Philippe "Phil" Myers (born January 25, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL)

Philippe Myers
Myers with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in 2018
Born (1997-01-25) January 25, 1997 (age 27)
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams
Toronto Maple Leafs
Philadelphia Flyers
Nashville Predators
Tampa Bay Lightning
National team  Canada
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2017–present

Early life

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Myers was born on January 25, 1997, in Moncton, New Brunswick, and was raised in Dieppe, New Brunswick.[1][2] He is the only child of Dave and Suzanne Myers, and relied on his family for motivation throughout his hockey career.[3][4] The son of an English-speaking father and bilingual mother, Myers attended Francophone school, and became comfortable in both French and English.[5] As an adolescent, he played minor ice hockey with the Moncton Flyers midget AAA league.[6]

Playing career

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Junior

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The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) selected Myers in the fourth round, 58th overall, of the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.[7]

Professional

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Philadelphia Flyers

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Myers was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Flyers on September 21, 2015.[8] After his stellar play during the 2015–16 QMJHL season, NHL scouts believed he would have been a first-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft if the Flyers had not signed him.[9] He made his NHL debut on February 17, 2019, in a game against the Detroit Red Wings.[10] Myers would go on to score his first career goal on March 6, 2019, in a game against the Washington Capitals.[11]

Myers was one of the Flyers' final roster cuts as they entered the 2019–20 season,[12] but he was called up on October 31 to add life to a team that had lost their last two games by a combined 12–4 score.[13] With seven defensemen on their roster, Myers was part of a three-man platoon with Robert Hägg and occasionally Shayne Gostisbehere through the first half of the season.[14] By the end of January, Myers had become a staple in the Flyers' lineup, tied with Carson Soucy of the Minnesota Wild for the best plus-minus (+16) among all NHL rookies.[15] On the second defensive pairing with Travis Sanheim, Myers had four goals and 16 points in 50 games before the NHL season was prematurely suspended that March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[16] Shortly before the season's abrupt end, Myers fractured his right patella while blocking a shot from Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres; he was expected to miss a month of play, leaving room for Gostisbehere, who had also suffered a knee injury earlier that year, to take his place in the lineup.[17] By the time the NHL began crafting their "return to play" plan for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, however, Myers had fully recovered from the injury and was ready to make his first postseason appearance alongside Sanheim.[18] He played in all 16 playoff games before the Flyers were eliminated by the New York Islanders, contributing three goals and four points,[19] including the overtime game-winning goal in Game 2 against the Islanders.[20]

On December 8, 2020, the Flyers signed Myers to a three-year contract extension carrying an average annual value of $2.55 million.[21] When the sudden retirement of Matt Niskanen left an unexpected gap on the Flyers' top defensive pairing, Myers was the first choice to play alongside Ivan Provorov for the 2020–21 season.[22] Only four games into the season, however, Myers suffered a fractured rib after colliding with Jake McCabe of the Buffalo Sabres, and Sanheim was promoted to the top line in his place.[23] Even after he recovered, Myers moved in and out of the Flyers lineup as he struggled to regain his form from the previous season. The repeated benching was itself a cause of frustration, as limited time on the ice also gave players like Myers little opportunity to fix their performance.[24] Through the first three-quarters of the season, Myers had only eight points, all assists, and a −12 rating, but he was confident that he was "definitely moving in the right direction" going into the last 11 games.[25] Through 44 games of the pandemic-shortened season, Myers had one goal and 10 assists.[26] That one goal came on April 27, in a 6–4 defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.[27] Myers's difficulties were especially pronounced on the defensive end: when he was on the ice, the Flyers' opponents scored 56 goals against them.[26]

Nashville Predators

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On July 17, 2021, the Flyers traded Myers and Nolan Patrick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Ryan Ellis.[28] While Patrick was immediately flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Cody Glass, Myers remained with Nashville as part of their larger roster revamp, which aimed to create a strong core of younger players.[29] Through the first 11 games of the 2021–22 season, however, Myers played in only three, with Alexandre Carrier, Dante Fabbro, and Matt Benning serving as the Predators' right-side defensemen.[30] On March 23, 2022, days after Nashville placed Myers on waivers and clearing, he was loaned to the Toronto Marlies following a trade on March 21, that saw Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Alex Biega being traded to the Nashville Predators for future considerations. Myers being loaned to the Marlies under contract to the Maple Leafs was the future considerations aspect of the deal.[31]

