The Philadelphia Flyers’ AHL affiliate has already signed one OHL player this summer. Now, they dip back into hockey’s top major junior development league to sign another.
Tuesday, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms announced they had signed Owen Sound Attack defenseman Sam Sedley to an AHL contract for the 2024-25 season.
Sedley, 21, officially wrapped up his junior hockey career last season in Owen Sound. He spent four years with the Attack organization and became a leader for them on the blueline in 2021.
Sam was a fourth-round, 70th overall pick in the 2019 OHL Priority Selection coming out of the Huron Perth Lakers U16 AAA organization.
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He wasted no time getting started in the OHL, jumping into the league as a 16-year-old in 2019-20, playing 42 games and recording seven points.
Sadly, along with many other OHL players, Sedley lost a full year of development due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21. However, when he returned the following year, he immediately established himself as the team’s number-one defenseman, leading Attack blueliners in points with 42.
Sedley doesn’t have one attribute that separates him from other defenders. But, he possesses many solid qualities that will help him transition to the next level.
He’s a smooth skater who has shown consistency when breaking the puck out either using his feet or passes to move the puck up ice. He’s effectively run a powerplay at the OHL level for three years. And he’s a safe player who doesn’t attempt plays or moves out of his comfort zone.
Sam set career highs this past season in Owen Sound, producing nine goals and 54 assists, finishing with the sixth most points (63) amongst OHL defensemen.
The six-foot right-handed shooting rearguard became the highest-scoring defenseman in Owen Sound Attack history with 168 points in 236 games.
Sedley has attended the last two Flyers development camps and joined the team last year for their rookie and Philadelphia training camps. The organization has had its eye on the Stratford, Ontario native for quite some time.
Now it’s up to him to prove to them that he is ready for the professional level and aim to upgrade that AHL contract to an NHL one.
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