Philippe Myers

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

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)

Early life

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

Junior

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

Philadelphia Flyers

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

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

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

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]

International play

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

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

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				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

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

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

References

1. "Philippe Myers Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
2. Drost, Philip (February 18, 2019). "Dieppe's Philippe Myers makes his NHL debut with Flyers". CBC News . 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. 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 . Retrieved June 15, 2021.
6. Paquette, Stéphan (October 2, 2016). "Philippe Myers avec les Flyers, une histoire de destin". L'Acadie Nouvelle (in French). 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. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
9. Meltzer, Bill (March 24, 2017). "Prospect Update: Myers overcomes injuries this season". Philadelphia Flyers. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
10. Carchidi, Sam (February 17, 2019). "Flyers defenseman Phil Myers solid in his NHL debut vs. Red Wings". Philly.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
11. "Flyers' Philippe Myers: Tallies first NHL goal". RotoWire. March 6, 2019. 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. 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. 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. 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. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
19. "Flyers announce Qualifying Offers to three players". National Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers. October 6, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
20. Fish, Wayne (August 26, 2020). "Phil Myers' overtime goal saves the day for Flyers" . The Morning Call. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
21. "Flyers sign Philippe Myers to contract extension". National Hockey League. Philadelphia Flyers. December 8, 2020. 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. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
23. Carchidi, Sam (January 21, 2021). "Injured Flyers Phil Myers and Morgan Frost will miss significant time" . The Philadelphia Inquirer. 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. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
26. 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. 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. 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. 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. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
31. "Philippe Myers Loaned To Toronto Marlies". Pro Hockey Rumors. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
32. "Lightning acquire Myers, Mismash from Nashville". Tampa Bay Lightning. July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
33. "Lightning sign D Philippe Myers to one-year contract extension". NHL.com. August 26, 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. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
36. "Team Canada add Philippe Meyers to roster". The Sports Network. May 15, 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. 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. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
40. "Senators prospect, Huskies star Francis Perron named QMJHL MVP". Sportsnet.ca. April 6, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2019.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database