.
But Sedley has already proven himself before so this is a challenge he’s likely accepting.