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Following a tough first season with the Predators, on July 3, 2022, Myers was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Grant Mismash in exchange for Ryan McDonagh.[32] On August 26, 2022, his contract was extended by one year for $1.4 million.[33]

Toronto Maple Leafs

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As a free agent from the Lightning, Myers was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2, 2024.[34] He played his first game with the Leafs on October 26, 2024.

International play

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Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing   Canada
World Championships
  2019 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
  2017 Canada

Myers first represented Canada on the international stage at the 2017 World Junior Championships, held in Montreal-Toronto, Canada. He registered 3 assists in just 4 games as Canada claimed the Silver Medal as the host nation, losing the final to the United States. Partway through the tournament, Myers sustained an injury from Minnesota Wild prospect Luke Kunin that put him out of commission for the rest of the WJC.[35]

Myers was a late inclusion to join Team Canada at the 2019 World Championships underway in Slovakia on May 15, 2019.[36] Recalled to the squad as an injury replacement for Brandon Montour, Myers made his full international debut in a 5–2 round-robin victory over France on May 16, 2019.[37] Myers helped Canada progress through to the playoff rounds before losing the final to Finland to finish with the Silver Medal on May 26, 2019.[38] He finished the tournament posting 1 assist from the blueline in 7 games.

Personal life

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Myers is a self-taught pianist who, rather than reading sheet music, learns music by ear from watching YouTube videos.[39]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2013–14 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies QMJHL 46 0 4 4 11 9 0 3 3 2
2014–15 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies QMJHL 60 2 6 8 55 6 0 2 2 15
2015–16 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies QMJHL 63 17 28 45 44 20 4 12 16 18
2016–17 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies QMJHL 34 10 25 35 46 13 3 6 9 14
2017–18 Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL 50 5 16 21 54 13 3 4 7 12
2018–19 Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL 53 9 24 33 78
2018–19 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 21 1 1 2 2
2019–20 Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL 6 0 4 4 4
2019–20 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 50 4 12 16 30 16 3 1 4 8
2020–21 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 44 1 10 11 22
2021–22 Nashville Predators NHL 27 1 3 4 12
2021–22 Toronto Marlies AHL 16 2 5 7 23
2022–23 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 11 1 2 3 4
2022–23 Syracuse Crunch AHL 52 8 21 29 88 5 1 1 2 10
2023–24 Syracuse Crunch AHL 61 4 19 23 67 8 0 3 3 2
2023–24 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 5 0 0 0 2
NHL totals 158 8 28 36 72 16 3 1 4 8

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2014 Canada Atlantic U17 8th 5 0 0 0 0
2017 Canada WJC   4 0 3 3 4
2019 Canada WC   7 0 1 1 0
Junior totals 9 0 3 3 4
Senior totals 7 0 1 1 0

Awards and honours

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Award Year
QMJHL
Best P Plus–minus (+52) 2016
First All-Star Team 2016 [40]

References

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  1. ^ "Philippe Myers Stats and News". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  2. ^ Drost, Philip (February 18, 2019). "Dieppe's Philippe Myers makes his NHL debut with Flyers". CBC News. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "IN-DEPTH: Myers earning his keep". National Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers. March 10, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Baskow, Jamey (April 20, 2017). "Flyers Prospect Watch: Philippe Myers reveals how his family gives him motivation to succeed". Philly Sports Network. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Campbell, Ken (December 30, 2016). "THN at WJC: The amazing Philippe Myers and more on weird drop in attendance". The Hockey News. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Paquette, Stéphan (October 2, 2016). "Philippe Myers avec les Flyers, une histoire de destin". L'Acadie Nouvelle (in French). Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "2013 QMJHL Entry Draft". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  8. ^ "Flyers sign D Philippe Myers to entry-level contract". Philadelphia Flyers. September 21, 2015. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  9. ^ Meltzer, Bill (March 24, 2017). "Prospect Update: Myers overcomes injuries this season". Philadelphia Flyers. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  10. ^ Carchidi, Sam (February 17, 2019). "Flyers defenseman Phil Myers solid in his NHL debut vs. Red Wings". Philly.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  11. ^ "Flyers' Philippe Myers: Tallies first NHL goal". RotoWire. March 6, 2019. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  12. ^ Carchidi, Sam (October 1, 2019). "Flyers finalize roster, send Joel Farabee and Phil Myers to Lehigh Valley". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  13. ^ Carchidi, Sam (October 31, 2019). "Flyers shake up roster after back-to-back clunkers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Isaac, Dave (December 19, 2019). "Phil Myers relying on mindset as his number called in Flyers' defensive rotation". Courier-Post. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  15. ^ Carchidi, Sam (January 28, 2020). "Flyers rookies Phil Myers, Joel Farabee growing in their roles". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  16. ^ Carchidi, Sam (July 20, 2020). "Travis Sanheim and Phil Myers: The Flyers' blossoming No. 2 defensive pairing can face opponents' No. 1 lines". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  17. ^ Isaac, Dave (March 10, 2020). "Shayne Gostisbehere wants his 'ticket on the train,' as Phil Myers out a month". Courier-Post. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  18. ^ Carchidi, Sam (June 24, 2020). "Now healthy, blossoming rookie Phil Myers ready to help Flyers when NHL play resumes". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  19. ^ "Flyers announce Qualifying Offers to three players". National Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers. October 6, 2020. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  20. ^ Fish, Wayne (August 26, 2020). "Phil Myers' overtime goal saves the day for Flyers". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  21. ^ "Flyers sign Philippe Myers to contract extension". National Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  22. ^ Carchidi, Sam (December 8, 2020). "Phil Myers poised to join Ivan provorov on Flyers' top defensive pairing". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  23. ^ Carchidi, Sam (January 21, 2021). "Injured Flyers Phil Myers and Morgan Frost will miss significant time". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  24. ^ Fish, Wayne (April 21, 2021). "Time for the Flyers to focus on the future". The Morning Call. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  25. ^ Carchidi, Sam (April 20, 2021). "Flyers' Phil Myers believes he's 'moving in the right direction.' Carter Hart is still out". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  26. ^ a b O'Connor, Charlie (June 16, 2021). "What can the Flyers count on from Philippe Myers going forward after a step-up season turned into a step back?". The Athletic. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  27. ^ "Sharangovich gives Devils wild win, end 10-game skid". ESPN. Associated Press. April 27, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  28. ^ "Ellis traded to Flyers by Predators". National Hockey League. July 19, 2021. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  29. ^ Kimelman, Adam (August 20, 2021). "Predators trade for Glass, Myers as part of youth-driven roster makeover". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  30. ^ Vingan, Adam (November 6, 2021). "Is re-signing Filip Forsberg worth the risk? Has Matt Duchene turned a corner? Predators mailbag". The Athletic. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  31. ^ "Philippe Myers Loaned To Toronto Marlies". Pro Hockey Rumors. March 23, 2022. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  32. ^ "Lightning acquire Myers, Mismash from Nashville". Tampa Bay Lightning. July 4, 2022. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  33. ^ "Lightning sign D Philippe Myers to one-year contract extension". NHL.com. August 26, 2022. Archived from the original on August 27, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  34. ^ "Maple Leafs sign three players". Toronto Maple Leafs. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  35. ^ Meltzer, Bill (March 24, 2017). "Prospect Update: Myers overcomes injuries this season". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  36. ^ "Team Canada add Philippe Meyers to roster". The Sports Network. May 15, 2019. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  37. ^ "Game Summary: Canada 5, France 2" (PDF). IIHF. May 16, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  38. ^ "Finland defeats Canada for Gold Medal at World Championship". The Sports Network. May 26, 2019. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  39. ^ Campbell, Ken (December 30, 2016). "THN at WJC: The amazing Philippe Myers and more on weird drop in attendance". The Hockey News. Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  40. ^ "Senators prospect, Huskies star Francis Perron named QMJHL MVP". Sportsnet.ca. April 6, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
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